Quick Hits on Martinsville
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The
first short track race of the season has come and gone with Martinsville. After
a snowy weekend last year for this race, it was great to see this year's
edition run under sunny skies.
After
the Martin Truex, Jr/Joey Logano drama from last fall, a lot of fans were
looking forward to more of the same. Perhaps they were disappointed but
hopefully they went away from the race appreciating the pure butt kicking Brad
Keselowski gave the rest of the field. We've seen drivers dominate races before
but how often does it happen at a short track and how often does it happen to
the tune of 446 laps led out of 500? To say that Keselowski's feat was
impressive is an understatement. He deserved that win and I was relieved there
wasn't a late race caution that could've given someone a chance to sneak in and
take away what he earned.
The
biggest disappointment of the day had to be Jimmie Johnson. Finally, they were
racing at a track where aero didn't matter, a place where a lot of it is about
manhandling a car around that tiny track. With 9 career wins there and the best
average finish of all active drivers (8th) at the track, many thought Sunday
would be a chance for Johnson to at least have a fighting chance. Instead, he
showed nothing.
He
finished 24th and was never a factor. Worse, there wasn't an issue he and the
team had to overcome. There were no pit penalties or major damage to his car.
He was just slow, two laps down. He was last of the four Hendrick cars. I'm not
saying he'll never win another Cup race but it's looking more and more like
we've seen the last of his days as a serious championship contender.
It
was another great day for Stewart-Haas as all four of their cars finished in
the top 10. Denny Hamlin was impressive, coming back from a pit road penalty to
finish 5th. One can't help but wonder how many wins or possible wins he and
that team have squandered due to pit road issues. 17th place might not look
like much but a week after he finished 30th and a disappointing start to 2019
that top 20 must've felt like gold for Bubba Wallace in the famed 43.
Now
it's on to Texas, like it or not. Will Kyle Busch continue his early season
dominance or is Keselowski ready to earn his second mile and a half win of the
season? And is it time for Kevin Harvick or Truex to finally crack the winner’s
column? In case you're wondering, this race will use the same rules package as
Las Vegas and Fontana had. That's all we know. Let's tune in Sunday, get past
all the Texas clichés that will emanate from the booth and see what shakes out.