Martinsville Cup Race Thread

[Jonesi]

44 cars on Entry list
Top 35:
48 JIMMIE JOHNSON
5 MARK MARTIN
24 JEFF GORDON
14 TONY STEWART
2 KURT BUSCH
42 JUAN P MONTOYA
16 GREG BIFFLE
39 RYAN NEWMAN
9 KASEY KAHNE
99 CARL EDWARDS
--
11 DENNY HAMLIN
83 BRIAN VICKERS
17 MATT KENSETH
18 KYLE BUSCH
33 CLINT BOWYER
00 DAVID REUTIMANN
47 MARCOS AMBROSE
07 CASEY MEARS
31 JEFF BURTON
20 JOEY L0GANO
--
29 KEVIN HARVICK
88 DALE EARNHARDT JR
1 MARTIN TRUEX JR
44 AJ ALLMENDINGER
26 JAMIE McMURRAY
19 ELLIOTT SADLER
77 SAM HORNISH JR
6 DAVID RAGAN
43 REED SORENSON
12 DAVID STREMME
--
96 BOBBY LABONTE
98 PAUL MENARD
55 MICHAEL WALTRIP
7 ROBBY GORDON
34 JOHN ANDRETTI

GOGH 1 will DNQ:
82 SCOTT SPEED
71 DAVID GILLILAND
87 JOE NEMECHEK
66 DAVE BLANEY
37 TRAVIS KVAPIL
09 STERLING MARLIN
36 MICHAEL McDOWELL
64 MIKE WALLACE
75 DERRIKE COPE

[Shifter]

Ah yes, Martinsville...

The track the broadcasters try to hype up by repeating "it's the paperclip" over and over again. Most fans know the truth though, it's a horrible boring little track that would be best suited for saturday night banger racing. No surprise they waited for all the other racing series to wrap up before they went there. I'll stick to a highlight package when it's over.

[NickFalzone]

Haha, very true Shifter. I'll watch the last 50 or so laps, but this race is always hyped up, and really it's just a thick pack of cars going from 60mph in turns to 130-150 or so on straights. Some ok bumping, that's about it. And it's another race that just goes on forever, they're gonna be like what, 500 laps or something?

Originality is not something I'd give current NASCAR broadcasters very high marks for. I'm watching the broadcast sometimes and see notable or interesting things happening in the pits, or over the scanner, and the announcers just completely pass right over it. Even worse, and DJ is a real pro with this, is when there's some real tension or negativity coming from one driver to another over some incident, and the announcers will discount it in favor of an "everyone's happy" vibe. I'll give an example, Matt Kenseth messing with Waltrip in the pits a few weeks ago. It was so obvious that Matt did this because earlier in the race Waltrip was making it very difficult for Matt to get in. But the announcers not only pointed out the incident, but had the balls to say that Kenseth didn't do it on purpose. This kind of fake "reporting" is ok for the very casual fans I guess but it's really disconcerting for the more knowledgeable fan that has a decent idea as to what's going on. That's why I prefer the Fox crew, or even TNT, because DW and Petty will usually do an honest job of it. These ABC guys are a bunch of tools.

[Alexamateo]

Funny how perspective is. For me, it's a "don't miss" race. I love the track and the strategy, and everything about it.

[Shifter]

Well, I do have to retract my 'most fans know the truth part', because it is just a subjective opinion. For me, if a track is difficult to overtake on, a place where strategy is key, and is kept for historical reasons, it had better be carbon-fiber F1 cars circulating the streets of Monaco. As for stock cars, give me places like Darlington. I'm not even really a short-track hater, I like Richmond for instance...

And if I do catch the race and find it exciting, or even average, I'll admit I was wrong.

[NickFalzone]

I'd like to know what Kurt was thinking on this stop, if anything. Got into the pits wrong then proceeded to nearly run over the gas man and rear tire changer threw the gun at him.

http://www.nascar.com/video/cup/2009/10/25/cup.mar2.pitmove.a.nascar/index.html

[Jag_Warrior]

Given where that car was setting (Andretti?) on the last lap, I'm amazed they didn't throw a caution, and instead let them race back to the stripe. That could have ended with a funeral. Overall, I thought this was a really good race (as Martinsville usually is). I was hoping Montoya would get a head of steam and take it, but at least he was strong all day. But those Hendrick cars (and 3/4 of their drivers) are just in another league.

[The instant classic]

i love the comment by Denny Hamlin when the yellow comes out with 5 to go
"oh sure put out a yellow just to help him" (him being Johnson) that was really funny

[harvick#1]

i love the comment by Denny Hamlin when the yellow comes out with 5 to go
"oh sure put out a yellow just to help him" (him being Johnson) that was really funny

yeah I got a chuckle at that too, and seeing the debris on the track, it was really a piece of a tire :mark:

It was funny hearing all the guys talk about how aggressive Montoya was and he was too aggressive, WTF!!!! hes behind in the points and needs to start rattling cages, I wish he would've just dumped Jimmie on the final restart to get everyone some points back. hell thats that Brad K is doing in the Nationwide series

[Shifter]

After watching, I believe that Martinsville should have a race date, but not 2/year and probably not in the chase. And yes, the tire debris was rediculous...chunks of tire like that come off cars at every race, nascar or otherwise.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Well, I do have to retract my 'most fans know the truth part', because it is just a subjective opinion. For me, if a track is difficult to overtake on, a place where strategy is key, and is kept for historical reasons, it had better be carbon-fiber F1 cars circulating the streets of Monaco. As for stock cars, give me places like Darlington. I'm not even really a short-track hater, I like Richmond for instance...

And if I do catch the race and find it exciting, or even average, I'll admit I was wrong.

That is just it tho Starter. Martinsville you can pass. Jimmie came back up through the field a few times. IT is HARD to pass, but not impossible.

Martinsville to me is far more interesting than Talladega....