Jeff Gordon has five career victories at Martinsville, including a sweep there in 2003. Credit: Autostock

Tech Q&A: Robbie Loomis

Robbie Loomis has a way with Martinsville Speedway, guiding Jeff Gordon to a season sweep there in 2003 and helping John Andretti win the spring race in 1999. So who better to ask about the technical aspects of getting around the .526-mile paper clip in the hills of southern Virginia?

Martinsville is flat, tight and puts a premium on handling, especially in the middle of the corners. The biggest factor on the car is the brake system and the ducts which keep it cool. Loomis, who has led Gordon to 20 victories in the last four years, said that you need three things to win at Martinsville, and that brake heat is the worst enemy of a race team.

Robbie Loomis

Q: What is the biggest challenge you face in setting up a car for Martinsville?

Robbie Loomis: The biggest challenge at Martinsville is getting the car to turn in the middle, getting it to drive off and keeping the brakes on the car, not using too much brakes. Those are the biggest challenges we face.

Q: Do you do anything special engine-wise? That has to be a tough chore for the engine.

Loomis: They just turn a ton of RPM there. It's like 9,800 RPM all day long. You have to gear it so that you get that pull off the corner. It has to last all day.

Q: Is Martinsville the toughest place you go on engines?

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Loomis: No. It's not as tough because you cycle a lot more. You let off every lap. Low RPM is probably 5,400 and the high is 9,800. At a place like Michigan, the RPM never drops down. You turn 9,800 and it never drops down.

Q: In terms of brakes, how much work do you have to do with ducting?

Loomis: The guys do a lot of work on the brakes at the shop. They have to keep that cool and make sure there's enough air on them.

Q: Do you use different pads there?

Loomis: We use different pads there because the heat is so great. We don't have rotor problems, usually, it's just the pads. It eats pads.

Q: Is there an aerodynamic challenge at Martinsville, or is it too small?

Loomis: Aero comes into play a little bit, but on a scale of 1 to 10, if it's 10 at Atlanta, it's probably a 2 at Martinsville.

Q: You've had a lot of success at Martinsville. Is there a certain part of the setup that has to be right from lap one in order to win there?

Credit: Autostock

Loomis: You have to be able to turn the middle. You have to turn the middle all day long.

Q: Is there anything chassis-wise you can do to help it turn in the middle?

Loomis: You have to use the chassis, and the driver can help you a lot there. I've been fortunate to have great drivers at that track, and they definitely enhance the ability to turn in the middle.

Q: Is Martinsville tough on transmissions?

Loomis: It's hard on the rear-end gear, yes, but not transmissions.

Q: Is the track hard on tires?

Loomis: Brake heat is hard on the tires. That's probably the worst thing on the sidewall of the right front. You have so much brake heat that sometimes you see guys peeling tires. Tire wear is not too bad, but the new pavement they have there, it might wear them out a little bit more.