Viewer's Guide: Martinsville

Jimmie Johnson won the most recent Nextel Cup Series race held at Martinsville Speedway. What's more, he has three consecutive top-five finishes there.

It'd be easy to think of him as a favorite in Sunday's Advance Auto Parts 500. Trouble is, it wasn't always that way.

	Inside the Numbers Jimmie Johnson at Martinsville Year Start Finish 2004 18 1   8 4 2003 26 2   7 9 2002 7 6   14 35 Average 13.3 9.5

"That's been the hardest track for me to figure out," Johnson said. "To win there last year was one of my personal moments in saying that I had buckled down and worked hard at this and got it done."

What makes it so hard, Johnson said, is all the different ways drivers can attack the smallest track in the Nextel Cup Series.

"There is just such a unique way to drive the track. There are a million options when you end at the turn on your line how you're using your brakes and where to get back in the gas. But there's only one sweet spot on that track."

It's an easy track to slip up on, Johnson said.

"Until you realize that you just have to let the track have the advantage and just drive the track how it wants to be driven, you're going to fight it the whole way through. That's where some people have trouble.

"Your eyes tell you the car should be able to drive in real deep and there should be a lot of grip through the turn. But until you just slow down and realize that hey, this track has been here forever and it's been the same all these years, you just need to drive it like it wants to be driven."

• The good news continues for FOX. Last weekend's broadcast of the Food City 500 from Bristol drew a 5.6 overnight rating and a 13 share. That's nearly 8 percent more than the Spring 2004 Bristol race. However, it should be noted that a year ago, the Food Ctiy 500 was held one week earlier.

• Junior Johnson, Rusty Wallace, Buddy Parrott and Martinsville Speedway President W. Clay Campbell are among the guests scheduled for Trackside on Friday from Bristol (7 p.m. ET) on SPEED.

Neil Goldberg

• In this week's "Ask The Producer," Mike Allen of Clifton Park, N.Y., wonders how the NASCAR rain dance works.

"With all the rain last Saturday, I was wondering how much influence, if any, the TV networks have in the decision if and when to call a race."

NASCAR on FOX producer Neil Goldberg said the decision isn't his.

"It is NASCAR's call determining when to postpone the race," he said. "It is in everyone's (the fans, divers and TV) best interest to run the race on the day it is scheduled. Coming back on Monday has a financial impact on everyone.

"In this case it was evident that the way the front had stalled over the Tri-Cities area that it would be there for the night, and it was.

"NASCAR looked at that radar information and thought it was not in the best interest to keep everyone around for a race that appeared would never get started.

E-MAIL Send Mark your take for "The Rant" or your question for "Ask The Producer"

Each week, we'll choose one fan's question to ask a NASCAR on FOX producer. Does something on the broadcast leave you shaking your head? Have you always wondered how or why the TV crew does something? Use the link to the right to e-mail your question and you just might read the answer right here.

In this week's version of "The Rant," Dr. Corinne B. Leek of Nova Scotia expresses a view that many fans share about cable networks.

"I have no problem with FOX coverage of NASCAR. I especially have fun with DW commentating. However, I do have a problem with it switching to FX, off the regular/standard FOX channels.

"Up here in rural Nova Scotia, I don't get FX on my digital cable, nor are they likely to get FX if I asked. I have to wait for the reruns on SPEED channel later in the week after I already know the outcome.

"As a long (decades) time NASCAR fan, I feel NASCAR-deprived."

Well, in that case, thank heaven for NASCAR.COM.

Now to this weekend's schedule:

Track: Martinsville Speedway
Race length: 500 laps/263 miles

• .526-mile oval
• 12-degree banking in turns
• No banking on straights
• Length of frontstretch: 800 feet
• Length of backstretch: 800 feet

TV Schedule (All times ET)

• NASCAR Live: Noon Fri., SPEED
• NASCAR Live: 1 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• NASCAR Live: 2:10 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• Bud Pole Qualifying: 3 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• NASCAR Live: 5:30 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• NASCAR Live: 6:35 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• Trackside: 7 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• NASCAR Live: noon Sat., SPEED
• NASCAR Performance: 6:30 p.m. Sat., SPEED
• NASCAR Live: 7:30 p.m. Sat., SPEED
• NASCAR This Morning: 11 a.m. Sun., SPEED
• Pre-race: 12:30 p.m. Sun., FOX
• Race: 1:20 p.m. Sun., FOX

Victory LaneRusty Wallace ends a 105-race winless streak Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

One year ago, Rusty Wallace held off Bobby Labonte for the last 30 laps to end his 105-race winless streak -- and a race that lasted more than five hours under a blazing sun.

The most recent checkered flag went to Kevin Harvick, who got his first Bristol win in a crash-filled Food City 500 on Sunday without crew chief Todd Berrier.

Keep an eye on Wallace. He had a strong run foiled by tire problems last week at Bristol. This week, he heads to Martinsville, where he leads active drivers with seven victories.

Track: Martinsville Speedway
Race distance: 250 laps/131.50 miles

• .526-mile oval
• 12-degree banking in turns
• No banking on straights
• Length of frontstretch: 800 feet
• Length of backstretch: 800 feet

TV Schedule (All times ET)

• Race: 1 p.m. Sat., SPEED

Victory LaneCrawford celebrates his third career NCTS win Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

One year ago, an injured Rick Crawford held off Dennis Setzer for the win.

Crawford, whose right foot was broken just over a month before in an accident at Atlanta Motor Speedway, beat Setzer by just over a third of a second.

The most recent checkered flag went to Ron Hornaday, who beat and banged Bobby Labonte to the line by .008 seconds to win the World Financial Group 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway three weeks ago.

Keep an eye on Darrell Waltrip. Waltrip says his run in Saturday's race will be his final time behind the wheel in a race.

"I'm not going to race competitively again," said Waltrip. "It's like going to Martinsville a few weeks ago and testing with David [Reutimann] and Robert [Huffman] and my truck. I still want to do that.

"It's not that I'm not ever going to get in a car or truck again. I'll probably hop in there every now and then just for fun."

Mark Spoor is an interactive producer for NASCAR.COM. The Domino's Viewer's Guide runs each Thursday during race weeks.