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Jimmie Johnson beat Jeff Gordon by just a few feet one year ago at Martinsville.By the Numbers: M'ville
Hendrick duo looking for needed cure at short track
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Hendrick Motorsports is in a slump.
Those six words were not part of one's vocabulary a year ago, or even in Daytona earlier this season. But five races in, there have been no victories and only one of the team's four drivers is in the top 12 in points.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s fifth place in the standings is the team's shining star. Jimmie Johnson is 13th, and Jeff Gordon is 14th. Casey Mears is 33rd. Earnhardt does have finishes of second, third and fifth. Gordon has a pair of top-fives. Johnson was second at California.
Medicine, however, could be on the way.
Martinsville Speedway, for all it has cost the Hendrick organization outside of the racetrack, has been statistically rewarding for the team. Hendrick-owned cars have won 16 times at NASCAR's tiniest track, have an average finish of 13.6 and have a total of just 15 DNFs in 23 years of racing at Martinsville.
Too much history? Recent times haven't been bad, either.
8Victories in the last 10 Martinsville races for Hendrick Motorsports.
Hendrick Motorsports
Victories at Martinsville Speedway
| Year | Race | Winner | Started | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Spring | Geoffrey Bodine | 6 | 55 |
| 1987 | Fall | Darrell Waltrip | 14 | 138 |
| 1988 | Fall | Darrell Waltrip | 20 | 109 |
| 1989 | Spring | Darrell Waltrip | 10 | 158 |
| 1989 | Fall | Darrell Waltrip | 2 | 118 |
| 1996 | Fall | Jeff Gordon | 10 | 133 |
| 1997 | Spring | Jeff Gordon | 4 | 431 |
| 1999 | Fall | Jeff Gordon | 5 | 29 |
| 2003 | Spring | Jeff Gordon | 1 | 190 |
| 2003 | Fall | Jeff Gordon | 1 | 313 |
| 2004 | Fall | Jimmie Johnson | 18 | 67 |
| 2005 | Spring | Jeff Gordon | 16 | 36 |
| 2005 | Fall | Jeff Gordon | 15 | 151 |
| 2006 | Fall | Jimmie Johnson | 9 | 245 |
| 2007 | Spring | Jimmie Johnson | 20 | 113 |
| 2007 | Fall | Jimmie Johnson | 4 | 147 |
Back in Time
1997The last time a driver swept short-track events on consecutive race weeks. Jeff Gordon won at Bristol on April 13, 1997, and again at Martinsville on April 20. Jeff Burton won two weeks ago at Bristol and is seeking back-to-back victories for the first time in his career.
10 Key Facts
4Consecutive Martinsville victories by Fred Lorenzen from 1963-1965. Jimmie Johnson has won the last three Martinsville races.
5Career starts for Michael McDowell in NASCAR's top three series: four in the Nationwide Series, and one in the Truck Series. He will make his Cup debut in Michael Waltrip Racing's No. 00 this weekend.
6Finishes outside the top 10 for Jeff Gordon in 30 Martinsville starts. Three of those came in his first four races at the track. Only three of those six finishes are worse than 12th: 33rd in 1994, 22nd and 36th in 2002.
7Former Martinsville winners on this week's entry list, three of which have multiple victories: Jeff Gordon (7), Jimmie Johnson (4) and Tony Stewart (2).
11Consecutive top-10 finishes at Martinsville for Jimmie Johnson. He has finished third or better in the last five Martinsville races.
12.3Average finish for Tony Stewart at Martinsville, the best among the top 12 drivers in points. Martin Truex Jr.'s average of 25.8 is the worst.
32Laps led by Dodge this season, fourth among the manufacturers behind Toyota (768), Chevrolet (471) and Ford (277).
35Finish for Jimmie Johnson in his first Martinsville race back in 2002. Since then, his worst finish is ninth and includes four victories.
118Races held at Martinsville Speedway since it opened in 1949, the second-most of any active track on the schedule. Daytona, although it opened 10 years later, has held 122 races.
612Laps led by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 16 starts at Martinsville, the most among drivers who have not won at the track. Jeff Gordon leads active drivers with 2,466 laps led, more than twice that of second-place Tony Stewart (1,193) and the second track in a row in which that stat is applicable.
Also
- It's a matter of numbers coming down the stretch
- One moment just made the title battle relevant again
- Martin, Gordon left to wonder if they did enough
- Lone Star state dishes out disappointment, frustration
- Rogers' debut with Busch flames out on a fuel call
- In garage area, a different kind of championship effort
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Martinsville Speedway
Active drivers, based on victories
| Driver | Starts | Wins | Top-5 | Top-10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Gordon | 30 | 7 | 18 | 24 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 12 | 4 | 8 | 11 |
| Tony Stewart | 18 | 2 | 6 | 10 |
| Jeff Burton | 27 | 1 | 9 | 13 |
| Bobby Labonte | 30 | 1 | 6 | 13 |
| John Andretti | 21 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Kurt Busch | 15 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Active drivers, based on average finish
| Driver | Starts | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Johnson | 12 | 13.1 | 6.2 | 871 |
| J. Gordon | 30 | 6.8 | 7.2 | 2,466 |
| D. Hamlin | 5 | 16.0 | 11.2 | 153 |
| J. Montoya | 2 | 24.5 | 12.0 | 9 |
| T. Stewart | 18 | 14.6 | 12.3 | 1,193 |
Sprint Cup Series
Official Standings
| Pos. | Driver | Points | Behind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kyle Busch | 782 | Leader |
| 2. | Greg Biffle | 752 | -30 |
| 3. | Kevin Harvick | 749 | -33 |
| 4. | Jeff Burton | 745 | -37 |
| 5. | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 686 | -96 |
| 6. | Kasey Kahne | 674 | -108 |
| 7. | Tony Stewart | 656 | -126 |
| 8. | Ryan Newman | 635 | -147 |
| 9. | Clint Bowyer | 606 | -176 |
| 10. | Kurt Busch | 605 | -177 |
| 11. | Matt Kenseth | 604 | -178 |
| 12. | Martin Truex Jr. | 595 | -187 |
• Complete Standings click here
Cup Series News
- Martin, Gordon left to wonder if they did enough
- Lone Star state dishes out disappointment, frustration
- Rogers' debut with Busch flames out on a fuel call
- Busch out-fuels his brother for first Texas victory
- Earnhardt Ganassi Racing staying with Chevrolet
- Johnson's crash tightens Chase race in Texas
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