First five races foreshadow how season will unfold

Every NASCAR season has significant markers, key points in the journey: Daytona's Speedweeks, Charlotte in May, Richmond's Chase cutoff and Homestead's Ford Championship Weekend.

But when a stage is being set for everything coming later, maybe no weekend is more critical than Martinsville in March. It's race six of the new season -- and while it's only six of 36, those first five races have already told us a lot about how 2010 is going to unfold.

In no particular order:

• Maybe the biggest kudos go to owner Bob Jenkins and his newly-minted three-car Front Row Motorsports team. To have those three cars still locked into the top 35 after five races out-did 98 percent of the garage area's expectations, I'm sure.

Menard finished fifth at Atlanta, his best of the season.

• My early vote for feel-good story of the year? Paul Menard, hands down. Menard's unfairly been blasted for his family's strong business background but the kid, and father John Menard, are racers -- make no mistake about it. Top 10 in two series is nothing to sniff at and for sure Menard's the most unexpected of the four guys who've achieved it to this point, along with Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle and Kyle Busch.

• Did anyone really, truly, honestly think Jimmie Johnson would not be the biggest, baddest dog to contend with this season? If so, wake up and go back to sleep. Come back in September when JJ, Chad and the boys are on the pole for their fifth consecutive championship run.

• Heart-on-a-wire award: It goes to David Stremme and Robby Gordon, who will experience that boiling vat of oil experience that being at Martinsville as a go-or-go-home car is like; for the first time this season.

• Boiling oil part II: To Mike Bliss and his Tommy Baldwin Racing bunch, who'd worked through four weeks as go-or-go-homers in four-for-four mode; before falling short at Bristol. Failing for a second week in a row would put the top 35 into serious short-term jeopardy -- but I'm thinking Bliss is the man for the job. (Continued)