Is pit stall No. 1 at Martinsville really that valuable?

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- Ask any NASCAR Cup Series driver which pit stall on the circuit is most valuable, and chances are most would point to pit stall No. 1 at Martinsville Speedway, closest to the exit from pit road. Conventional wisdom says that pit box is worth two or three positions per stop, assuming the service for fuel and tires goes according to plan. PIT STALLS: See where drivers will pit Sunday Possession of pit stall No. 1 typically is a perk for the pole winner, who has first choice of pit boxes for the ensuing race. The anomaly is that no Cup driver has parlayed the pole position and the No. 1 pit box into a victory in more than a decade—since Jimmie Johnson accomplished the feat in the spring race of 2013, specifically. RELATED: Martinsville paint schemes | Photos from the track Among full-time active drivers, Denny Hamlin is the last to win from the pole at Martinsville, in the fall race of 2010. Notably, drivers have won the last three races at the 0.526-mile short track from outside the top 10 on the grid. Reigning series champion Ryan Blaney started 11th last year before winning the race that propelled him into the Championship 4. “I think the No. 1 pit stall wherever you go is important -- some more than others -- but it’s still important,” Blaney said on Saturday. “It’s the best stall out there ... “We had the first stall in (closest to the pit entrance) last year in the fall, and I thought it was fantastic, like it was really, really good for us. When you pull off to go in there, you gain spots on guys. “We’ve always come with the mentality of stall No. 1 or anything on the straightaway ... Obviously, the goal is the pole, because it makes it easier on you.” Easier, perhaps, but not decisively so—at least not in recent years.