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From the Marbles

Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:12 pm EDT

The Pace Lap: The Tums Fast Relief 500 @ Martinsville

By Jay Busbee

 

Welcome to The Pace Lap, your catchall preview post! Let's get you started on race weekend with a metric truckload of stats, facts, opinion and innuendo.

The race: The Tums Fast Relief 500. (The spring race was also named for a pain medication. What's in the water in Martinsville where everybody's always in pain, huh?)

The specs: 500 laps around a 0.526-mile track, for 263 miles.

The broadcasts: ABC, plus the live chat right here on Yahoo! Sports. 

Defending champ: Jimmie Johnson, edging out Jeff Burton above. Get used to hearing that name a lot over the next few lines. (Johnson, not Burton. Sorry, Jeff.)

The standings leaders: Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin (-90), Jeff Gordon (-135)

The history: The Paperclip is one of NASCAR's oldest tracks, built in 1947, and also its smallest. With its 12-degree banking, Martinsville makes brake pedals work harder than Junior defenders in 2009. There's always the chance for a field-altering wreck, and with such a short track you can find yourself two laps down in the blink of an eye.

Back in the springtime: Although he got into it a bit with Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson nonetheless won the day at the Goody's Fast Relief 500. Uh-oh.

The appropriate video: Here are the final laps from the spring. If you're a Jimmie hater, prepare for a little more grist for the mill:

Guy with the most to gain: Jeff Gordon. He's been the forgotten man in this Martin-Johnson chase, but he's making some real headway against the rest of the field. He's almost as good at Martinsville as Johnson, but will "almost" be anywhere close to good enough this weekend?

Guys with the most to lose: Tony Stewart. All season long, he was running in first, and he's run a solid Chase. But he's got to make up ground fast. The year's already a phenomenal success for Smoke, but he can't be happy about getting this close and not closing the championship deal.

Our pick to win: Gordon, primarily because we've used up all our Johnson picks in fantasy. But barring disaster or a supreme gamble, this is going to be another Hendrick-dominated weekend.

All right, you're up. Who's your pick for this weekend? Go!

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25 Comments

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  1. Shannon P
    1. Posted by Shannon P Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:57 pm EDT

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    Any 'excitement' for this race is going to hinge on double file restarts
  2. Carol
    2. Posted by Carol Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:21 pm EDT

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    On the paperclip Shannon? Been plenty of excitement there without them.
  3. Reds24
    3. Posted by Reds24 Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:24 pm EDT

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    Jr's looking good in practice! Hell, I have him on my FL... along with JJ.... gonna be a good race
  4. pumped_cobra
    4. Posted by pumped_cobra Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:45 pm EDT

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    Bwahahahahaha. Hope they enjoy the last few remaining races before Bruton and Brian move it out to a foreign country or some yankee state. They is a reason they haven't updated that track, makes it easier to close it. I can't believe they is someone stupid enough to go watch it. But, I consider viginians yankees. And people rip pro wrestling. That 50 plus HP want be that much of an advantage for GG this weekend. Years ago the Busch cars with V6's were faster than Cup at that track.
  5. pumped_cobra
    5. Posted by pumped_cobra Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:00 pm EDT

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    Finally got to stop for lunch at 1:30. Then I had to cut my post above short because I got called back on the floor.
    Got to keep working so I can support 3-4 sorry assed Barack Obama voters laying hom on they ass watching Okra. 3-4 is my limit. Done wrote Odumbass and told him he aint stealing any more out of my check. Both Houses in DC are filled with murdererd, rapists, adulterers, thieves, pot heads, crack heads, extortionists, morons, idiots...........The only place you could find a collective gathering of human beings with a like record would be on death row at Stark, FLorida.
    And you'un think pro sports is legit. It as corrupt as anything in the world. It has the two main ingredients, man and money. When I got to work about 30 miles out of Charlotte the morning after Ford had won the second race earlier this year, I heard a baby crying in the edge of the woods. I walked over and it was apprent the noise was coming in over the woods. I walked down to the raod and I could feel the air from the squalling up the road. It was Rick Hendrick. Bam. No more wins for Ford. Yeah, just keep on thinking ASSCAR is legit.
  6. Jay Busbee
    6. Posted by Jay Busbee Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:18 pm EDT

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    Wow, that comment just took a turn into David Lynch territory.
    PC, I beg of you: please record video of yourself on these rants. I guarantee you I will run it.
  7. Shannon P
    7. Posted by Shannon P Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:24 pm EDT

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    The contenders are always the same, I guess that's what bores me about it, I picked five of five for a top five bet in the spring race this year, it's just that predictable
  8. anthony m
    8. Posted by anthony m Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:06 pm EDT

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    Pumped Cobra, I'm not exactly sure what you're saying, but I think I agree with some of it. Would love to have a beer and discuss some of this with you. Have a great race day.
  9. tx_jjk
    9. Posted by tx_jjk Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:08 pm EDT

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    I have a promo idea for this race...a free dose of Tums for anyone who isn't a JJ fan.
  10. Ian
    10. Posted by Ian Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:29 pm EDT

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    To Pumped Cobra. I am at a loss after reading your rant. By referring to Virginians as "Yankees", I can only assume you are from the South, as am I. However, "Yankees, Okra, Odumbass"? What does that mean? Please do not speak on behalf of Southerners, as I pride myself on my education as well as my abilities to write and speak. Understand that when debating, ignorance will get you nowhere. And what in the world does all of that have to do with NASCAR? I would love to post a comment about racing, but I cannot begin to do that until I adress whatever in the world it is you think you wrote.
  11. Ian
    11. Posted by Ian Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:29 pm EDT

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    To Pumped Cobra. I am at a loss after reading your rant. By referring to Virginians as "Yankees", I can only assume you are from the South, as am I. However, "Yankees, Okra, Odumbass"? What does that mean? Please do not speak on behalf of Southerners, as I pride myself on my education as well as my abilities to write and speak. Understand that when debating, ignorance will get you nowhere. And what in the world does all of that have to do with NASCAR? I would love to post a comment about racing, but I cannot begin to do that until I adress whatever in the world it is you think you wrote.
  12. Jimmie48
    12. Posted by Jimmie48 Fri Oct 23, 2009 4:12 pm EDT

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    PC-soooooo whats your point?
  13. kinggeorge
    13. Posted by kinggeorge Fri Oct 23, 2009 4:41 pm EDT

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    Jay, you know The Pumped One is really some little wimpy man with a giant Napolian complex who would never allow himself to be viewed for what he really is. I gotta say that's one of the more bizzar rants from pumpy in a long time. Must not had his meds today.
    Oh, and not all of us are out of Jimmy's, you just blew your wad of Johnson's to early. *evil laugh*
  14. Reds24
    14. Posted by Reds24 Fri Oct 23, 2009 4:53 pm EDT

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    woohoo! congrats Newman for getting the pole... even though you bumped my man to get there.... I can handle Jeff starting on the outside ;-)
  15. Reds24
    15. Posted by Reds24 Fri Oct 23, 2009 4:55 pm EDT

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    Georgie... you sure have been "spirited" lately... early halloween for you? lol
  16. Phoenix H
    16. Posted by Phoenix H Fri Oct 23, 2009 5:17 pm EDT

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    I actually pick Joey Logano to win this weekend. Dunno why.
    Nah, who am I kidding? It'll be Jimmie.
  17. scuba steve
    17. Posted by scuba steve Fri Oct 23, 2009 5:29 pm EDT

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    Dang...I hate when I blow my wad of Johnson's too early...
  18. brinirmess
    18. Posted by brinirmess Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:27 pm EDT

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    Well I hope yall are onto something about a johnson blowing early
  19. Dani
    19. Posted by Dani Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:54 pm EDT

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    Decisions, decisions... Start JJ or Jeff? Jeff or JJ? hummm
  20. Rudy88
    20. Posted by Rudy88 Sat Oct 24, 2009 7:40 am EDT

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    Shannon P #7 - I notice that in your profile, you have NO trophies! If NASCAR is so "predictable", you should join a fantasy league and fill that blank space in your profile, with trophies! I'm sorry, but I don't find it that predictable. This is my second season in fantasy racing and still no trophy!
  21. MarkN
    21. Posted by MarkN Mon Oct 26, 2009 10:51 am EDT

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    PC #5 you had to get back on the floor for a clean up in aisle #5?
  22. MarkN
    22. Posted by MarkN Mon Oct 26, 2009 1:44 pm EDT

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    Reds #3 how did that 88 work out for you on the FL. Sorry I couldn't pass that up.

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