Chevrolets dominate at Martinsville

Last week at Martinsville, I guess you could say the big winner was Chevrolet.

With Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon leading the way, the Chevys took the top seven positions. Toyota is still struggling. The top finisher for them was Dale Jarrett in 28th place.

Johnson?s victory was the third so far this year, but he still trails Gordon and Jeff Burton in the points race. Johnson could be on his way for another championship as he was leading the points chase last year after the first six races with 933 points. He has 906 points this year after six races. Hendrick Motorsports has won four of the six races so far this year.

No one moved in or out of the top 35 after Martinsville. Of the drivers working to make it in to the top 35, Ken Schrader moved up to 36th, only 9 points out. There are no Toyotas in the 35 guaranteed starting positions.

I was asked last weekend why I talk about the top 35 positions. Here?s my take on the subject.

First of all, the top 35 positions, based on owner points, are guaranteed a starting spot, even if the driver crashes during practice or qualifying. If there are 49 cars entered in the race, as there were in Martinsville, only 43 cars make the starting field, leaving 14 cars fighting among themselves for the eight remaining positions.

This causes teams having to get in on speed to spend most of the time setting up the car for a qualifying run. Teams with guaranteed starting spots can spend their time on race setups.

The Wood Brothers No. 21 team with Ken Schrader behind the wheel was very successful in his qualifying attempt with a second row starting position. Once the race started, he had to hope for an early caution so that adjustments to the car could be made. This is why you see some high qualifiers slipping backwards early in the race.

The pit selections are determined by qualifying order. This is extremely important on some of the tracks that have small pit boxes or, like at Bristol, where they pit on both the front and back straits. Also, on most of the pit roads, there are entrances into the garage area. Drivers like to select pits that are just in front of the entrance since no one is pitting there and you can get out of the pit box with little or no trouble.

Track position is very important on many of the tracks, especially the shorter tracks. Most of the crashes occur back in the pack. Many times you see cars that are in the wrong spot getting involved in these crashes through no fault of their own. Qualifying high lets you start out front and having the best pit location helps you stay there.

Kevin Harvick had the same problem Tony Stewart had in Bristol when he lost all fuel pressure. The piece that joins the two pieces of the new cable-driven fuel pump failed, causing Harvick to fall several laps down. Teams have been running the cable-driven fuel pump since Daytona, but they are not required to run it. The old fuel pump is still a valid piece of equipment.

The car of tomorrow still has problems with right front tires, brakes overheating and smoldering door foam. NASCAR and crew chiefs are going to have their work cut out for them in the next two weeks before Phoenix, the next COT race.

There is no race today. Atlanta is up next. Have a Happy Easter.

Art Larson Sr., has followed racing for over 40 years. He can be reached at [email protected].