2013 Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 Odds, Free Picks and Predictions – Jimmie Johnson the Favorite: The Cup Series heads back to Martinsville Speedway this weekend, and while the half-mile, paperclip-shaped oval is the smallest and slowest track on the schedule, it is far from boring. The flat corners make the bottom groove the preferred line, and passing can be extremely difficult. Early in the race, drivers tend to take their time as they try to work their way to the front, but as the laps wind down, the bumping and banging begins as patience goes out the window.
Last fall, Jimmie Johnson outlasted the competition to pick up the win at Martinsville. He started on the pole, and after dropping back a bit in the early stages, Johnson took control down the stretch and held off Kyle Busch in the closing laps. He ended up leading a race-high 193 of the 500 laps en route to the win. Clint Bowyer and Jeff Gordon also had strong cars, leading 154 and 92 laps, respectively.
The Favorites
Not only is Jimmie Johnson the defending winner of this weekend’s race, but he is going for a season sweep at the track after winning the spring event earlier this year. He is also an eight-time winner at the track overall, and his 5.3 average finish is the best among active drivers. In fact, Johnson has 16 top-five finishes in 23 total starts at Martinsville so he actually has more wins at the track that finishes outside the top five.
He is a seven-time winner at Martinsville in his career, and while Jeff Gordon hasn’t won at the track since 2005, he is constantly in the mix. His 5.0 average finish in the last 20 races at the track is the second best in the series, and in 41 career starts at Martinsville, he has 33 top-10s. Gordon finished third in the spring race at the track earlier this year, and he is basically a lock to be a factor again Sunday.
The Dark Horses
Although he has always been solid at Martinsville, Clint Bowyer has taken his performance at the track to the next level since joining Michael Waltrip Racing. In three starts at Martinsville with MWR, he has compiled a 5.7 average finish and has cracked the top 10 in all three starts. More importantly, he finished fifth at Martinsville last fall and a career-best second earlier this year. A victory could be next.
Hendrick Motorsports has dominated Martinsville for a while, and since joining the organization, Kasey Kahne has seen his performance at the track receive a serious boost. He finished third at the track last fall and was fourth earlier this year. Considering Kahne only had one top-five finish in his 17 previous starts at Martinsville, it is safe to say his move to HMS has transformed him into a legit contender.
The 2013 season has been a huge disappointment for Denny Hamlin, and he enters Sunday’s race with just one top-10 finish in his last 18 starts. That being said, his numbers at Martinsville are hard to ignore. His 8.2 average finish at the track is the third best among active drivers, and in 15 starts, he has 12 top-10s. More importantly, Hamlin is a four-time winner at Martinsville so he could bust out of his slump in a big way this weekend.
Sleeper Special
His strong runs have been few and far between since taking over for Tony Stewart, but Mark Martin could make some noise this weekend at Martinsville. Keep in mind that he has finished in the top 10 in five of his last seven starts at the track, including a top-10 run earlier this year. During the stretch, Martin has finished as high as second, and driving for a No. 14 team this weekend that won the fall race at Martinsville in 2011, an upset bid isn’t out of the question.
Big Name to Avoid
Although he is a former Martinsville winner and one of the more decorated short track drivers in the series today, Kurt Busch could be headed for a long weekend. After all, he has gone 15 straight starts at the track without a top-10 finish and 17 straight starts without a top-five run. Busch finished a dismal 37th at Martinsville earlier this year, and nothing seems to be going his way at the paperclip-shaped short track.
Be sure to check the NSAwins.com Betting Daily Blog all week for updated 2013 Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 odds, free tips, free picks, predictions and articles from NASCAR expert tipster Brian Polking. NSAwins.com is your home for 2013 Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 Betting Odds and Handicapping coverage!
Odds to win the Nascar 2013 Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500
Jimmie Johnson +175
Jeff Gordon +700
Kyle Busch +600
Kasey Kahne +1200
Matt Kenseth +800
Clint Bowyer +1200
Kevin Harvick +1200
Brad Keselowski +1800
Denny Hamlin +825
Dale Earnhardt Jr +1200
Martin Truex Jr +3500
Kurt Busch +4000
Carl Edwards +4000
Greg Biffle +7500
Joey Logano +2500
Jamie McMurray +6000
Ryan Newman +6000
Field +2500
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