[Tommy]

Su Apr 2 – 1:30 pm EST (FOX)

The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series heads to Virginia this Sunday, as drivers go
head-to-head from Martinsville Speedway in the DirecTV 500. Like Bristol
last week, Martinsville is another short track event where the cars must
go slower and, as a result, the drivers feel more comfortable bumping into
each other around the track. Last week, Kurt Busch used a bump on Matt
Kenseth to race his way into the lead with four laps to go on Sunday and
win the Food City 500. This week, there is even more emphasis on braking,
so driver skill makes an even bigger difference to where the car ends up.

And, no driver has driven this track better in recent years than Jeff
Gordon, and he’s 4/1 favorite here a bet365 to win his fifth Martinsville
race in seven years. Over his career, he’s had twenty top-10 finishes
here (14 top-5 finishes), and he’s the one driver in the field who could still
go close to winning in a lesser car than what he’s got. He has to be top
of any shortlist of drivers to win this week, but his team mate Jimmie
Johnson (9/2) must also go close.

Johnson has finished no worse than 9th in his last seven races here and,
after an awful run at Bristol that saw him drop into third place in the
points, he should be primed to get things going again this week. Of the
other current drivers, only Gibbs team mates Tony Stewart (7/1) and Bobby
Labonte (33/1), Dale Jarrett (50/1), and Mark Martin (14/1) can boast of
wins here, which shows just how good Jeff Gordon has been. If there is
going to be a ‘shock’ winner, then Kasey Kahne could be the one at a
standout bet365 price of 14/1. Kahne finished second in this race last
year and, after five races this season, is in second place in the points
standings. He’s looking a much better driver of late and will be well up
to the task of winning his second race of the season.

Nigel’s Checkered Flag … Kasey Kahne @ 14/1

Bet365 latest DirecTV 500 prices … Jeff Gordon 4/1, Jimmie Johnson 9/2,
Kurt Busch 13/2, Tony Stewart 7/1, Matt Kenseth 9/1, Greg Biffle, Kevin
Harvick 12/1, others on bet365 website (Each-way 1/ odds, 1.2.3.4)