Of Bristol, Martinsville, and Richmond, which is the best short track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule?

Over the years in NASCAR, short tracks like North Wilkesboro (boy I miss those races) have come and gone and now with only three short tracks left on the schedule, which short track, Bristol Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway and Richmond International Raceway, currently in 2009, which is the best short track on the schedule and why?

Before I get into my answer, I am going to use the three most recent races from all three race tracks as an example, first, the fall Richmond 2008, second, the Food City 500 at Bristol last month (March 2009) and third, the Goody’s 500 at Martinsville from this past weekend (March 2009).

First, last September’s Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway, once Tropical Storm Hanna blow through, both the Cup Series and the Nationwide Series races were pushed to Sunday, setting up a unique doubleheader day. Would running the race in the day vs. the night make difference?

No way, the action on track was still typical Richmond and heated at times to say the least. One thing that I noticed right front the start was there were three groves at times during the race, which created three wide racing. One moment during this race had to be seeing MWR’s David Reutimann showing some strength by staying out and leading a lot of laps, that was a welcome treat after everything MWR has gone through.

However, leave it to Kyle Busch to make a smoke screen after contact with Dale Jr. I feel like I have to comment on this one, from what the camera angle was, Dale Jr. was going into turn 1 behind Busch, had his splitter up to Busch’s door and Busch I guess didn’t hear inside, inside or something, came down and got spun out by Junior, that’s it. Personally, I loved it, but it’s not Dale Jr., he’s not going to risk championship points to payback “shrub”, not when winning the championship is worth much more period.

Well, after all of the drama with scrub vs. Dale Jr., this race would come down to a duel between Tony Stewart and of course Jimmie Johnson. Smoke would lead, but Johnson like so many times, was just a little bit better not only chasing him down, but passing him and then holding smoke off to win again at Richmond. This race just so happened to be the final race to the chase and a statement made to everyone else by Jimmie Johnson.

Second, we the famous half-mile bullring known as Bristol Motor Speedway, which was the sight of the Food City 500 from last month. At Richmond last September, I asked, would the racing be different from night to day? While the answer at Richmond was no, the answer for some reason at Bristol this time around was yes (normally it’s no). I take you back to August 2008, the Sharpie 500 at Bristol under the lights. A race that was mainly dominated by Kyle Busch, but behind him had some of the best racing on this new surface I had seen yet and to top it all off, Carl Edwards used the bump and run on Kyle Busch to pass and win the race.

Now fast forward to the spring race last month for the Food City 500, while Kyle Busch dominating the race was the same, that’s where the similarities end. This race was different for some reason, the racing has changed this time around and to me, it wasn’t for the better, but if you can believe it, it’s not bad neither, however the bottom line is, it’s not the Bristol racing that we are use to seeing and it wasn’t the Bristol racing we had last August or even last March, go figure, how did I come up with that one?

Anyway, it’s Bristol after all and in front of a sold out crowd of 160,000 fans, Kyle Busch showed his strength leading earlier and often. He dominated the race, leading the most laps by far, 378 of 503 laps, and even though we had a green-white-checkered, Busch had the field covered over his teammate Denny Hamlin. Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne would round out the top 5. A couple of high notes were seeing Mark Martin finish in the 6th, Ryan Newman in 7th and Marcos Ambrose finished in the 10th spot, all three needed some good finishes and they got it.

Third, Martinsville Speedway, one of the charter racetracks on the NASCAR schedule and the sight of some of the most amazing races in recent years, for example, two years ago, 2007, a rain delay during the race created a 150 lap sprint race of who had the better tires. The race led to a side-by-side battle in the final 10 laps for the victory between Jimmie Johnson and teammate Jeff Gordon. This is the same race that even produced some harsh words during the race from Jeff Gordon directed at Johnson, however words didn’t get the job done and Jimmie Johnson edged Gordon at the line for the victory.

With that said, fast forward to this past weekend’s Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway, which turned out to be one of the best races so far in 2009, if not the best and in front of a lot of fans. I have to say, there really was no surprises in this 500 lapper, it was just good old fashion side-by-side racing, bumper to bumper racing with no real second grove, it your typical exciting short track racing at its finest.

There is no other way to describe it. Anyway, with qualifying rained out, Jeff Gordon started on the pole, with most short track racing, you typically see one or two drivers dominate the race and at Martinsville, that’s what it was, Jeff Gordon vs. Denny Hamlin. What a show these two put on throughout 400+ short tracks laps, at one point I was expecting Jeff Gordon to give Denny Hamlin the chrome horn, but he didn’t. This is a more experienced Gordon, I remember several times over the years when Gordon would with no question put the bump to somebody and more them. Bristol, Richmond and Rusty Wallace comes to mind, Dale Jarrett years ago in New Hampshire or even more, Gordon vs. Gordon at New Hampshire in November.

But you know, this would be Martinsville without Hendrick Motorsports and on their 25th anniversary of their first victory, it was only fitting to see a Hendrick driver go to victory lane. But wouldn’t you know it, dominating a race means if you are not the best at the end and when the money is on the line, Jimmie Johnson raises from nowhere to contend. I watched the final laps of this one, Denny Hamlin leading, Jimmie Johnson making contact, but the media made a mountain out of a mole hill here, it was just racing, Johnson went into turn 3 going under Hamlin, Hamlin came down and they touched, both went up the racetrack, saved it and wouldn’t you know it, “Mr. Martinsville”, Jimmie Johnson wins again.

Now the question at hand, Of Bristol, Martinsville, and Richmond, which is the best short track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule? You ask several different race fans and several different answers, however as much as I like Martinsville and Bristol racing (not counting last month’s Bristol race), I have to say, I love Richmond. Richmond at time has three groves, good old fashion side-by-side racing and last Septembers race was exactly what fans needed. But I will say this, I still love watching Martinsville and Bristol, however I still miss North Wilkesboro Speedway, that was a good short track, what a shame.