There are some great NASCAR pairings at Sportsbook.com for this weekend's Goodys Fast Relief 500 in Martinsville, Virginia, but the most intriguing, given their history at the Martinsville Speedway, is the matchup of teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Right now the defending Sprint Cup 
Champion is trailing his owner and comrade by 167 points in the standings.
Despite the current rankings, NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson vs Jeff Gordon Goodys Fast Relief 500 at Sportsbook.com has Johnson listed as a -140 moneyline favorite.
It has still been a while since Jeff Gordon has won a race, but when you are in first place in the Cup standings, it does not seem to be near as big a deal. That is exactly where the veteran driver finds himself heading into this weekend's Goodys Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville. His 794 point total has him 76 points ahead of second place Kurt Busch. The 24 DuPont Chevy has shown no signs of letting up either; Gordon placed fourth last week in Bristol, giving him and his crew their third top five finish in the last four races.
If you are Jeff Gordon, it does not hurt to be visiting Martinsville. This Sunday he will be racing there for the 33rd time in his Cup career and his history at the track is nothing short of superb. Gordon has recorded seven wins as well as 20 top five and 26 top 10 finishes at the speedway. His average placement there is an impressive 6.9, which he only improved on with second and fourth place showings in 2008.
Jimmie Johnson is off to a bit of a slow start this season, but most driver's would love to have the kind of beginning that puts them ninth in the Cup standings with an average finish of 15.2. That, however, is not Johnson's typical modus operiandi and he has shown signs that he might be ready to break out. Johnson finished ninth two weeks ago at Atlanta and he placed third in last weekend's Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee, giving him one top five and three top 10's on the season.
If Martinsville is special to Jeff Gordon, than it would have to be considered Jimmie Johnson's Mecca. In 14 races at the Virginia speedway the three time Cup champion has five wins, 10 top fives, and 13 top 10 finishes. His average placement at the track, where he finished fourth and first at in two runnings last year, is an amazing 5.7. Johnson also led an astounding 339 laps in last season's October race at Matinsville Speedway.
Jimmie Johnson's Career Ratios:
Wins – 15 percent (40/260)
Top Fives – 39 percent (102/260)
Top Tens – 61 percent (159/260)
Jeff Gordon's Career Ratios:
Wins – 14.7 percent (81/550)
Top Fives – 45.4 percent (250/550)
Top Tens – 61.8 percent (340/550)
Sportsbook.com's NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson vs Jeff Gordon Goodys Fast Relief 500
Jimmie Johnson -140 (Moneyline)
Jeff Gordon +110 (Moneyline)
Be sure to visit Sportsbook.com today to get your driver picks in before qualifying takes place.
