Can anyone knock off Johnson at Martinsville?

It's becoming clear why Jimmie Johnson is the three-time defending Cup Series champion. The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet has made a career of the Chase format. He's at his very best in this style of racing, and the lineup of Chase tracks play to his strengths in many regards.

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This week's race is no exception. Martinsville Speedway has been an ace in the hole for Johnson and a real stepping stone to the past three championships for the Hendrick Motorsports star. Johnson has won five of the past six races at Martinsville, and this race has been a really big key to his dominance the past four years.

This weekend's race is shaping up to be no exception to this streak. At this point, the only question is which drivers have the best chance of knocking King Johnson off the top of the hill.

Top Fantasy Racing Drivers for Martinsville

1. Jimmie Johnson
If you haven't noticed Johnson has officially hit that hot streak in the Chase. He has no reason to be worried coming to Martinsville. During the past six races at the track, he has an average finish of 1.5. Consider that Johnson has led more than 1,000 of the 3,000 laps run during that span, and we're easily used to seeing him up front at this track.

2. Jeff Gordon
When Johnson assumed control of Martinsville Speedway a couple years ago, he dethroned teammate Gordon as the King of Martinsville. The No. 24 team used to enjoy the same kind of success at the small oval until Johnson took the reins. Gordon hasn't fallen that far off, though. He has still managed to be essentially the second-best driver of late at Martinsville. Gordon has three poles and six consecutive top-five finishes at the track.

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3. Denny Hamlin
The only driver to really threaten the Hendrick Motorsports duo at Martinsville in recent seasons has been Joe Gibbs Racing star Hamlin. The driver of the No. 11 Toyota stole the victory in the spring 2008 event at the short track, otherwise Johnson would have six consecutive victories at Martinsville. Hamlin led 296 laps and finished runner-up to Johnson here earlier this season, so clearly Hamlin has the tools to upset the three-time defending champion.

4. Tony Stewart
Thoughts of the championship may be beginning to fade for owner/driver Stewart, but that won't deter the No. 14 Chevrolet team from running all out. Smoke is a two-time winner at the paperclip-shaped oval, and he's been a consistent performer at the track. Two of his past three visits have yielded top-five finishes.

5. Clint Bowyer
Despite not being a Chase participant Bowyer has managed to be a very productive driver the past several weeks. Top-10 finishes have come more often than not for the Richard Childress Racing star. Although Bowyer's resume at the Virginia short track isn't very long, it has been quite impressive. He owns a four-race top-10 streak at Martinsville, and that includes a fifth-place effort in March.

6. Ryan Newman
Newman has been a consistent performer at Martinsville. We don't typically think of the No. 39 Chevrolet team when it comes to short tracks, but we have to consider Newman worthy based on his career numbers. He has two poles and seven top-10s in 15 starts at the track, including a solid sixth-place finish there earlier this season.

7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The idea of starting Earnhardt right now might be daunting for some fantasy racing players. The struggles of the No. 88 Chevrolet team play out each week and are well publicized. However, Martinsville presents him with a chance at redemption and a great opportunity for a good finish. Earnhardt has a 52 percent top-10 rate at the small oval and he brings a three-race top-10 streak at Martinsville into this event. Considering how much he's struggled while driving for owner Rick Hendrick, Martinsville has been a bright spot in the storm.

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8. Juan Montoya
Flat tracks and short tracks have been among Montoya's best this season. Well, he gets a little of both with Martinsville Speedway. The small oval has little to no banking in most places, so we expect the No. 42 Chevrolet team to rebound from their poor luck at Charlotte last weekend. Montoya sports an average finish of 12.6 in five career starts at the track and he's never finished worse than 16th there.

9. Mark Martin
While Martinsville hasn't been the best track for Martin over his career, the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet has been hot enough this season to make an assault on Victory Lane almost anywhere. This weekend could prove to be Martin's last-gasp chance at the championship. We expect the veteran driver to pull out all the stops. Martin owns 22 top-10s at Martinsville, including a seventh-place effort in March.

10. Kevin Harvick
Harvick could prove to be a sneaky good play in fantasy racing leagues this weekend. He's shown signs of pulling out of his season-long slump in recent weeks, and Martinsville has been a good track for the No. 29 team the last couple years. Four of his six career Top-10 finishes at Martinsville Speedway have come in the last four years.