Chase Race #6: Martinsville -- Subway 500

Martinsville Speedway

This Sunday, 43 drivers will test their skill -- and their brakes -- at this half-mile paper-clip shaped track in the hills of Virginia.

Good news for Ryan Newman -- he has finished 5th in the last two races here at Martinsville. His average start here is also 5.0, the best among all the drivers on the NEXTEL Cup circuit.

But Ryan faces an uphill battle, sitting 271 points behind "Chase" leader Kurt Busch. Ryan is capable of finishing in the Top 5, but will his brakes hold up?

Martinsville is always a tough track to run at, with drivers revving the engines up to near 140 mph speeds then braking hard for the tight corners, which are usually run at around 65 mph. Brakes heat up and cool down constantly, and if a driver is too hard on them -- they will eventually fail.

Jeff Gordon and Rusty Wallace usually run very well here, but watch for Kurt Busch and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Word of note: they've re-paved this track, since the track was literally breaking apart during the spring race earlier this year. With the new pavement, watch for record-breaking qualifying speeds on Friday and some fast-paced action on Sunday.