Storylines: NASCAR’s impossible mission

Hope. That’s what the Chase has been reduced to for those not rooting for Jimmie Johnson to win a fourth straight championship.

Hope that he doesn’t win Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, where he’s won five of the last six races. Hope that he gets caught up in the Big One next Sunday at Talladega. And hope that past results at Texas and Phoenix (where he has better average finishes than anyone) don’t mean a thing.

However, when it comes to Johnson, hope is a fruitless exercise. Yes, he got caught in a seven-car pile up at Talladega in April, but he also hasn’t finished outside the top 15 in the last 31 Chase races.

Let’s repeat that: His lowest finish in the last 31 Chase races is 15th.

So no, he’s probably not giving up the 90-point lead he holds over Mark Martin, who’s in second place, or the 135-point lead he has over Jeff Gordon in third. To climb back in the championship hunt, they are going to have to take it from him.

Thus, this weekend begins a seemingly impossible mission: beat Jimmie Johnson at a place where he’s all but unbeatable. This will be the focus this Sunday and the next four Sundays after that.

Here are five other storylines to watch for in the TUMS Fast Relief 500:

1. Is Jeff Gordon the biggest threat standing between Johnson and a fourth straight title?

While Johnson has been spectacular at Martinsville, Gordon has not been too far behind. His lowest finish there in the last nine races is fifth.

On top of this, Gordon has been doing everything lately but finish first. He has eight runner-up finishes this season, including two in the last three races.

If Johnson does slip this weekend, expect Gordon to be there to take advantage.

“I think you do have to rattle their cage, but to me, the way you have to rattle their cage is you have to outrun them; you have to show what kind of team you are,” Gordon explained. “That is obviously a tall order. [Johnson’s team has] been very, very strong. They have got momentum and they are going to be tough this weekend again. But I do think we are capable of beating them here.”

Gordon already has a leg up. He’ll start second, while Johnson will start 15th.

2. But wait, is Juan Pablo Montoya still a contender?

He or Kurt Busch needs to be, for NASCAR’s sake.

Montoya and Busch are the only drivers who don’t drive Hendrick equipment still with a chance (even if it’s slight) to win the title. Nothing against Hendrick Motorsports, but it’s a drag on the entertainment value when everyone vying for a championship essentially plays for the same team.

Montoya’s Chase chances took a devastating blow last week in Charlotte – he finished 35th and now sits an almost insurmountable 195 points back of Johnson – but he’s already on the rebound, having finished second in the first practice session at Martinsville.

If – and it’s a big if – Montoya can keep pace in the points standings this weekend, and then make up significant ground next week at Talladega, he’d be right back in the mix. And considering how well he’s run in the Chase – before suffering rear-fender damage in Charlotte, Montoya had one of the fastest cars – Montoya would again become a legit threat.

“It’s the same thing we’ve been doing – have fun, run hard, make sure everybody sees that Target car running hard and up front and see what happens,” said Montoya, who must overcome a 21st-place starting position. “If we can go out and win some races that would be awesome. I think we’re way overdue.”

3. Is Denny Hamlin out for revenge?

Too much has been made of Hamlin’s comment earlier in the week when, responding to a question about contact Jimmie Johnson made with him at Martinsville in the spring, Hamlin said, “If I’m in the same situation I definitely will have that in the back of my mind and probably will do the same to him.”

Hamlin went on to say that he didn’t “owe” Johnson one, but that he will race him aggressively.

There’s nothing alarming there. Hamlin didn’t take a shot at Johnson; he didn’t say the three-time defending champ did anything wrong. He simply said he’s put the contact Johnson made in his memory bank and, if given the opportunity, he would give the same in return.

So while there is no controversy here, it will be worth watching Sunday to see how physical Hamlin is willing to get with Johnson.

“I can afford to be a little bit more aggressive,” Hamlin said, “and you know, just do everything I can.”

4. Who will be the winners and losers when it comes to double-file restarts?

Montoya was the big loser last week when he suffered front and rear damage on a restart at Lowe’s. A mangled rear bumper ended any shot he had at a lead-lap finish and ultimately he wound up 35th.

Rear-body damage won’t be as harmful at Martinsville, where aerodynamics don’t matter that much. But a single spin can punt you at the back of the field or, worse, send you to pit road for repairs that, even if minor, will put you several laps down.

“I think we will see a little bit different race for the pure fact of the double-file restarts. I think that’s gonna be a big deal,” Greg Biffle said. “If you do get third row on the top, we’ve seen a car get shuffled out of line and he goes to 20th – sort of like restrictor-plate racing – before there’s an opening. So that could happen to the fourth-place guy. He could get stuck out there forever.”

5. Will the race be won on pit road?

There’s a good chance it will be. Because the track is so small, pit stalls wrap around much of Martinsville Speedway. Of the 43 stalls, only a few are considered good; the rest are impediments.

Pole-sitter Ryan Newman has first choice, while Gordon gets second dibs. These two will have a distinct enough advantage that could ultimately be the difference between winning and losing.

“We saw what that No. 1 pit stall did for [Johnson] last week,” Gordon said. “I think that is probably as much or more of an advantage here at Martinsville.”