(UPDATE) -- The second half of the Chase For The Nextel Cup kicks off Sunday at Martinsville. Most drivers agree that managing the brakes is the biggest challenge. Steve Letarte, crew chief for points leader Jeff Gordon, knows what kind of car to put on the tight track. "A car that has decent drive-off, is good under breaking, it just needs to be maneuverable. When you catch a lap car and he wants run the bottom or protect the bottom, you have to have a car you can move up," said Letarte.

Less is more when it come to breaking at Martinsville. "The discipline that you need in the breaking zone and getting through the center of the turns is very, very important there," said second ranked Jimmie Johnson.

A boiled brake system is what every driver is worried about going into Sunday Subway 500. "You want to be aggressive and get all you can get going down the straightaway, but you gotta be aware of your brake package and not use all your brakes up before the end of the day," said ninth ranked Denny Hamlin.