Matt Kenseth helping Jimmie Johnson at Martinsville? Yeah, right…

Matt Kenseth’s text to Jimmie Johnson was tongue-in-cheek, of course.

“I texted Jimmie a little while ago and told him that we’re friends and everything, but I would appreciate it if he wouldn’t ask me for any advice this weekend,” deadpanned Kenseth, who trails series leader Johnson by four points in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings.

Realistically, Johnson isn’t likely to seek Kenseth’s counsel. The five-time champion is an eight-time winner at Martinsville Speedway, site of Sunday’s Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500, with an average finish of 5.3 at the .526-mile short track.

Kenseth, on the other hand, has never won at Martinsville and has an average finish there of 15.8.

Johnson may have the edge on the track, but Kenseth had the upper hand with the one-liners Friday. Witness his reaction to hearing that Johnson had completed a 20-mile run.

“I’m not weird enough to do a 20-mile run,” Kenseth said. “It would take me a week to run 20 miles, even if somebody was chasing me.”