NASCAR is headed to the shortest and oldest track on the circuit this weekend in Virginia. Here's what to know for Cook Out 400 at Martinsville.
Sure all major racing circuits have cars that are extremely fast. But do you know the difference between INDYCAR, F1 and NASCAR?Martinsville, which first hosted NASCAR in its inaugural 1949 season, is appropriately nicknamed"The Paperclip" due to its long straightaways and tight corners.
The half-mile track holds two NASCAR races annually, one in the spring and one in the fall. So, what's in store for Martinsville? What's the TV schedule for the weekend? And who could contend for the win on Sunday? Here’s everything to know for the Cook Out 400.two groups , with each group getting 25 minutes of free practice. Each driver will get two laps on the track alone to set their fastest time for qualifying, with the starting order set based on single-lap speed.Mike Joy , Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer will be on the call this weekend, including practice and qualifying streaming on Prime Video and the race on FOX.Who is racing at Martinsville? Here's the entry list Thirty-seven drivers will race at Martinsville — 35 full-timers and two part-timers. Justin Allgaier and Austin Hill, both regulars in the second-tier O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, will compete in the Cup race. Allgaier is filling in for Alex Bowman, who will miss his fourth straight race due to vertigo. Hill will make his second start of 2026 for Richard Childress Racing in the part-time No. 33 car.NASCAR pit stops are a sport themselves with how much planning goes into a perfect pit stop. Here's what you need to know about what happens during a pit stop. Look no further than Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney and William Byron, who are the three favorites heading into this race. Hamlin is a six-time winner at Martinsville, first way back in 2008 and most recently last spring. He's led 2,722 laps in his 40 starts, becoming one of the best drivers in track history. Only five drivers -- all Hall of Famers -- haveBlaney had just two top-10s in his first six starts, but hasn't finished worse than 11th in his last 14 with two wins. Byron was the same as Blaney statistically in his first six starts, and he's since rattled off three wins in eight races. Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell should also contend for the win Sunday. The 2020 Cup champion has posted four straight top-fives at Martinsville, with 1,275 laps led in his 21 starts. Bell, who won here in 2022, qualified on pole and finished second last spring. If you're looking for a sleeper, Bubba Wallace and Todd Gilliland could be contenders. Wallace is third in the points standings this season and he's finished top-10 in three straight spring races . Gilliland has just 15 top-10s in 150 career starts, but three were at Martinsville .Darrell “Bubba” Wallace is one of the most recognized names in NASCAR. Here’s what you need to know.Hamlin leads the way with six victories ranging from 2008 to 2025, while Byron , Keselowski , Busch and Blaney all have multiple wins. Logano , Elliott , Bell and Larson have one win at the track.
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