Venue Location: Martinsville Speedway, Ridgeway, Virginia (historic short track owned by NASCAR, located in Henry County just south of Martinsville)
Green Flag: 3:30 p.m. ET (400 laps / 210.4 miles; live on FS1 with pre-race coverage starting at 2:00 p.m. ET on FS1; MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Track Details
Length: 0.526-mile (0.847 km) paperclip-shaped short oval
Type: Flat, tight short track with two approximately 800-foot straightaways connected by four tight, almost flat turns
Banking: 12° in all four turns; 0° on the straights
Surface: Asphalt on the straights and upper grooves of the turns; concrete in the lower grooves of the turns (creating multiple racing lines)
Key Features: Extremely narrow and technical layout rewards precise car handling, tire management, throttle control, and aggressive but smart short-track racing. Known for “bump-and-run” passing, multi-groove action, and high attrition due to close-quarters contact. Pit strategy and caution management are often decisive. No major backstretch drafting—pure skill and setup win here.
Weather Conditions
Cool early-spring conditions with highs around 55–60°F (13–16°C) during the afternoon race window. Partly cloudy to mostly clear skies, light winds (5–10 mph), and very low precipitation chance (<10%). Dry track expected with cooler temperatures increasing tire fall-off and making grip management critical. Ideal for classic short-track racing without weather interruptions.
Current Standings & Recent Driver Forms (after Race 6 at Darlington)
1. Tyler Reddick (No. 45, 23XI Racing Toyota) – 325 pts, 4 wins, 4 top-5s (points leader and red-hot with four victories in the first six races)
2. Ryan Blaney (No. 12, Team Penske Ford) – 230 pts, 1 win
3. Bubba Wallace (No. 23, 23XI Racing Toyota) – 205 pts
4. Denny Hamlin (No. 11, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) – 203 pts, 1 win
5. Chase Elliott (No. 9, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) – 194 pts
Notable others: William Byron (191 pts), Christopher Bell (182 pts), and consistent performers like Kyle Larson.
Form Highlights: Reddick has been dominant early in 2026 but has historically struggled at Martinsville (average finish ~19.4). Blaney, Hamlin, Byron, and Elliott have shown strong short-track speed and consistency. Hamlin and JGR cars are peaking for their home-state track.
Race History at Martinsville Speedway (Cook Out 400)
Martinsville is NASCAR’s oldest operating track and produces some of the most physical, exciting short-track racing in the sport. In the Cup Series, it has a reputation for lead changes, multi-car battles, and strategy that rewards experience.
Most Wins (Driver – All-Time): Richard Petty (15)
Most Wins (Active): Denny Hamlin (6)
Recent Winners: Denny Hamlin (2025 – dominant performance), William Byron (2024), Ryan Blaney (2023), etc.
Key Trend: High caution likelihood; strategy (pit timing under yellow) and clean air often decide the race. Pole-to-win is rare but front-row starters perform well.
Key Driver Matchups
Denny Hamlin vs. the Field: The Martinsville master (6 wins, 65%+ top-10 rate) returns home with JGR momentum—expect him to contend for his seventh clock.
Tyler Reddick & Ryan Blaney: Points leader Reddick brings blistering speed but must overcome poor historical results here; Blaney (recent winner at the track) is a betting favorite with Penske’s short-track setup.
Hendrick Motorsports Duo (Chase Elliott & William Byron): Elliott has been a top-5 machine lately at Martinsville; Byron is a multi-time winner here and always a threat.
Christopher Bell & Bubba Wallace: Bell (2022 winner) and Wallace provide 23XI/JGR counter-punches in tight traffic.
Tactical edge goes to drivers with short-track history, patience in the concrete grooves, and strong late-race restarts.
DRIVER ODDS
Ryan Blaney + 450
Denny Hamlin + 500
William Byron + 550
Kyle Larson + 600
Christopher Bell + 850
Chase Elliott + 850
Tyler Reddick + 1000
Chase Briscoe + 1200
Joey Logano + 1400
Ty Gibbs + 1600
Ryan Preece + 1800
Bubba Wallace + 2200
Ross Chastain + 3000
Chris Buescher + 3500
Carson Hocevar + 3500
Brad Keselowski + 3500
Kyle Busch + 5500
Josh Berry + 5500
Austin Cindric + 6000
Daniel Suarez + 8000
Todd Gilliland + 13000
Shane Van Gisbergen + 13000
Michael McDowell + 13000
Justin Allgaier + 13000
Erik Jones + 13000
Connor Zilisch + 13000
Austin Dillon + 13000
AJ Allmendinger + 15000
Noah Gragson + 20000
John Hunter Nemechek + 20000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. + 25000
Zane Smith + 30000
Riley Herbst + 40000
Cole Custer + 40000
Austin Hill + 50000
Ty Dillon + 60000
Cody Ware + 60000
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Saturday, March 28, 2026
