MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Even with only six NASCAR Cup Series races in the books, drivers say they do notice a difference in the way the competition is approaching the 2026 title run now that The Chase is in effect.
Both the approach to stage points and emphasis on consistency have helped create a noticeable new dynamic, much different than the prior win-and-in playoff format.
“I notice guys are just a little more protective of their finish,” said three-time Martinsville winner William Byron, who is ranked sixth in the standings. “There’s more emphasis on finishing well, but what goes with that is stage points. Last year, we had a really good start to the season. We scored a lot of stage points. This year, we’re not scoring as many stage points and we’re not as high up in the points.
“I think there’s more of an emphasis on finishing the race strong, but I still think with stage points, you can’t overcome not having a good couple stages. So, the guys scoring a lot of points might still not be finishing as well, but they’re just scoring throughout the weekend on the stages.”
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell, a fellow championship contender, agreed that there is a very evident change in mindset.
“I think everybody knows the importance of maximizing your day now, where in the previous format you didn’t have to maximize your day,” said Bell, who is ranked eighth with three top-10 finishes. “It was a win-or-bust mentality, whereas now I think the racing is a little more compelling and aggressive. Everyone knows that every position matters more now than it did in years past.”
MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Tyler Reddick’s riveting run of success in the early stages of the NASCAR Cup Series season is everything a driver in a contract year could want. The 30-year-old driver was a hot commodity when 23XI Racing signed him ahead of the 2023 campaign, and his market value has only increased this year after four wins in the first six races.
Reddick’s on-track progress has stoked talks that a long-term extension is within closer reach, and he addressed the buzz around his future Saturday afternoon, on the eve of the circuit’s first Martinsville Speedway meet of the season.
“We’re going through the process,” Reddick said before Cup Series practice. “We’ll just see how it goes, and hopefully it’ll be done soon.”
Reddick is the runaway leader atop the Cup Series standings entering Sunday’s Cook Out 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), and his victory last weekend at Darlington Raceway pushed his career win total in Cup to an even dozen – nine of which have come during his time with 23XI. The performance prompted a question to 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin during his “Actions Detrimental” podcast about the nature of the negotiations, specifically whether an armored truck flush with cash would soon be pulling up to the team’s Airspeed headquarters for a delivery.
“Soon” was also how Hamlin described the landing of a potential agreement, saying that Reddick “deserves everything he gets.” For his part, Reddick has indicated his preference to stay, telling The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi: “I want to be here; I love racing here at 23XI and I’m looking forward to getting all buttoned up so we can move on.”
After winning the Busch Light Pole in Saturday’s qualifying at Martinsville, Hamlin lauded Reddick’s resilience – both through a surprisingly winless 2025 and through the in-race adversity that’s challenged his No. 45 Toyota team at certain points of this season. It’s why Hamlin’s bullish on keeping him long-term.
“He will be, and Tyler’s one of those guys that was very important for us to get our hands on very early, but I think he’s lived up to the expectations for us,” Hamlin said. “Certainly, last year was not great, but his not-great years are still in the top 10. Those are the elite drivers. We’re seeing this year, he’s putting it all together, and our race cars are really fast, too. They really are, and what I like about it is, they’re winning races that they’re overcoming something. They’re not just flat-out dominating them, so that shows his maturity.”
MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin claimed the 49th Busch Light Pole Award of his NASCAR Cup Series career Saturday afternoon, claiming the number one starting spot for Sunday’s Cook Out 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Martinsville Speedway, a track where he has long established himself as one of the best.
Hamlin’s JGR No. 11 Toyota turned a lap of 98.241 mph around the half-mile Martinsville oval — 0.056 seconds faster than another one of the track’s recent best performers: William Byron in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. They will lead the field to green on Sunday, with Hamlin racing for his second victory of the season and Byron hoping to put a Chevrolet in Victory Lane for the first time in 2026.
“I knew it was possible simply from where my car was in practice,” said Hamlin, who now has five career Martinsville pole awards. “Any time you’ve got fast lap speed in practice here that’s in the top 12, you’re close enough there that qualifying trim doesn’t change your car that much.
“You’ve got enough speed to where you nail it and do a good enough job as a driver you’ve got a chance at the pole, so I knew it was very possible, but truthfully, I approached the lap to get in the top eight. I think I’d go faster if I went and did it again right now, but I think I’ll go on and stand on my time,” he added with a smile.
Hamlin now ties Bobby Issac for the 10th most pole awards in Cup Series history, a mark that genuinely seemed to surprise Hamlin, who answered questions about it with an immediate and competitive response: “Who has the next most on the list?” Ryan Newman is next with 51.
“I never really go into any weekend thinking about qualifying on pole, it’s really kind of a sidebar to how my Saturday goes,” Hamlin said. “It’s pretty awesome, and really, with age, the hardest part is actually still having a fast time. It’s one thing to be able to manage races and use your experience to your advantage. But usually, the first thing to go is your raw speed, and we’re still knocking off poles, which is really good.”
Wood Brothers Racing’s Josh Berry was third quickest in the No. 21 Ford and will share the second row with Hamlin’s JGR teammate Ty Gibbs in the No. 54 Toyota.
Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen turned an impressive oval qualifying effort with a fifth-place showing in the No. 97 Chevrolet.
Austin Cindric, Carson Hocevar, championship leader Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano and Chase Elliott round out the top-10 in the starting grid.
Wallace leads field during practice
Bubba Wallace put down the fastest lap in Saturday’s 50-minute practice session. It took a 96.195 mph circuit around the Virginia short track to top the speed charts. A pair of Toyota drivers in Ty Gibbs (96.117 mph) and Denny Hamlin (95.966 mph) joined Wallace in the top three while Chase Elliott (95.937 mph) and Todd Gilliland (95.932 mph) rounded out the top five.
Elliott was best in 10 consecutive-lap average, followed by Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson and Josh Berry.
MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Justin Allgaier has another busy weekend ahead — his “9-to-5” job competing for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship on Saturday and then continuing to fill in for the injured Alex Bowman in Sunday’s Cup Series race at the famous half-mile Martinsville Speedway.
So far, the 2024 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champ has done admirable work balancing the heavy schedule. He’ll drive the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevy in Saturday’s NFPA 250 (3:30 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and then suit up again for Sunday’s Cook Out 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) to steer the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for Bowman, who has been battling vertigo.
Allgaier earned his second O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory of the season — and 30th of his decorated career — last weekend at Darlington Raceway and now leads the championship by an impressive 52-point margin over Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love.
He’s finished 25th (Las Vegas) and 24th (Darlington) in two Cup Series starts in the No. 48 Chevy. The team has said Bowman will be out at least through the April 12 Bristol Motor Speedway race.
“Obviously, the goal is to get Alex back into the car as soon as possible,’’ Allgaier said Friday before O’Reilly Auto Parts Series qualifying at Martinsville. “That’s the main thought and transitioning from there, how do we strengthen the 48 program. The hard part for me is, obviously, I want to do the best job I can for both parties and I also don’t want to hold anyone back, whether that be the 48 or the 7. I owe it to both teams to give 100 percent so it’s made for a bit of a challenge over the last two weeks with family time but it’s worth it and you take a team like Hendrick Motorsports and they’ve obviously been successful in the series for so long because of the way they operate, and how much stuff they have and how great they are.
“It’s been a really unique and fun journey to see the back end of that and hope to get Alex back in the car soon. Hopefully, we can do a good job until that time comes.’’
Editor’s Note: Keep tabs on this page for lineup advice following qualifying, including changes you should consider.
Fantasy Update: NASCAR’s biggest organizations have dominated Martinsville Speedway in recent years, with Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske combining to sweep the last 15 events at “The Paperclip.” My lineup is completely full of those three organizations for Sunday’s Cook Out 400. While Ryan Preece was steady over the long haul in practice, Chase Elliott was simply faster, bumping the No. 9 car into my lineup. Preece is also being replaced by quasi-Penske driver Josh Berry as my 36 for 36 pick, with the No. 21 car starting third, immediately in position for stage points.
My lineup: Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott.
Garage: Kyle Larson.
After a grueling, old-school 400 miles at Darlington Raceway, the Cup Series heads north to Martinsville Speedway for the first true short-track race of the 2026 season. Many of the usual cast of characters run up front at “The Paperclip,” so expect Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske — with a sprinkle of RFK Racing — to lead the pack on Sunday.
Returning to Fastlane this year is my weekly NASCAR 36 for 36 pick, where you can come play along. It’s a season-long points battle introduced in 2024 where strategy is the primary emphasis. With 36 chartered cars and 36 races on the 2026 schedule, players can choose each car once for the duration of the season.
Driver:Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Selections remaining: 7 Comment: With only seven starts remaining for Hamlin over the course of the regular season, I’m debating whether to use him this weekend. He is hard to pass up at Martinsville, leading active drivers in wins (six), top fives (21), top 10s (27) and laps led (2,722) here. He enters with four top-five finishes in the last seven races at the Virginia track, so I think I’ve convinced myself that he needs to be in my lineup.
Driver:Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford Selections remaining: 7 Comment: Blaney is in the mix for being the new short-track king. He has a pair of victories at Martinsville, with 11 top-five and 13 top-10 finishes, including finishes of seventh or better in seven of the last eight trips to the Commonwealth. He also scored 41 more points than any other driver last year at short tracks.
Driver:William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Selections remaining: 9 Comment: When the Cup Series visited Martinsville in October, nobody could dethrone William Byron, who has won three of the eight Next Gen races at the 0.526-mile venue. His six top-five finishes and 664 laps led at Martinsville are his best at any circuit on the calendar, with nearly half of those laps coming in the fall (304).
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
DRIVERS TO AVOID
Driver:Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota Selections remaining: 8 Comment: Reddick put it best while departing his post-race press conference at Darlington when he quipped the world would end if he were to win at Martinsville. The four-time 2026 winner has a pair of top-10 finishes in 12 Martinsville starts, with a best finish of seventh. It’s his only track where he hasn’t placed inside the top five with at least 10 starts.
Driver:Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford Selections remaining: 8 Comment: Vintage Keselowski was on full display at Darlington, leading a race-high 142 laps en route to a runner-up finish. And while he is a multi-time Martinsville winner, it’s been a dreadful track for the No. 6 team in recent years. The 2012 Cup Series champion has finished 20th or worse in six of the last seven Martinsville races.
Patrick McDermott | Getty Images
SLEEPERS OF THE WEEK
Driver:Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford Selections remaining: 10 Comment: Expect Preece, who won this year’s Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, to lead the way for RFK at Martinsville. He made a name for himself running short tracks across the Northeast, and it’s led to some success on the big stage. He won the Busch Light Pole Award for this race in 2023 and has a trio of top-10 finishes in the last four races here.
Driver:Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford Selections remaining: 10 Comment: Like Preece, Berry is another short-track standout who has found success in other divisions of motorsports at Martinsville. In his first attempt with the Wood Brothers, he had a mechanical issue while leading and finished 32nd. He rebounded with a 10th-place effort in October.
Jonathan Bachman | Getty Images
FEATURED MATCHUPS
Tyler Reddick vs. Christopher Bell Pick: Bell Comment: Expectations are minimal for Reddick at Martinsville, giving Bell plenty of wiggle room. He is a former Martinsville winner and placed runner-up last spring to Hamlin. Bell is always in the mix at short tracks, recording 11 top-10 finishes in the last 15 races.
William Byron vs. Kyle Larson Pick: Byron Comment: Because Byron’s highs have been higher at Martinsville, he’s the pick. However, Larson is flirting with must-start territory at Martinsville — something he never thought would be possible. But he’s finished sixth or better in each of the last seven Martinsville events.
Carson Hocevar vs. Brad Keselowski Pick: Keselowski Comment: While Keselowski hasn’t had recent success at Martinsville, his 12 top-five finishes at “The Paperclip” are tied for the most at any venue in his career. Meanwhile, Hocevar has a best finish of 17th in five Martinsville attempts, and he completed the hat trick for spins in a single race last fall.
Bubba Wallace vs. Joey Logano Pick: Logano Comment: Wallace has steadily improved at Martinsville in Cup, finishing inside the top 10 in four of the last seven races. In those same seven races, plus six before that, Logano’s name was a mainstay inside the top 10 in all of them. His 13 consecutive top 10s at Martinsville is the fourth-longest streak in track history.
MY LINEUP
Starting five: Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano. Garage pick: Ryan Preece.
36 FOR 36
Pick: Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford Comment: A little humble brag, but by swapping to Keselowski after Darlington qualifying, I now have three consecutive 51-plus point performances. The goal this weekend is to stay clean, something Preece can do. He is an absolute menace at short tracks, with four finishes of seventh or better in the last eight races, and that dominant Bowman Gray showing leaves plenty of optimism.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Due to potential weather forecasted for the Martinsville area late Friday night, NASCAR and Martinsville Speedway officials will move up the start time for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200 to 7 p.m. ET.
Friday’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event was originally scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. ET start time.
Justin Bonsignore enters Martinsville Speedway with momentum firmly on his side. After opening the season with a victory at New Smyrna Speedway in February, Bonsignore has also captured each of the last two Modified Tour races at Martinsville. A win this weekend would place him alone in the record books, as no driver in series history has ever won three consecutive Modified Tour events at the historic half-mile.
Reigning NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Austin Beers enters Friday’s race in the midst of a historic run of consistency. Beers has recorded 31 consecutive top-10 finishes dating back to April 7, 2024, at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, marking the longest streak of its kind in series history. During that span, he has earned three victories while posting an average finish of 4.77 and has finished outside the top 10 just four times since the start of the 2023 season.
Friday’s event also marks the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s return to Martinsville Speedway in the spring for the first time since 2021. The previous spring race at the venue, held on April 8, 2021, saw Eric Goodale take the checkered flag.
Fans unable to attend Friday’s race in person can watch live on FloRacing. For updated event information as available, fans can visit nascar.com/regional.
