For the first time this season, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series make a visit to Martinsville Speedway for the Sprint Cup Series’ sixth race of the year and the Camping World Truck Series’ second race of the year. Both series have varying storylines heading into this weekend with the Sprint Cup Series coming off a wild weekend in California and the Camping World Truck Series returning to the track after a month off after the season opener in Daytona. As both series take on “The Paperclip”, this weekend should provide some great short track racing.
Sprint Cup Series
After a wild weekend in California two weeks ago, the Sprint Cup Series heads to Martinsville to take on their second short track of the season. As tensions have mounted over the last few races, Martinsville seems to be the prime place to be as the close nature of the racing at the track may lend to some entertaining moments and payback being issued in the STP Gas Booster 500.
| Driver | Races | Win | Top 5 | Top 10 | Pole | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
| Jimmie Johnson | 22 | 7 | 15 | 19 | 2 | 1981 | 11.9 | 5.5 |
| Jeff Gordon | 40 | 7 | 25 | 32 | 7 | 3315 | 7.2 | 7.1 |
| Brad Keselowski | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 19.8 | 12.2 |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr | 26 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 868 | 13.7 | 13.0 |
| Mark Martin | 48 | 2 | 12 | 25 | 3 | 344 | 14.0 | 13.3 |
| Ryan Newman | 22 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 194 | 9.0 | 13.6 |
| Tony Stewart | 28 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 3 | 1208 | 13.0 | 13.7 |
| Clint Bowyer | 14 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 247 | 16.4 | 14.0 |
| Jeff Burton | 37 | 1 | 10 | 16 | 0 | 940 | 17.1 | 15.0 |
| Joey Logano | 8 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16.2 | 15.2 |
Who To Watch: Hendrick Motorsports’ drivers Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt Jr have owned Martinsville in recent years with Johnson and Gordon winning seven races each and an average finish of 5.5 and 7.1, respectively, for the two drivers. Although Earnhardt has yet to take home a grandfather clock of his own, the current Sprint Cup points leader has also had an impressive career at Martinsville with 10 top fives, 14 top tens, and an average finish of 13.0 in 26 races. Could this finally be the race Earnhardt gets a Martinsville win? The statistics point to that being a good possibility on Sunday. Besides the Hendrick Motorsports contingent, others to keep an eye on include 2012 Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, with three top tens in six races and an average finish of 12.2; Mark Martin, who will be filling in for the injured Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 Toyota, with two wins and an average finish of 13.3 in 48 races; and defending spring Martinsville race winner, Ryan Newman, who has one win and an average finish of 13.6.
Camping World Truck Series
After their season opener in Daytona way back in February, the Camping World Truck Series goes from one of the biggest tracks on the schedule to the smallest as the Trucks take on Martinsville in the Kroger 250, the second race of the season for the series. With only a couple of non Truck Series regulars in the field, we should see the Truck Series regulars fighting for the win on the flat half mile track in Virginia.
| Driver | Races | Win | Top 5 | Top 10 | Pole | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
| Scott Riggs | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 108 | 10.0 | 5.0 |
| Ryan Blaney | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 | 8.0 |
| Kevin Harvick | 15 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 584 | 6.7 | 9.5 |
| Ron Hornaday Jr | 21 | 1 | 10 | 13 | 1 | 311 | 8.1 | 10.3 |
| Todd Bodine | 18 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 158 | 14.6 | 12.1 |
| Matt Crafton | 22 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 45 | 13.8 | 12.5 |
| James Buescher | 7 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11.7 | 12.6 |
| Jeb Burton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 | 13.0 |
| Timothy Peters | 14 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 228 | 9.8 | 13.2 |
| Joey Coulter | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 17.8 | 13.8 |
Who To Watch: With three starts, one win, and an average finish of 5.0, Scott Riggs makes his return to Martinsville this weekend and if you are to believe the statistics, he should be in the running on Saturday. Another strong non Truck Series regular that will be running this weekend, Kevin Harvick, should be one of the odds on favorites to win as Harvick has three wins, seven top fives, nine top tens and an average finish of 9.5 in 15 races. Truck series regulars to keep an eye on include: Ryan Blaney, who finished eighth in his first run at the track last year and should be strong again in his Brad Keselowski Racing No. 29; Ron Hornaday, with one win and an average finish of 10.3 in 21 starts; and Todd Bodine with five top fives, eight top tens, and an average finish of 12.1 in 18 starts at Martinsville.
