TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Martinsville Speedway
March 28-30, 2025
A trio of consecutive tripleheader weekends will wrap up this weekend as all three NASCAR national series will head to the historic short-track of Martinsville Speedway.
Chevrolet is coming off of a successful trip to South Florida, with the Bowtie brand becoming the first manufacturer to earn a weekend sweep across all three series this season. This weekend marks the first of two visits to the “Paperclip” this season, with all three divisions returning to the track in October where the .526-mile Virginia venue will determine the final four drivers that will compete for the coveted championship titles.
Chevrolet at Martinsville Speedway
Chevrolet is the all-time winningest manufacturer in two of NASCAR’s national divisions at Martinsville Speedway, entering the weekend with 61 NASCAR Cup Series wins and 19 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the Bowtie brand also paces its current manufacturer competitors with seven trips to victory lane at the .526-mile Virginia short-track.
A staple stop since NASCAR’s inception, Sunday’s Cook Out 400 will mark the Cup Series’ 153rd appearance at Martinsville. Chevrolet’s series-leading 61 triumphs in NASCAR’s top division is a record just shy of double the next leading manufacturer, Ford, with 32 victories. Among those wins includes three in the Next Gen era – each earned in the series’ spring event at the track. The most recent driver to add to Chevrolet’s win record at the track was William Byron (Apr. 2024), with the 27-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native leading Hendrick Motorsports to a one-two-three finish for the organization during its 40th anniversary weekend.
In the Truck Series, it was an all-Chevrolet victory lane at Martinsville in 2024 – courtesy of a season sweep by Christian Eckes and the No. 19 McAnally Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet team. Eckes’ second trip to victory lane at the track last season marked Chevrolet’s 19th all-time Truck Series win at Martinsville – a record that pushed Chevrolet to the top of the series’ all-time wins list at the track. Two of the four past Martinsville Truck Series winners entered in Friday’s event come from the Chevrolet camp, including series’ veteran, Grant Enfinger (Oct. 2020), and full-time Cup Series driver, William Byron (Apr. 2022).
HENDRICK HISTORY
Hendrick Motorsports’ journey to becoming the winningest organization in NASCAR Cup Series’ history all started at the hallowed grounds of Martinsville Speedway. The .526-mile Virginia short-track is the site of the Chevrolet organization’s first-ever trip to victory lane in NASCAR’s top division – earned with Geoff Bodine behind the wheel of the No. 5 Chevrolet on Apr. 29, 1984. Since then, the organization has reeled off 314 all-time points-paying victories in the division, with 29 of those triumphs coming at Martinsville – a record more than double the next leading organization, Joe Gibbs Racing, with 14 wins. All four of Hendrick Motorsports’ current drivers have found success at the “Paperclip”, with William Byron being a two-time Martinsville winner, and Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott owning one win each. The organization’s most recent trip to victory lane at Martinsville came just one year ago during its 40th anniversary celebration weekend, with Byron’s triumph also leading the organization to a podium sweep (Larson – second; Elliott – third).
Points Powerhouse
Hendrick Motorsports will return to the site of one of its most successful tracks with all four of its drivers in the top-six positions of the NASCAR Cup Series points standings. Despite an untimely pit road penalty in the closing laps of the race last weekend, William Byron was able to maintain the points lead for the fifth consecutive week – heading into the Martinsville race weekend with a 36-point advantage over the series’ most recent winner, Kyle Larson. Larson and Alex Bowman not only led the organization to a one-two finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway but also tallied the two highest points days among the field to move them up to the second and third positions, respectively, in the standings. Elliott completes the organization’s quartet with the No. 9 Chevrolet team sitting sixth in the points standings.
LARSON HITS 30
In his first of two attempts at a tripleheader sweep this season, Kyle Larson came just short of accomplishing the feat – ultimately taking the checkered flag in two of the three events at Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend. Among the pair of triumphs included his first NASCAR Cup Series win of the season and an early ticket into 2025 playoffs. The victory was a landmark feat in Larson’s career, marking his 30th all-time win in NASCAR’s top division. Larson joins an elite list of just 30 racing icons that have reached 30 wins in the series, and at just 32 years of age, the 2021 champion is the 11th youngest driver to accomplish the feat. The Elk Grove, California, native has only competed behind the wheel of a Chevrolet-powered machine throughout his already storied racing career in the NASCAR national ranks. Larson became a first-time winner in NASCAR’s top division at Michigan International Speedway in 2016 – marking his first of six victories with Chip Ganassi Racing. Joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, Larson had a breakout season that saw the Chevrolet driver reel-off 10 victories en route to his first career championship title. With now 24 victories during his tenure with Hendrick Motorsports, Larson is the third winningest driver in the Cup Series for the Chevrolet organization – sitting behind NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (93 wins) and Jimmie Johnson (83 wins).
ALLGAIER GOES BACK-TO-BACK
Chevrolet’s near dominate season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series continued at Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend with JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier earning the Bowtie brand its fifth victory in six races this season. The win marked Allgaier’s second trip to victory lane this season, making the reigning champion the series’ first repeat winner in 2025. Chevrolet has also reeled of four pole wins, 810 laps led, 19 top-fives and 36 top-10s already this season – the most among its manufacturer competitors. In addition, Chevrolet drivers have dominated the stages throughout much of the season, with six different drivers tallying wins in 10 of the 12 stages.
Day to Make Xfinity Debut
Hendrick Motorsports’ 16-race NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule continues at Martinsville Speedway this weekend with newcomer, Corey Day, taking his turn behind the wheel of the No. 17 Chevrolet entry for his series’ debut. The 19-year-old Clovis, California, native has just a handful of pavement starts to his name, including six in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In his short tenue in the NASCAR national ranks, Day has already tallied a Truck Series pole win (Las Vegas Motor Speedway), with his career best Truck Series finish of 15th coming just last weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The organization’s Xfinity Series effort has gotten off to a strong start already this season, including a pair of runner-up finishes (William Byron – COTA; Alex Bowman – Phoenix) and a fourth-place result by Kyle Larson at Homestead.
ENFINGER’S EARLY CONSISTENCY
With now four races in the books for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, consistency has been key for Grant Enfinger and the No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet team. The series veteran is one of only two drivers that have collected top-10 finishes in every race thus far this season, including a season-best runner-up finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Looking for his first trip to victory lane this season, the 40-year-old Fairhope, Alabama, native is an automatic frontrunner heading into the Martinsville race weekend, with Enfinger being one of just four drivers entered in Friday’s event that is a past winner at the .526-mile Virginia venue. Last season, Efinger drove his Silverado RST to top-10 finishes in five of the seven short-track events, three of which were in the top-four.
Byron’s Back
William Byron will make his return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this weekend – taking his turn behind the wheel of the No. 07 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet entry. It has been nearly two years since Byron has gotten in the driver’s seat of a Silverado RST, but it’s a series in which he found success early in his career. Byron competed in just one full-time season in the Truck Series before moving up the ranks (2016) – earning an impressive seven race wins and a season average finish of 9.2 en route to the ‘Rookie of the Year’ title. The 27-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native has eight career Truck Series victories on his resume, with his most recent coming with Spire Motorsports at Martinsville Speedway in Apr. 2022 – the first for the Chevrolet organization in the series.
BOWTIE BULLETS:
· Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Martinsville Speedway:
Kyle Busch – two wins (2016 & 2017)
William Byron – two wins (2022 & 2024)
Kyle Larson – one win (2023)
Alex Bowman – one win (2021)
Chase Elliott – one win (2020)
· In 152 NASCAR Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded 61 victories and 56 pole wins – both of which are series-leading records. Among those victories includes victories in three of the six races contested in the Next Gen era at the track – each earned in the spring event (William Byron – Apr. 2022 and Apr. 2024; Kyle Larson – Apr. 2023).
· In just the fourth tripleheader of the 2025 NASCAR season, Chevrolet is the first manufacturer to accomplish a weekend sweep across all three national divisions – earned at Homestead-Miami Speedway courtesy of victories by Kyle Larson (Cup and Truck Series) and Justin Allgaier (Xfinity Series).
· In 114 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 54 victories – a winning percentage of 47.4%.
· With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 868 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.
TUNE-IN:
NASCAR Cup Series
Cook Out 400
Sunday, March 30, at 3 p.m. ET
(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Marine Corps 250
Saturday, March 29, at 5 p.m. ET
(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Boys and Girls Club of the Blue Ridge 200
Friday, March 28, at 7:30 p.m. ET
(FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Are you looking forward to Martinsville?
“This weekend is my first time having Choice Privileges on my car and I certainly want to make them proud. The rewards members have been able to meet my teammate Daniel Suárez so I hope I don’t disappoint (laughs). It’s a fun opportunity to meet fans and for them to get a VIP experience at the track. Martinsville is such a unique, old school environment and I think they will have a lot of fun. I have pretty good stats at Martinsville since driving for Trackhouse and I want to keep those strong finishes coming.”
You probably have the most famous move of all time at Martinsville. What do you remember from that moment and will Martinsville always hold a special place in your heart?
“It will. For right now, it’s the last time something like that has successfully been done. It’s been attempted since but not executed as well. It’s wild that I thought to do it and that I convinced myself it was the right move and even more wild that it worked. We still have the car on display at the Trackhouse shop. Hopefully I can win a Martinsville clock to go along with it.”
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
What are your thoughts on racing at Martinsville Speedway this weekend?
“I’m looking forward to racing at Martinsville Speedway this weekend. I’ve always loved going there, it’s a fun track. Last year, we finished seventh in the fall race so hopefully, we can take our Bass Pro Shops/ Winchester Chevrolet and have a good day and pick up stage points. Martinsville is the smallest points track we race on so being aggressive will be key for 500 laps when the time calls for it.”
How important is a good starting spot at Martinsville Speedway?
“At Martinsville Speedway, qualifying for the race is extremely important, especially when it comes to selecting your pit stall. Pit road is very treacherous; it’s not very wide, and it wraps halfway around the track, so any penalty or having to come down pit road under the green flag can ruin your day. Hopefully, we can get a good starting spot on Sunday. We just have to go at the start of the race and maximize track position as much as possible.”
Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
You’re coming off your first top-10 of the season, what are your thoughts heading into Martinsville?
“Martinsville has been a struggle for me in a Cup car, but I’m confident Rodney and the No. 7 team will bring a great car this weekend. We have some momentum from the past few weeks and should have a good qualifying draw and that makes a huge difference at Martinsville.”
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
What is the key to getting a win at Martinsville?
“It’s a tough racetrack, and any time you come in the pits and make an adjustment on your car, you certainly hope it goes the right way, or you make enough of it, or you don’t make too much of an adjustment. The last run can be tricky, too, because you can be coming off a 50-lap run on right-side tires and take four and you’ve only got 30 (laps) to go, or you could have 80 to go and you know you have to manage that run all the way to the end.”
What do you feel is the biggest key to performing well at Martinsville?
“I think just being able to get comfortable, get settled and make sure that you’re good to go for those long hauls. Don’t worry about what lap it is, ever, during a race. That’s the worst thing that could happen to you. You just try to not ever worry about what lap you’re on or what’s going on around you. You just keep battling, keep driving, keep your focus forward on what you’re doing.”
You’ve talked about the gains you’ve seen in the No. 8 team and specifically at Phoenix, does that portend well for when you go to Martinsville, which is another shorter, flat track?
“Each week’s different, right? We have a small sample size right now with the start of the season and only having a few races. So as we continue to add to that sample size of Las Vegas, Homestead and now we go to Martinsville… We still need to hit a Bristol, a Darlington, I feel like then you’ll really start to see where you stack up. The seasons change so fast also. You don’t want to start hot and then, you know, have NASCAR looking over you with a microscope, and then you have different issues getting through tech each week that then kind of derail your summer. So, you know, you’ve got to be careful and be patient with everything that you’ve got going on. But that sometimes can be a defining factor, as well too, to your season and how you play it out.”
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
“This week we go to Martinsville, a place that has been super up and down for me throughout my career. I always feel like I race really well there, but qualifying has been a problem. I’m looking forward to going to Martinsville this weekend and creating speed in qualifying and practice to start the race a little bit closer to the front. We’ve had some speed this year, so hopefully that won’t be a problem at all, and I think we’re going to have a really solid day if we do so.”
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
“In the past, Martinsville has been a favorite racetrack of mine, but I’ve felt like we struggled there with the Next Gen car. Obviously, we’re coming off some good momentum the last two weekends so we’ll take that will us and put together a solid weekend to keep that rolling. It should be an interesting race with the tires being softer than last year so hopefully that will make the racing more exciting.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet
Martinsville has been an up-and-down track for you, but you did get an eighth-place finish in April 2023 and a 20th-place finish last November. What are you looking for this weekend out of the No. 47 team?
“Honestly, I think there have only been three ups there. I think the biggest thing for this weekend is that we’ve got some new help here that has kind of opened up some stuff for us to look at, including what other people were doing on short tracks. I think we made a step in the right direction at Phoenix. We got damage early in the race, but I felt like our practice speed was really competitive. The damage in the race kind of changed our whole car. I don’t think we really got a fair view of what it was going to do, so I’m looking forward to finally getting back on another short track. At Martinsville, being good on Saturday is the most important thing. Qualifying somewhere in the top-18 really helps set you up to have a good race. So, that’ll be the focus on Saturday, then from there we can see where our car goes and how it races on Sunday.”
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
What are your thoughts about heading into the first short-track race of the season?
“I’m excited. There’s a lot of different styles that we race on racetrack wise, right? Phoenix is not really a short track, it’s pretty unique in the approach, set up, and things like that. So, I feel like Martinsville is that first true short track, but at the same time, it’s such a unique short track that is its own beast and approach. I look forward to it, we’ve had a lot of speed this year with our Spire cars. Martinsville’s been a love hate relationship for me. It’s been an up and down race in the old car. It was one of my better tracks. I felt like I could outperform my equipment at times but in the NextGen era, it just hasn’t been great for me, which is crazy because everywhere else has been really good in the NextGen car, so it’s a head scratcher for sure.
Spire has had good speed there the last few years and I feel like they have a different approach to their Martinsville package, so I’m excited to try that and see if I can make the gains that I need to make. It’s one of those weekends where I feel like if you execute, you can win, and you can give yourself a legitimate shot, so I am looking forward to it. We’ve got Rockingham on the car, which is going to be fun, supporting the Rockingham race that’s coming up here April 18-19. It’s going to be a fun weekend. It is such a legendary racetrack.”
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
What makes Martinsville one of the toughest tracks on the circuit?
“I think the unpredictability of how the race will play out. You know there will be chaos, but you don’t know when or where. We’ve seen wrecks happen at the front of the field, at the back, on restarts and deep in a green flag run. As a driver you’re trying not to think about when something is going to happen. It’s inevitable that it will, but Martinsville is a track where you have to find your rhythm and stay in it. There are just so many things that have to go right to leave with a good finish, but that’s what we need. Whatever we can do to have a clean race and a good points day, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Beyond the road courses, are there any tracks that you feel a little bit better about as you enter the heart of the NASCAR season?
“I feel like we are making strides on the bigger tracks. I was competitive at Martinsville last year in both Xfinity and Cup, so we should be good there this weekend. I enjoyed racing at Darlington in Xfinity, but I struggled a bit in the Cup car so hopefully we can get better there.”
This is a stretch of six straight weeks of racing traditional ovals. How important are these next few weeks to figuring out the rest of the year? Is this a key part of the schedule for a successful season?
“It is pretty important. I just want to start to get a bit of momentum going. A couple of our results weren’t our fault. I would like to just have some consistent weeks now and keep building and keep doing more and more laps. Doing laps is probably our key to success, getting more experience and get more comfortable, learn what I want from the car. The results will come from there.”
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
What is the biggest challenge to running well at Martinsville?
“You can go test Martinsville tomorrow and if you go with a couple of cars there is a chance you won’t learn anything because the Martinsville track changes so much because of temperature and rubber. It might be our most temperature-driven race track. You have to base your plans on history. That’s why you see the same guys running well there all the time. It’s a tricky little track. I like Martinsville a lot. I have had great runs and very bad runs there. I feel that it’s an amazing track.”
How would you assess where Trackhouse is at the moment?
“I think we as a group have more speed than last year. We worked hard in the off-season to show that. We worked on the structure of how we do things and how we work together.”
The No. 99 pit crew has been one of the fastest crews all season. What does that mean to a driver?
“My pit crew has taken care of me all year. These guys have been with me a long time now and they keep getting better and better each year. As tight as these races are now every spot you gain matters whether it’s on the race track or in the pits. I think fans sometimes forget how much time these guys spend working at their jobs. They work and work and work just to gain a fraction of a second but that fraction of a second means the difference between gaining and losing spots on pit lane. As a driver, there is no better feeling than knowing you are coming to pit road and you have a chance to gain spots.”
Jesse Love, No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
What is the goal for this weekend at Martinsville Speedway?
“Every time that our No. 2 team shows up to the track, our goal is always to win the race. However, in saying that, Martinsville is probably my least favorite track that we go to. We need and want to be better than we were there last season. I’ve put in a lot of work to prepare for this weekend and hopefully do just that. Danny (Stockman, crew chief) and the guys have changed the setup for our car and feel like it should be an improvement.”
Austin Hill, No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
What is the outlook for this weekend at Martinsville Speedway?
“We are bringing an entirely new setup to the track this weekend. Our Martinsville program, outside of one race a couple years ago, hasn’t been our strongest, and we know that the second time we go back there, it could be our last opportunity to make it into the Championship 4. Chad (Haney, crew chief) and the No. 21 team have done a great job each and every week so far this season though. Our Chevrolets are showing up with speed right off the truck, which is encouraging. We have two DNFs, but those could have very easily been a win at Daytona and a top-five finish at Phoenix. The consistency is there and hopefully it carries into Martinsville as well.”
Connor Zilisch, No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
What is challenging about racing at Martinsville?
“Martinsville is a tough track. It’s one of the shorter tracks we go to, really tight corners and it’s really important to have the car handling good. We are doing everything we can to make sure when we do show up it’s going to be as close as possible. Racing is always aggressive there. It can be easy to get frustrated and make mistakes. It’s always close quarters and a lot of bumping and late-race restarts. I’m just going to try to get through as clean as possible. You can win that race if you’re in the top-10 with 50 to go. You just have to put yourself into position to be there towards the end when things start getting crazy. Qualifying well will be a big part of that. Starting up front and getting stage points throughout the day and staying up front is important. It can be tough to pass at Martinsville depending on how the rubber lays down. If you qualify poorly then you’re going to have to be aggressive getting through the field.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2024): 43
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)
Most recent: 2024
Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Drivers Championships:
Total (1949-2024): 33
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)
Most recent: Kyle Larson (2021)
Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021
Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)
2025 STATISTICS:
Wins: 2
Poles: 3
Laps Led: 424
Top-Fives: 13
Top-10s: 29
Stage Wins: 3
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 868 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 756
Laps led to date: 253,135
Top-fives to date: 4,382
Top-10s to date: 9,036
Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:
General Motors: 1,202
Chevrolet: 868
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 841
Ford: 741
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 192
About General Motors
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