Martinsville Speedway
Sunday, March 29
0.526-Mile Oval
3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Martinsville, Virginia
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series race (7 of 36)
RADIO: SiriusXM

5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 33 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Last Week: 32nd (Darlington)
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 10th

No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet

• Kyle Larson and the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM team earned their third consecutive top-five starting position at Darlington Raceway. He ran inside the top 10 for most of the day and led 20 laps. He enters Martinsville Speedway in the 10th spot in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings.
• Larson’s seven consecutive top-10 finishes at Martinsville are tied for his longest such streak at any track, matching Bristol Motor Speedway (also active). He is tied with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott for the longest active top-five streak at the 0.526-mile Virginia short track with four.
• The defending Cup Series champion has logged 1,800 laps inside the top five at Martinsville Speedway in the Next Gen car, third among all drivers. He leads the field in laps run inside the top 10 with 2,973.
• The track known as “The Paperclip” is Larson’s second best in terms of average finish in the Next Gen car at 5.4.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 30 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Last week: 15th (Darlington)
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 5th

No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet

• Chase Elliott heads to Martinsville Speedway this weekend fifth in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings.
• Elliott’s average finish of 10.3 this season ranks second in the series and is his best through six races since 2017. He’s one of five drivers to finish on the lead lap in every race so far this season.
• Elliott is currently tied with teammate Kyle Larson for the longest active streak of top-five finishes at Martinsville with four. Last year, he finished fourth in the spring and third in the fall.
• The 30-year-old has the fourth-best average finish (11.29) at Martinsville among active Cup drivers. The paperclip-shaped oval is his best track when it comes to top 10s (14) and laps led (1,275).
• Elliott’s seven stage wins at Martinsville rank second all time.
• In the Next Gen era at the Virginia short track, Elliott has led the third-most laps (557), spent the most laps inside the top five (2,331) and is tied for the third-most laps inside the top 10 (2,702).
• Elliott has nine top-10 finishes in the last 13 short track races.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 28 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Last Week: 8th (Darlington)
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 6th

No. 24 Cincinnati Chevrolet

• William Byron battled to an eighth-place finish last Sunday at Darlington Raceway, his third consecutive top 10 in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.
• Through six races, the 28-year-old has run the second-most laps in the top 10 (1,054). He also has an average running position of 9.91, which ranks second best and he’s tied for the fifth-best average finish (11.8).
• In four of the last five seasons, Byron was the first driver to visit victory lane for Hendrick Motorsports. Teammate Kyle Larson scored the first win in 2022.
• The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has two victories in the last four Cup races at short tracks, winning at Iowa Speedway and at Martinsville Speedway last year.
• Byron won the pole for the fall race at Martinsville in 2025, captured both stages and led 304 laps en route to his third Cup Series win at the track. It was the first time at Martinsville that the pole winner went on to win the race since NASCAR Hall of Fame driver, Jimmie Johnson, in April 2013.
• Including last year’s victory, Byron’s three wins at the paperclip-shaped track is the fourth most by a Hendrick Motorsports driver behind NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine), Johnson (nine) and Darrell Waltrip (four).
• Crew chief Rudy Fugle has been on top of the pit box for all of Byron’s Cup Series wins at Martinsville. He is the 14th crew chief to win a minimum of three events at the track, taking only four years to complete the feat.
• In the Next Gen era at Martinsville, Byron has led 655 laps, second most.

48 JUSTIN ALLGAIER
Age: 39 (June 6, 1986)
Hometown: Riverton, Illinois
Last Week: 24th (Darlington)
Crew Chief: Blake Harris
Standings: 36th (owner’s points)

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet

• Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, will not compete in this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Martinsville Speedway as he continues to recover from vertigo. Justin Allgaier will fill in.
• Allgaier has subbed for Bowman in the last two Cup Series events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway.
• Driving the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series, Allgaier has finished in the top five in every stage so far in the 2026 season.
• Allgaier won the NOAPS race at Phoenix Raceway earlier in 2026, breaking the record for most consecutive seasons (10) with a win in the series. Additionally, he won the NOAPS race last weekend at Darlington.
• The 2024 NOAPS champion has made 11 starts in NASCAR’s Saturday Series at Martinsville Speedway, earning one win (fall 2023), seven top-five and nine top-10 finishes. Allgaier has an average start of 4.6, scoring a top-10 qualifying effort in every event he’s run.

17 COREY DAY
Age: 20 (November 28, 2005)
Hometown: Clovis, California
Last Finish: 6th (Darlington)
Crew Chief: Adam Wall
Standings: 7th

• Corey Day continued his run of consistency at Darlington Raceway last week, earning his fifth consecutive top-10 finish with a sixth-place result.
• The 20-year-old currently sits seventh in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series standings.
• The Clovis, California, native will make his third NOAPS start at Martinsville Speedway this weekend. In his most recent run on the track in October 2025, Day earned a 13th-place finish.
• Day’s first NOAPS start came at Martinsville in March 2025, kicking off a part-time schedule. This weekend’s event will mark his 17th race in the series.

• Hendrick Motorsports enters this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway as the facility’s all-time leader in wins (30), poles (21), top fives (100), top 10s (158) and laps led (11,455). Its 30 victories at the 0.526-mile oval are the most by any team at any track in NASCAR history.
• The organization has won at least one race at Martinsville in each of the last six seasons and has won there in 25 different years. It was the site of the team’s first win in 1984, 2003 and 2009 with the 1984 victory from Geoff Bodine serving as Hendrick Motorsports’ first ever.
• In each of the last 16 Martinsville races, at least one Hendrick Motorsports driver has finished in the top 10. In each of the last four, at least two of the company’s Chevrolets have come home in the top five. Since the start of 2024, the organization has led 46% of all laps run at the Virginia short track (841 of 1,815).
• The Hendrick Motorsports engine department enters the weekend with 560 victories across all three national NASCAR touring series including five straight in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series.
• Hendrick Motorsports remains the premier series’ all-time standard bearer in wins (320), poles (250), top-five finishes (1,326), top 10s (2,269), laps led (85,551) and championships (15).

QUOTABLE /
 
Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, on returning to Martinsville Speedway: “It will be good to get to Martinsville Speedway this weekend and continue applying what we’ve learned with the Chevrolet body and the higher-horsepower short track package. I feel like we’ve made a lot of gains with our short track program over the last year. We’re continuing to improve with the body each week and we’re looking to get a good result at one of our stronger tracks.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet, on Martinsville Speedway: “It’s where I got my first start in the Cup Series. And I think for that, you know, it’ll always carry a special place in my mind. I think the significance of the track through the company also makes it at the forefront of our of our minds, too. I think it kind of plays a role every time you go, wanting to do well. Fortunately, for us, I think that we always have a lot of motivation to want to go and do our jobs and perform at a high level.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet, on coming off of Darlington Raceway headed to Martinsville Speedway: “Last weekend’s race was tough, a bit more tough than we expected but I do think we’re making gains with this new Chevrolet body. I feel like our notebook for Martinsville (Speedway) though is stacked, which is always a good feeling when we show up at a track. Last year’s win was such a statement for this team especially to come in the playoffs. Hopefully we can repeat the past success we’ve had there and keep things moving in the right direction.”

Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet, on filling in for Alex Bowman at Martinsville Speedway: “First and foremost, we are all wishing for a continued and speedy recovery for Alex (Bowman). Martinsville (Speedway) definitely is a unique type of short track, but everyone knows how strong Hendrick Motorsports is here, which gives me a lot of confidence heading into the weekend. Blake (Harris, crew chief) and everyone on this Ally team have been working hard all week long and I know we are going to have great chance to have a strong day on Sunday.”

Corey Day, driver of the No. 17 Chevrolet, on Martinsville Speedway: “Really looking forward to getting back to Martinsville (Speedway), had a decent run there in the fall and excited to head back with a few more races under my belt. It’s always a chaotic track which is fun but also, I’ll get to learn a lot, I’ve definitely learned a ton since my first start in the No. 17 there last March. Never really know what’s going to happen on that track.”

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Ford Racing Media Zoom Call
Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horse, was one of three Ford Racing drivers to finish in the top five on Sunday at Darlington Raceway, posting a fifth-place result. He spoke about what went right while also looking ahead to this weekend’s race at Martinsville Speedway.

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horse – HOW DID IT FEEL TO FINALLY GET A FINISH THAT WAS INDICATIVE OF HOW YOU RAN? “Yeah, it was definitely an important day from a points perspective, no doubt, for the team just having a small reward for the job that everyone has done so far to start the year with a lot of fast cars, but racing works in a lot of different ways and a lot of things are possible good or bad, so it’s nice to get the monkey off our back a little bit and be able to get a solid race finish under our belts. We’re looking forward to the weekend and trying to continue to build on that and continue building on the speed we’ve had.”

HOW DID YOU AVOID FEELING DESPERATE WITH THE WAY THE YEAR STARTED? “I think that’s the key. It is just one race so far, but I think it’s not a surprise to our group, and I think circling back a few weeks, I think you have to look at yourself first and whether if that’s me as a driver, us as a team and I think it would be hard to identify things, especially in the first four weeks of the year that we would regret or feel like we put ourselves in those positions. I think having the patience as a group, we have enough experience, but also enough experience together and enough processes together that you kind of just get lost in the work and that is the beauty of our schedule is that although there is the opportunity to get beat down four weeks in a row, there’s also the opportunity to get right back up the next week, so you kind of just lean into that and believe in that and believe in the work we’re doing. I think it really can be that simple if you trust yourself and those around you.”

HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THE DARLINGTON RACE AND THE PACKAGE WE’VE TALKED SO MUCH ABOUT? “Obviously, the expectations for the package at Darlington was all across the board. At the end of the day, Darlington is still Darlington. No matter what car you throw on that racetrack, you’re gonna have a lot of the same challenges and a lot of the same limitations and a lot of the same things that make that track so incredibly difficult and taxing, whether if that’s on the racetrack or on pit road. So, I feel like I saw a lot of those same things in the race car and the setups to the race car were obviously different and had to be evolved. That first practice session was definitely a handful, I think for me and plenty of others, but you kind of give time to work on things and refine things. As far as just the package itself, it definitely was sliding around a ton more, whether if that created any dynamics that existed or didn’t exist. It made the car drive differently, but I don’t know if Darlington raced a whole lot different. I feel like I had to sell out for slide jobs more than before to complete passes, which is not the easiest thing to do, especially when you’re trying to talk yourself into having a good day, and bombing it off in and backing it in up to the outside wall trying not to ruin your day. It was just a different beast in smaller areas, but, like I said before, Darlington is probably always going to be Darlington no matter what you throw on it.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR MENTAL PREPARATION FOR TALLADEGA? “Talladega and superspeedways in general definitely require maybe different focus in different areas than other races that we do. The races themselves obviously look a lot different, whether if that’s just the pack racing in general. You mentioned there’s an emphasis on fuel more at those races than most races that we go to, so being able to understand that, but I think a lot of it comes down to communication and obviously I have a ton of experience with my group and Doug, my spotter, and Brian and things that I need throughout a run to stay aware of what’s happening, but also kind of that open-mindedness and awareness of things as they evolve, as they change, how your competitors are racing because you will race and see everyone in the field throughout the day. There are plenty of cars I didn’t see in Darlington and usually that’s the same way, unless you’re coming up and down through the field. It’s a different ballgame and it’s fun in certain spurts to change that mindset and what you need to do. As far as Talladega and how it relates to other superspeedways, it’s just wider so the options are a lot more when you do have big runs. Even the fuel save stuff, there are more options to gain and lose track position as well. It’s just kind of the biggest, widest, fastest place we go to and there’s the most options because of it.”

YOU AND BLANEY RAN REALLY WELL AT DARLINGTON, BUT JOEY WAS OFF ALL DAY. WHAT’S IT LIKE FOR YOU TO SEE THAT WHEN A TEAMMATE STRUGGLES, AND IS IT ATTRIBUTAL TO THE DOWNFORCE/HORSEPOWER AND SOMETHING WE COULD SEE MORE OFTEN WITH THESE NEW COMBINATIONS? “It’s a bit difficult to speak for them. Obviously, I’m in the same meetings and the same building and it was a pretty uncharacteristic day, which is why I’m getting a question about how my teammate ran. But, I think more than anything else, it speaks to how easy it is to be off in the Cup Series, and by off I don’t mean having a bad day, but the cars themselves, the competitive nature, but like everything is really sensitive, so it’s kind of one of those things that the smallest piece or part or not necessarily the car itself, but a decision or a mindset or just how things fell. When we’re talking about tenths of a pound of air-pressure making balance swings throughout a run, nothing really surprised me anymore. I mean, I’ve been in that situation enough times to not jump to any conclusions over one race or one performance. Obviously, Joey has won at that track before. Paul has won at that track before. We as a company ran well with two of our cars. I’m not ready to burn the house down on anything, and I don’t think anyone should be. I don’t really know how else to answer the question past everyone has bad days every once in a while.”

I UNDERSTAND YOU CAN’T SPEAK FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE, BUT THERE HAVE PROBABLY BEEN TIMES YOU HAVEN’T RUN AS WELL AS THE 12 AND 22. WHAT DOES THAT FEEL LIKE? “I think it’s a reset in some ways as far as what are you focusing on and what makes sense, what doesn’t. I think the processes we have as a race team from a consistency standpoint and a QC standpoint are best in the field, so I feel like from that standpoint that’s the first thing you go to. You check that box, but past that, I think to speculate or to compare to other situations, I think they’re always different, but how it makes you feel? You don’t feel great about it by no means, but, like I said before, I don’t think there’s any reason to hit the panic button in that scenario, whether I’ve been in it or the specific one you asked. It’s one race in a race that had a lot of unknowns going into it, so I think that’s really all the more serious I can get about it. I’m not really someone to get down on myself. You look at the facts and try to improve and that’s really it.”

WITH THE NEW POINT SYSTEM IN PLACE, HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT TO STAY FOCUSED ON THE PROCESS WITH HOW THINGS STARTED THIS YEAR? “It’s an interesting question and I feel like I can answer it two ways. I mean, ignorance is bliss. I’ve never really been in a position like care a ton about points until the playoffs, so I don’t really look at points anyway, but you re-watch all these races from early last year and guys that were low in points and ended up being high in points. It’s a long season and things can go right or wrong. The cream usually does rise to the top, so if I do truly believe that our team has the speed to run well week to week as we’ve had, and as I feel like we should, then there’s no reason to worry. You kind of just trust those around you, so it does come down to a trust thing. If I was in a new group of people and didn’t know anybody and things were going this bad, then maybe it’s more difficult, but I can’t say I found it – it was more difficult to just laugh it off, I guess, than anything else – not to be unserious about it – frustrating days and frustrating to destroy race cars for the first four weeks, but that’s racing sometimes. When it rains, it pours.”

HAVE YOU BEEN TOLD ABOUT WANTING TO BE IN A CERTAIN PLACE IN POINTS BY ANYONE? “I can’t say I’ve put a ton of focus into it because that’s an end result. My job is to affect the result in the most positive way that I can, so I hope to win every race. There’s a guy in the field that’s trying to do that, but I don’t really know how else to do it. We track those things and we’ve got a graph. The thing is it’s a moving target, so as far as what’s going to create a playoff or chase berth or whatever else, also the fact of the matter is the way I look at it is if I’m seeded 16th, cool, I made it, but you’re probably not gonna win the championship with the way that maths out, but I do know that I do find important that huge gap from 16th to first when you do the seeding, so I feel like I need to be better than 16th to have a shot. But the first goal is to have a shot, period. It is important, but you take it one race at a time because it is a moving target. My job is to get the best finishes and stage points and points that we can.”

AS FAR AS THE HIGHER HORSEPOWER PACKAGE AT MARTINSVILLE. IS THIS ANOTHER GUESSING GAME OR DOES BOWMAN GRAY OR PHOENIX OR COTA OR DARLINGTON RELATE TO ANYTHING YOU CAN BRING THERE? “I think Bowman Gray definitely helps, probably more than anywhere else we’ve been. And I also see Martinsville being the track that it has its intended impact, i.e. the intended impact of adding more horsepower. I think Martinsville stands to change the most just because we’re basically doing two u-turns and trying to force them out of the corners. That’s what it comes down to, especially later in the runs and using up rear tires. That’s what varies throughout a run, so if there’s anywhere that it’s gonna affect, I think it’s gonna affect Martinsville the most. I’m looking forward to seeing what that is. I think as a race team it’s pretty easy to determine with the factors that are gonna change, it’s just the magnitude or the things that maybe take a bit of guesswork and from there you get a good read in practice and see what we’ve got for the race. But a lot of the conditions are all very similar. You have similar weather, the same tire. The only thing that’s really changed is the power, so I’m looking forward to all that and seeing what changes.”

WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK DID YOU GET FROM THE DRIVER’S ONLY BROADCAST THE OTHER NIGHT? “It’s always funny to do those because it’s this weird environment because I feel I’m always encouraged to just goof off, if I’m being honest. But, at the same time, it’s tough because I’m also doing a care center interview with Ben Rhodes and I feel like I’m talking to somebody whose dog just died. It’s the same at the end of the race. I’m interviewing the guy who led most of the race and lost, and I interview the guy that lost the race in the closing seconds, so I guess what I’m saying is that I always want to respect the competitors, but it is fun to go up there and add my two cents. As far as personality-wise and all that, I couldn’t tell you. Like I said, I’m the same guy seven days of the week, so if that’s just because you stick a microphone in my mouth and I’m not thanking my sponsors and telling you about how the race went from my seat. From a competitor’s standpoint, maybe that’s why others have a different experience, but, past that, that’s just me all the time.”

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
Martinsville Speedway
March 28-29, 2026

The first half-mile track of the season is on the horizon for the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series as the pair will venture to Virginia to take on Martinsville Speedway this weekend.

This will mark the sport’s first of two appearances at the infamous Virginia short-track this season, with all three national touring series returning to the venue in October for the penultimate race of the Chase.

Martinsville Speedway’s history in NASCAR is unmatched – standing tall as the only track that’s hosted a Cup Series race since the division’s inception in 1949. For Chevrolet, the .526-mile Virginia venue is statistically the manufacturer’s most successful track on the NASCAR circuit with a series-leading 62 victories and 57 poles at the sport’s highest level. William Byron was the most recent driver to add to those tallies when the Charlotte, North Carolina, native drove his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to both the pole and the race win in the series’ most recent visit to the track (Oct. 2025). It was an effort that carried the Team Chevy driver to his third-straight Championship Four appearance.

 
“The Paperclip” also holds a special place in the legacy of two of Chevrolet’s longest-standing team partners. For Hendrick Motorsports, Martinsville Speedway is the site that delivered the organization its first-ever Cup Series victory (Geoff Bodine; Apr. 1984) – beginning its journey towards becoming the winningest organization in series’ history. Richard Childress Racing also added to its already storied history book one year ago when Austin Hill drove the organization to its milestone 100th all-time win in NASCAR’s second-level series during the series’ spring visit to the track.

William Byron

No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

NASCAR Cup Series Win

Martinsville Speedway – Oct. 26, 2025

Austin Hill

No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Win

Martinsville Speedway – Mar. 29, 2025

 
BYRON BACK TO DEFEND

William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team are quickly finding early-season consistency. With a third-straight top-eight finish, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native left the “Lady in Black” with a two-position gain in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings to now sit sixth in the rankings. With momentum on his side, what better place to knock-out the team’s first win of the season than at the track where his last visit turned into a near dominate weekend – sweeping the pole, both stages and the race win to earn a spot in the Championship Four for the third consecutive season. Byron has made 16 career Martinsville starts under the Hendrick Motorsports banner – tallying nine top-eight results, including three trips to victory lane.

SPIRE SHOWING SPEED

Spire Motorsports put on a statement performance once again last weekend at Darlington Raceway – netting two top-10 finishes to further prove the organization is a force to be reckoned with each week. Among those results included a monstrous charge by Carson Hocevar and the No. 77 Chevrolet team. Despite being forced to start at the rear of the field for an unapproved adjustment, the Portage, Michigan, native turned the uphill battle into his career-best finish at the “Track Too Tough To Tame”. After a progressive move through the field during the first two stages, the No. 77 Chevrolet made its presence known during the final stage. With pristine pit strategy by the Luke Lambert-led team, a culmination of their speed and a fresher set of tires on the final run put Hocevar in position to make a quick climb up the leaderboard – ultimately leading the Bowtie brigade with a fourth-place finish. Hocevar and his Spire Motorsports teammate, Daniel Suarez, who also earned a top-10 finish, were among the short list of drivers that made a move up the points standings with the pair heading into the Martinsville race weekend ranked 13th and 14th, respectively.

MAKING HISTORY

Team Chevy veteran driver, Justin Allgaier, capitalized on a late-race restart to take the checkered flag at Darlington Raceway last weekend – keeping the Bowtie brand undefeated for the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season. The victory was the sixth-straight for Chevrolet to set the record for the longest season-opening streak by a single manufacturer in the division. The accolade was earned by five drivers from three different Chevrolet organizations, with the 2024 champion becoming the series’ first repeat winner of the season. But the manufacturer’s early-season success doesn’t stop there. In six races, Chevrolet has sat on the pole in all but one event and has earned every stage win thus far.

ALLGAIR MOVES UP THE ALL-TIME WINS LIST

To no surprise, JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier has already proven to be an early frontrunner as a true championship contender. The Riverton, Illinois, native’s triumph at the “Track Too Tough To Tame” marked his 30th all-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win – enough to move him up the series’ all-time wins list to seventh, tying Joey Logano. The series’ only two-time winner of the season, Allgaier also paces his competitors in a variety of statistical categories including the most top-fives (four) and stage points earned (94) – an effort that has increased his points lead to now 52-points over the series’ reigning champion and fellow Team Chevy driver, Jesse Love. With the series’ trip to Martinsville Speedway on deck, the 2024 champion has a prime opportunity to build that cushion even further. In his 11 career starts at the Virginia venue, Allgaier as collected nine top-nine finishes, including one trip to victory lane (2023) and three podium results.

KVAPIL CLIMBING THE STANDINGS

Among an elite list of standout rising stars in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series includes Team Chevy’s Carson Kvapil. The 22-year-old Mooresville, North Carolina, native is coming off a strong points day and his second top-five finish of the season at Darlington Raceway. Behind the wheel of the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, Kvapil turned a third-place qualifying effort into top-three finishes in each stage en route to a fifth-place result. Culminating a 49-point day, the third-best among the field, Kvapil was able to make a jump up two positions in the points standings to sit third heading into the Martinsville race weekend. With short-track racing at his roots, this weekend provides the perfect opportunity for the Team Chevy driver to keep his momentum going. “The Paperclip” was the very site that Kvapil got his first opportunity to wheel a JR Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet in the division (Apr. 2024) – a debut that ended with an impressive fourth-place finish.

 
BOWTIE BULLETS:

· Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Martinsville Speedway:

William Byron – three wins (2022, ‘24, ‘25)

Kyle Busch – two wins (2016 & ‘17)

Kyle Larson – one win (2023)

Alex Bowman – one win (2021)

Chase Elliott – one win (2020)

· In 154 NASCAR Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded 62 victories and 57 pole wins – both of which are series-leading records. Among those victories includes wins in four of the eight races contested in the Next Gen era at the track, including William Byron’s three career victories at the track and Kyle Larson’s triumph in the spring 2023 event.

· With Justin Allgaier and JR Motorsports win in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Darlington Raceway, Chevrolet remains undefeated this season with six-straight wins – setting the record for the longest season-opening streak by a single manufacturer in the division’s history.

· In 150 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 67 victories – a winning percentage of 44.67%.

· Chevrolet is coming off its 29th all-time sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series championship titles – capturing its 34th driver championship and 44th, and fifth consecutive, manufacturer championship in 2025.

· With its 44 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championships, 34 NASCAR Cup Series driver championships, and 881 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, Mar. 29, at 3:30 p.m. ET

FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series

NFPA 250

Saturday, Mar. 28, at 3:30 p.m. ET

CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

 
QUOTABLE QUOTES:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

What comes to mind when you think about Martinsville?

“Brandon McSwain (crew chief) has won there before with the 24 team. I hope I have the next two decades to keep trying to win it. I want to be better there. I’ve been working on things in the simulator to try and be better there and help my driving. No matter how the car is, it could be tight or loose, or whatever it wants to be, there’s things that I inherently do that just aren’t great there with the wheel and pedal. I’m working to be better.”

How cool is it to have a unique trophy like the grandfather clock at Martinsville?

“I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know Clay Campbell (Martinsville Speedway President) up there a little bit and go to breakfast with him. Hearing him tell stories of his family’s history in and around Martinsville and the legacy he wants to continue on is really cool. That grandfather clock is a real thing you can take home when you win which is so cool. Everything in that track is built on the foundation around NASCAR and what the France family and the Campbell family have done together. The grandfather clock is something that I want. I want it really bad, and I’ll work a really long time to try to take one home.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

“I’m looking forward to Martinsville Speedway. I think we made some ground there at the end of the race last time we were there. I felt like our car was pretty good, so we can build off of that. Martinsville’s a fun track. I can’t wait to get there and try to chase after the grandfather clock.”

Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Coming off your second top-10 of the season, how are you feeling heading into Martinsville?

“I am so proud of this No. 7 Spire Motorsports team. We are bringing really fast cars to the track, and I am super excited to keep the momentum going and to keep building off what we have done in the past six weeks. Martinsville is a place that I love, but in the past few years, it’s been very bad for me. I’m looking forward to working with my group of guys and hopefully, I can turn my numbers around there.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

At Martinsville, how do you balance aggressiveness? 

“Martinsville is a tricky track. It has concrete surface in the corners, so it changes a lot during the race. When you have these long runs, and you get these rubber build ups, especially when it’s over 70 degrees outside, you get the clumping of the rubber on the racetrack, so you have to start searching around and trying to find a groove that your car will really work in. Obviously, the shortest way around is always the fastest way around, because there’s not really much momentum that you can build up on the outside at Martinsville. It’s a paper clip and its very stop and go. But then when you have cautions, all that rubber gets cleaned off and you’ve got to start all over again. So, a lot of changes happening there at Martinsville.”

What makes Martinsville great?

“There’s always action at Martinsville. It’s a great racetrack with close quarters action. Fans are right on top of the speedway seeing the cars up close and personal. It’s always great going back to a short track atmosphere that we all grew up racing somewhere. I grew up in late models at the local short tracks that were half mile or smaller like Martinsville so it’s fun going there.”

Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

How important is Martinsville to you?

“Martinsville is a great racetrack. I’ve always performed well there. I feel like last year was one of our best racetracks for our team, speed-wise, and I think this year with the new package, it’s going to be even more exciting. I can’t wait to get out there and see how this car performs with more horsepower than Martinsville has had before.”

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

What do you think about Martinsville Speedway?

“I think it’ll be interesting to see if it’s different with the more horsepower now. As they soften the tire, tire wear has become an issue there, so it would be curious with more horsepower if it kind of goes back somewhat like the old cars. It’s always a tough racetrack to figure out with these cars, in the sense of all the shifting you do and that fine line of getting the thing to turn but still being able to drive off. But it’s a fun race, especially when you’re good and have a car to win with—it’s a really fun racetrack.”

What type of mindset do you have heading into this historic short track?

“Your mindset is that it’s going to be a battle. You’re always going to be surrounded by cars. It’s important to have patience, try to stay calm, and not get yourself in trouble there. At the end of the day, hopefully we go out there, have a good practice, and qualify well. Track position is so important there. Short tracks have probably been our toughest with this car, trying to figure it out. Hopefully we can go there and have a solid day. I feel like the last couple of years we’ve at least made gains to be more competitive, and I like that. Hopefully we keep doing that.”

Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

What is the key to having a successful day on Sunday? What’s the biggest difference from the O’Reilly Series race?

“Getting into the corner hard is going to be important. Your entry speed needs to be fast to not give up under braking, but you also need to be able to put throttle down on exit. When I look at data, the guys who win the race have top entry speed and top exit speed, but their center speed isn’t great. Not worrying as much about the center has also made us pretty good on the O’Reilly side, so maybe that transfers over. Shifting will be the biggest difference because we won’t do that on Saturday. That will be a learning experience for everyone with the new 750hp package though.”

Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet

“I think we are all looking forward to Martinsville this weekend. Last year it was a pretty strong track for us, qualified sixth there in the fall and had a solid run throughout the day. So hopefully we can build off that and get a solid run under our belt to start the season for the HaasTooling.com Chevrolet Camaro.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

“Martinsville can be a long day, but our guys have been working hard in the shop to get the No. 47 ready. It’s great having Jack Link’s back with the new paint scheme and we’re looking forward to getting on track.”

Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet

“There’s a lot of strength needed for driving a racecar, especially when it comes to braking. It takes a lot of brake pressure to extract 700-800 pounds of braking force into the corner. And at Martinsville, we’re doing that 800 times over the course of 400 laps. It’s about being on your game from start to finish, where you’re as good on lap 400 as you were on lap one.

The biggest thing is going to be qualifying and track position. Tires equalize pretty quickly at Martinsville, and 40-50 laps into a run, everyone’s pretty much running the same time, whether it’s first or 36th. Whatever you can do to start strong and either maintain track position or improve on restarts, that’s where most of your progress is going to be made throughout the day.”

Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

What makes Martinsville so special, and what have you learned since your first start there?

“Martinsville is one of those tracks where I feel like if I can win there, I’ve truly arrived as a Cup Series driver. It’s such a unique and technical place, and short-track racing isn’t something I grew up doing like a lot of these guys. You’re beating and banging all race long, and you have to keep your guard up the whole race. It’s also a track with a lot of history for me since that’s where I made my first Cup Series start. It’s a tough place to get around with how high the intensity is. You don’t get much time to catch your breath and reset. We’ve been able to find a good groove in practice and qualifying, but the smallest mistake can ruin your day. Hopefully, we can continue to build on that speed and put together a complete weekend at Martinsville.”

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

How does a day like you had at Darlington boost your confidence heading into Martinsville?

“I’m just glad we positioned ourselves for a good qualifying metric for Martinsville. We normally really struggle at Martinsville, but I think we can take good advantage of the good qualifying draw and set ourselves up for a good day. We need to continue to stack these kinds of finishes. It will be very important as we head down the stretch of the schedule into the summer.”

We are coming into the third short-track race of the year with the higher horsepower and lower downforce package. Do you believe it has been playing to your advantage?

“We were super-fast at Bowman Gray, and had a good speed at Phoenix, but we just haven’t gotten a hold on Martinsville. The guys have been working hard at it, and our cars are getting better. I think you will see comers and goers like we did last week at Darlington, and think if things play out right, we can roll late in the final run.”

Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

What is it like to race at Martinsville?

“I enjoy Martinsville. It hasn’t treated me the best in the past. I feel like we’ve been really, really fast there. I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be a different style race in the Cup car. The race is a lot longer so trying to stay alive and stay on the lead lap I think people race a little differently in Cup than they do in the O’Reilly Series so I’m looking forward to seeing what that’s like. That race is always a crazy one. A track that short creates chaos but it’s a lot of fun. I’m excited to go there. We have Choice Privileges on our No. 88 Chevrolet and it’s going to be fun to have them at the track this weekend. I’m just going to take it all in and hopefully qualify well and put ourselves in position to have a good day on Sunday.”

How do you think the racing will be at Martinsville this weekend since the cars will have more horsepower like Darlington?

“I’m not sure. A lot of guys say they feel a huge difference but at the end of the day it’s only 80 horsepower. It’s enough to make a difference but not enough to be a complete game changer. I’m curious to see if it puts things in the driver’s hands.”

How do you keep your emotions in check with the tight racing at Martinsville?

“You definitely have to manage your emotions at Martinsville. Tempers can flare and it’s easy to get frustrated. Sometimes you’ve just got to let things go. If somebody moves you up the track you’ve got to let them go and get them back the next lap and not go into the next corner and completely wreck them. It’s tough at times when you’re getting your back bumper beat off to just let it happen but at the end of the day there’s not a lot you can do.”

How tricky is it to navigate pit road at Martinsville?

“It’s really tough in Cup. I felt like I was used to having easier pit stalls in the O’Reilly series. When you go to Sundays, it’s a little tougher to manage that. I don’t always get the best pit stalls, and it’s changed the complexion of pit road and how difficult it is to manage that each and every week.”

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Usually, drivers that excel on road courses, pick up Martinsville (Speedway) pretty quickly because it’s a technical track. How do you feel your progression has been at Martinsville?

“It’s one of my better tracks for sure. It’s a little difficult having the left foot braking and down shifting, that is not something I’m used to. I feel like Martinsville is one of my stronger one. I really look forward to going there. The racing gets a bit crazy, but in general it’s one of my favorite tracks.”

What have you learned about restarts in the Cup Series?

“There is a lot more take than there is give, so certainly I’ve gotten a lot better at putting myself in a better spot, try not to get taken advantage of. Last year I was really conservative for the first half of the year. This year and even the end of last year, I got a lot better at putting myself in good places and not getting swallowed up.”

 
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

Manufacturer Championships:

Total (1949-2025): 44

First title for Chevrolet: 1958

Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)

Most recent: 2025

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, 2025

Driver Championships:

Total (1949-2025): 34

First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)

Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)

Most recent: Kyle Larson (2025)

Driver and Manufacturer Championship Sweeps: 29

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, 2025

Event Victories:

Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)

2026 STATISTICS:

Wins: 0

Poles: 1

Laps Led: 261

Top-Fives: 11

Top-10s: 20

Stage Wins: 2

CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

Total Chevrolet race wins: 881 (1949 to date)

Poles won to date: 767

Laps led to date: 256,995

Top-fives to date: 4,447

Top-10s to date: 9,171

Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

       General Motors: 1,215

       Chevrolet: 881

       Pontiac: 154

       Oldsmobile: 115

       Buick: 65



       Ford: 848                                                                               

       Ford: 748

       Mercury: 96

       Lincoln: 4



       Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467

       Dodge: 217

       Plymouth: 191

       Chrysler: 59



       Toyota: 208

 

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future.

GM Motorsports, including the Cadillac Formula 1® Team develops and proves advanced technologies in the most demanding environments, accelerating innovation in performance, safety, efficiency, and electrification for its production vehicles. Cadillac Racing is one of the leading manufacturers in the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championships (WEC). Chevrolet competes in single seaters in the US IndyCar series, and in NASCAR with multiple team partners and drivers. Corvette customer teams compete in GT series across the globe including IMSA and WEC. Learn more at GM.com.

Event: Cook Out 400
Date/Time: Sunday, March 29, 2026, 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Martinsville Speedway, Ridgeway, Virginia
Layout: 0.526-Mile Short Track
TV/Radio: FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Martinsville Speedway provides a familiar backdrop for Josh Berry and the No. 21 DEX Imaging team this weekend, as the Wood Brothers return to their home track looking to find their footing in Sunday’s Cook Out 400.

A three-race stretch of disappointing finishes prior to last week’s 17th-place result at Darlington has Berry and the team 32nd in the points standings, despite showing solid speed through the opening five races of the year.

“We’re optimistic heading into Martinsville,” crew chief Miles Stanley said. “This is a track I feel like sets up well for us when we look at the next stretch of races.

“It’s been a challenging start to the season, but we’ve had decent speed – we just need to put together a complete race and stay out of trouble.”

The No. 21 team showed promise at Martinsville last fall, earning a top-10 finish on the half-mile track. Stanley said that performance provides confidence heading into the weekend.

“This is a track where we feel like we can reset a bit and capitalize,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of good notes from last year and feel like there’s a strong foundation to build on.

“Martinsville puts an emphasis on execution, and if we can do that, we should be in a good position.”

Practice for the Cook Out 400 is scheduled for Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET, followed by qualifying at 1:40 p.m. ET. Amazon Prime will carry the coverage on Saturday.

Sunday’s 400-lap, 210.4-mile race is scheduled to take the green flag just after 3:30 p.m. ET, with TV coverage on FS1. Stage breaks are planned for Laps 80 and 180.

Josh Berry

Age: 35 (Oct. 22, 1990)

Hometown: Hendersonville, Tennessee

Crew Chief: Miles Stanley

IG: @joshberry88

X: @joshberry

About DEX
DEX is the nation’s largest independent provider of document technology and managed print services, delivering a broad range of products and solutions that help organizations improve operational efficiencies, reduce costs, and strengthen security. DEX uses real-time data analytics to help businesses gain valuable insights into their print job patterns and frequency, resource allocation, and cost distribution. The knowledge gained is used to optimize workflows, enhance user performance, eliminate unnecessary expenses, and ensure print security and compliance.