By Lonnie Hugh Skinner
NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: Xfinity 500
The Place: Martinsville Speedway
Track Length: 0.526 Mile Asphalt Oval
The Date: Sunday, October 26
The Time: 2 p.m. ET
The Purse: $9,797,935
TV: NBC & Peacock, 1:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 263 miles (500 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 130),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 260), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 500)
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: IAA & Ritchie Bros. 250
The Place: Martinsville Speedway
Track Length: 0.526 Mile Asphalt Oval
The Date: Saturday, October 25
The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
The Purse: $1,651,939
TV: CW, 7 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 131.5 miles (250 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 60),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 250)
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Next Race: Slim Jim 200
The Place: Martinsville Speedway
Track Length: 0.526 Mile Asphalt Oval
The Date: Friday. October 24
The Time: 6 p.m. ET
The Purse: $782,900
TV: FS1, 6 p.m. ET
Radio: NRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 105.2 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 50),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 100), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)
Where To Watch NASCAR This Week:
Friday, Oct. 24
NCTS Practice & Kennametal Pole Qualifying (FS2 at 2 p.m. ET)
NCTS Race: Slim Jim 200 (FS1, NRN, SiriusXM at 6 p.m. ET)
Saturday, Oct. 25
NXS Practice & Kennametal Pole Qualifying (CW App at 1 p.m. ET)
NCS Practice & Busch Light Pole Qualifying (truTV, MRN, SiriusXM at 4:30 p.m. ET)
NXS Race: IAA & Ritchie Bros. 250 (CW, MRN, SiriusXM at 7:30 p.m. ET)
Sunday, Oct. 26
NCS Race: Xfinity 500 (NBC, MRN, SiriusXM at 2 p.m. ET)
NASCAR Cup Series
Martinsville Speedway Storylines and Insights:
· This weekend marks the 113th running of a NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, the 34th of 2025 and the second of the three races in the Round of 8.
· The current Playoff field won all seven Next Gen races at Martinsville.
· William Byron and Ryan Blaney won four of the seven Next Gen races at Martinsville.
· Seven of the eight Playoff drivers have won at Martinsville, all but Chase Briscoe.
· The six remaining Playoff drivers not locked into the Championship 4 are all Martinville winners with a combined eight wins there.
· A Playoff eligible driver ranked 4th or worse in the Playoff standings won 5 of the last 8 Playoff Martinsville races.
· One driver that was below the cutline entering the final Round of 8 race moved on to the Championship Four in five of the last six seasons – four of them were more than 20 points back entering the final race.
· The largest gap above the cutline to enter the final Round of 8 race to miss the Championship Four is +42 by Kevin Harvick in 2020.
· The largest cutline deficit ever overcome to move on without a win in a cutoff race is 22 points by Chase Elliott in the Round of 12 in 2019.
· Christopher Bell holds the record for the largest deficit ever overcome in a Playoff round by winning the Round of 12 cutoff race in 2022 at the Roval (he was -45).
· Ryan Blaney won the last two cutoff races at Martinsville to transfer to the Championship 4.
· Joey Logano finished top-10 in the last 12 Martinsville races, the fourth longest streak all-time but his last Martinsville win was 2018.
· Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson each finished in the top-five in the last three Martinsville races, the longest active top-five finish streaks at the track.
· 10 drivers led at least 100 laps at Martinsville in the Next Gen car, eight of the 10 are current Playoff drivers.
· 27 of the 35 top-five finishes in the Next Gen car at Martinsville were by current Playoff drivers.
· Four of the five short track races in 2025 were won by current Playoff drivers.
· Six of the eight Playoff drivers finished top-10 at Martinsville in the Spring.
· This is the fourth-time Joe Gibbs had multiple cars in the Championship Four, only won one of the prior three.
· 12 of the last 16 races were won from a front row starting position including all but two of the eight Playoff races but five of the last six Martinsville races were won from a starting position of 11th or worse.
· Seven races in 2025 ended with a last lap pass, the most ever in a single season.
· The last six races of 2025 were won by six different drivers.
· Joe Gibbs Racing’s 13 wins in 2025 are the team’s third most all-time in a season behind 19 in 2019 and 14 in 2015, a JGR car won the Championship both prior seasons.
· Joe Gibbs Racing won five of the last eight races of 2025 with three different drivers: Denny Hamlin-2, Chase Briscoe-2, Christopher Bell-1.
· The most wins by a team in the Playoffs by a team is six (three times), Joe Gibbs Racing has five in the 2025 Playoffs.
· Pit stall 1 is winless at Martinsville in the last 24 races there.
· Hendrick Motorsports (5), Joe Gibbs Racing (5) and Team Penske (4) combined won the last 14 Martinsville races.
· The winner of the Martinsville Playoff race went on to win the Championship in four of the last nine seasons.
· There were eight speeding penalties at Martinsville in March and six in this race last year.
· Kyle Larson leads all drivers with 1,106 laps led, it’s his third straight season leading over 1,000 laps and his fourth in five seasons with Hendrick Motorsports.
· Chase Briscoe’s 15 top-five finishes in 2025 lead all drivers and are more than he had in his career combined entering the season.
· Christopher Bell finished in the top-10 in the last seven races, his longest Cup top-10 finish streak.
· Kyle Larson is currently on a 22-race winless streak, tied for his longest since joining Hendrick Motorsports.
· The final bubble to make the Championship round has been 10 or less points in each of the last six seasons.
· No manufacturer has ever had three Playoff cars sweep the Round of 8 races.
NCS Clinch Scenarios for Martinsville Speedway (Playoff Race #9):
Already Clinched
· The following two drivers have clinched a spot in the 4-driver field of the next round: Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin.
Can Clinch Via Points
· If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 3rd winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Christopher Bell or Kyle Larson.
• Christopher Bell: Would clinch with 20 points
• Kyle Larson: Would clinch with 21 points
• William Byron: Could only clinch with help
• Joey Logano: Could only clinch with help
• Ryan Blaney: Could only clinch with help
· If there is a new winner from William Byron or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 2nd winless driver in the standings.
• Christopher Bell: Would clinch with 54 points
• Kyle Larson: Would clinch with 55 points
• William Byron: Could only clinch with help
• Joey Logano: Could only clinch with help
• Ryan Blaney: Could only clinch with help
Can Clinch Via Win
· The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, William Byron, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott.
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Martinsville Speedway Storylines and Insights:
· This weekend marks the 45th running of a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway.
· The Xfinity Series only raced once at Martinsville between 1995-2019.
· This will be the 11th Martinsville race since the Xfinity Series returned in 2020.
· Since the series return in 2020, Martinsville hosted the Round of 8 cutoff race every year.
· The lowest four Playoff drivers in points will be eliminated after Martinsville.
· Connor Zilisch and Justin Allgaier have already clinched spots in Championship 4 based on points.
· At least three Playoff drivers will make the Championship 4 on points.
· Jesse Loves needs to score 28 points to clinch a Championship 4 spot on points.
· No driver below the cutoff is in a mathematical must-win situation.
· If a non-Playoff driver wins Saturday, this will be the first year since 2016 that no Playoff drivers won in the Round of 8.
· Non-Playoff drivers won six of the last twelve Playoff races.
· A Playoff driver has only won the Round of 8 cutoff race and gone on to win the championship twice – William Byron in 2017 and Ty Gibbs in 2022.
· Two rookies remain in the Playoffs: Connor Zilisch and Carson Kvapil.
· If the four drivers currently above the cut make the Championship 4, JR Motorsports will have three drivers in the championship race – Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier and Carson Kvapil.
· Joe Gibbs Racing’s #19 and Richard Childress Racing’s #21 have advanced to the owner’s Championship 4 with Aric Almirola’s win at Las Vegas and Austin Hill’s win at Talladega; Almirola will be in the #19 the remainder of the season.
· Austin Hill’s win at Talladega was his fourth of the season, second only to Zilisch’s ten; it is the third consecutive season Hill has won four races.
· Joe Gibbs Racing won eight of 13 Playoff races in Cup and Xfinity this season; Toyota won 12 of 18 Playoff races across Cup, Xfinity & Trucks.
· Martinsville is the fifth and final short track race of the season.
· Four different drivers from four different organizations won on short tracks this season.
· Joe Gibbs Racing won five of last seven Martinsville races with four different drivers.
· Aric Almirola swept the Martinsville races in 2024; he is the only repeat winner at Martinsville in the last 16 races.
· Justin Allgaier finished in top-10 in nine of ten Martinsville races since 2020.
· Three Playoff drivers currently have top 10 streaks at Martinsville of at least four races: Justin Allgaier – 6, Sammy Smith – 5, Sheldon Creed – 4.
· Sheldon Creed has three runner-up finishes at Martinsville, trailing only Dale Jarrett and Larry Pearson with four.
· Four of eight Playoff drivers finished in top-10 at Martinsville in March: Creed 2nd, Allgaier 3rd, Mayer 5th & Smith 10th.
· Four of last seven Martinsville races had a last-lap pass for the win, including the race in March.
· Six of last eight Martinsville races went to overtime.
· Five active drivers won in the Xfinity Series at Martinsville, led by Aric Almirola with two wins.
· Connor Zilisch’s ten wins this season is the record for most wins by a rookie.
· Connor Zilisch’s record streak of 18 consecutive Top 5 finishes came to an end with his 23rd-place finish at Talladega.
· Connor Zilisch finished first or second in 15 of the 31 races this season.
· Connor Zilisch won 32% of his starts, the best win percentage all-time for drivers with more than three starts.
· Connor Zilisch led in his last 20 NXS starts, the record for most consecutive starts leading is 22 by Brad Keselowski.
· Randall Burnett was announced as Connor Zilisch’s crew chief next season when he moves to Trackhouse Racing in the Cup Series.
· Connor Zilisch and Carson Kvapil will driver part-time in the JR Motorsports #1 in 2026; Rodney Childers will be crew chief.
· JR Motorsports won 17 races this season with a series-record six different drivers (does not include Parker Kligerman who won in relief role at Daytona).
· JR Motorsports had at least one car finish top-five in a record 33 straight races.
· Connor Zilisch leads the series with 10 wins, 19 top fives, 986 laps led, an 8.2 average finish and eight poles this season.
· Connor Zilisch and Jesse Love lead the series with 21 top 10s this season.
· Connor Zilisch won Fastest Lap Award seven times this season, Justin Allgaier is second with five.
· Justin Allgaier leads the series with 13 stage wins this season.
· Justin Allgaier’s 28 career wins are 9th on the all-time wins list and one away from tying Matt Kenseth.
· Justin Allgaier’s crew chief Jim Pohlman will move to RCR in 2026 to serve as Kyle Busch’s Cup Series crew chief.
· Chevrolet led 3,672 of 4,870 laps this season (75%).
· Chevrolet won 25 of 31 races, the most all-time by a manufacturer through 31 races in series history.
· Five crew chiefs got their first NXS win in 2025: Chad Haney at Atlanta, Sam McAulay at Darlington, Adam Wall at Bristol, Cory Shea at Mexico City & Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Pocono.
· Five races this year ended with a last lap pass.
· Harrison Burton announced he will not return to AM Racing in 2026.
· O’Reilly Auto Parts will replace Xfinity as title sponsor starting in 2026 becoming the fifth different title sponsor of the series: Budweiser, Busch, Nationwide, Xfinity & O’Reilly.
NXS Clinch Scenarios for Martinsville Speedway (Playoff Race #6)
Already Clinched
· The following two drivers have clinched a spot in the 4-driver field of the next round: Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier.
Can Clinch Via Points
· If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 5th winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, Jesse Love or Carson Kvapil.
• Jesse Love: Would clinch with 17 points
• Carson Kvapil: Would clinch with 46 points
• Sammy Smith: Could only clinch with help
• Brandon Jones: Could only clinch with help
• Sam Mayer: Could only clinch with help
• Sheldon Creed: Could only clinch with help
· If there is a new winner from Sammy Smith or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 4th winless driver in the standings.
• Jesse Love: Would clinch with 28 points
• Carson Kvapil: Could only clinch with help
• Sammy Smith: Could only clinch with help
• Brandon Jones: Could only clinch with help
• Sam Mayer: Could only clinch with help
Can Clinch Via Win
· The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Jesse Love, Carson Kvapil, Sammy Smith, Brandon Jones, Sam Mayer, Sheldon Creed.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Martinsville Speedway Storylines and Insights:
· This week marks the 50th running of a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway; the second most of all tracks in the Truck Series behind Texas (51).
· Martinsville is one of only two tracks to host a Truck Series race in every year of its existence (Phoenix).
· This is the eighth Playoff race at Martinsville, and the fourth time as the final cutoff race before the Championship (2020, ’21, ’24, ’25).
· Martinsville is one of only two tracks the Truck Series visits twice a year in 2025, the other being Bristol.
· Only three of the drivers in the Round of 8 have previously made the Championship 4 (Heim, Enfinger, Majeski), at least one driver will make the Championship 4 for the first time.
· Corey Heim is the only full time driver in all of NASCAR without a DNF in 2025.
· Corey Heim finished top 3 in the last nine races, he is the only driver in series history to accomplish this feat.
· Corey Heim is 83 laps led away from tying the all-time single season laps led record (Mike Skinner, 1533 laps – 1996). He led 149 laps at Martinsville in March.
· Corey Heim led 24 consecutive races, the longest streak in Truck Series history.
· Corey Heim led a lap in every race in 2025 and could become the first driver to lead in every race of a season.
· Corey Heim finished top-five in all five Playoff races in 2025, no driver finished top-5 in every race of the playoffs in a season.
· 19 races this season were won by drivers aged 25 or younger, the most ever in a single Truck Series season.
· ThorSport Racing remains winless after 23 races in 2025, the deepest into a season the organization has gone without a win since 2007, the last time they were winless in a season.
· Chevrolet has not won in 11 races (Rajah Caruth – Nashville in May), after winning six of the first 12 races of 2025, the brand’s longest winless streak in the Truck Series since 2013-14.
· TRICON Garage has won six of the last seven races. Only RFK Racing (1999) and Kyle Busch Motorsports (2014) have won seven of eight races.
· Corey Heim and Layne Riggs have combined to lead over 58% of laps on short tracks this season.
· Martinsville has produced more first-time Truck Series winners than any other track (12).
· Six of the last eight Martinsville races featured 10 or more cautions.
· Each of the last four Martinsville races a driver swept the stages, three of the four went on to win: the only exception, Corey Heim this past March (finished 6th).
· McAnally Hilgemann Racing won the last three Martinsville races, no Truck Series team has ever won four in a row at Martinsville.
· Daniel Hemric led 4 laps enroute to winning here in March, the fewest for a Martinsville winner since Joe Ruttman in September 1995 (2 laps).
· Corey Heim led 149 laps in March but failed to win, the most for a non-winner since April 2013 (Jeb Burton – 154 laps).
· Corey Heim has led in the last six short track races, the record is seven, three times.
· No driver has overcome a deficit of 10 or more points in the final race of round two to make the Championship four on points.
· A driver below the cut line entering the Round of 8 finale has won to earn a Championship 4 spot twice: Grant Enfinger (2020, -42 below cut) and Zane Smith (2021, -40 below cut).
· Rajah Caruth is the only driver that can advance to the Championship four on points without help, he would need to score 47 points at Martinsville.
NCTS Clinch Scenarios For Martinsville Speedway (Playoff Race #6):
Already Clinched
· The following driver has clinched a spot in the 4-driver field of the next round: Corey Heim.
Can Clinch Via Points
· If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 4th winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Rajah Caruth, Tyler Ankrum or Kaden Honeycutt.
• Rajah Caruth: Would clinch with 43 points
• Tyler Ankrum: Would clinch with 49 points
• Kaden Honeycutt: Would clinch with 52 points
• Ty Majeski: Could only clinch with help
• Layne Riggs: Could only clinch with help
• Daniel Hemric: Could only clinch with help
• Grant Enfinger: Could only clinch with help
· If there is a new winner from Ty Majeski or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 3rd winless driver in the standings.
• Rajah Caruth: Would clinch with 47 points
• Tyler Ankrum: Would clinch with 53 points
• Kaden Honeycutt: Would clinch with 56 points
• Ty Majeski: Could only clinch with help
• Layne Riggs: Could only clinch with help
• Daniel Hemric: Could only clinch with help
• Grant Enfinger: Could only clinch with help
Can Clinch Via Win
· The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Rajah Caruth, Tyler Ankrum, Kaden Honeycutt, Ty Majeski, Layne Riggs, Daniel Hemric, Grant Enfinger.
NASCAR & Martinsville, Etc.
Historical & Significant Events at Martinsville Speedway:
· Opened in September of 1947 by Henry Clay Earles, Martinsville Speedway, originally a dirt track, is one of the oldest continuously-operating race tracks in the United States.
· Located at an overgrown 30 acre cornfield just outside Martinsville. Construction of the track was soon underway in 1947 and ended up costing $60,000.
· The first NASCAR-sanctioned race at Martinsville Speedway was on July 4, 1948.
· The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway was on September 25, 1949, and was a 200 lap (100 mile) race that was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Red Byron driving an Oldsmobile for car owner Raymond Parks.
· The track was paved during the summer months of 1955. The first race at the track that season was on dirt (May 15) and the second race of the year was the first on the paved track (Oct. 16). Prior to paving the track, the Cup Series ran 12 races total on the dirt at Martinsville (1949-1955).
· The first 500-lap (250 mile) event at Martinsville Speedway was in 1956 and was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Buck Baker from the pole position. Baker was driving a 1956 Dodge for car owner Carl Kiekhaefer.
· In 1964 Earles decided it was time for a different type of trophy for race winners. His choice was a grandfather clock produced by nearby Ridgeway Clock Company. On September 27, 1964, Earles awarded the first clock trophy to Fred Lorenzen, the winner of the Old Dominion 500 that afternoon.
· Richard Petty has the most clocks with 12 (he won three times at Martinsville prior to the introduction of the clock). Darrell Waltrip won 11, while Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson each have 9 clocks.
· Concrete corners were added atop asphalt in 1976 at Martinsville Speedway.
· International Speedway Corporation (now NASCAR) purchased the privately owned Martinsville Speedway in 2004 for $192 million.
· In the past 20 years the track has stepped up its investment in improvements and additions to establish the once dusty ½ mile dirt track on 30 acres into a modern facility encompassing over 300 acres.
· In 2017, lights were added to Martinsville Speedway. The project cost an estimated $5 million to complete.
· In total, there have been 153 NASCAR Cup Series points-paying races at Martinsville Speedway, one in the inaugural year and two races per year since 1950.
COURTESY NASCAR COMMUNICATIONS
