Martinsville Speedway Set to Host First Short Track Race of 2026 NASCAR Season
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Martinsville Speedway this weekend for the first of two races scheduled at the historic track in 2026. Known as the “Paperclip” due to its unique oval shape, Martinsville presents a distinct challenge for drivers and teams.
What Makes Martinsville Unique?
At just 0.526 miles, Martinsville is the shortest oval on the 36-race NASCAR Cup Series schedule. This makes it the series’ first true short track race of the year, differing from Phoenix Raceway which, at 1.022 miles, is considered an intermediate track. The tight confines of the track demand precision and often lead to intense, side-by-side racing.
Qualifying Format Changes for Martinsville
Drivers will have two qualifying laps at Martinsville, a standard practice for short tracks. However, drivers have the option to take just one lap if they prefer. The faster of the two laps will determine the starting position, rather than an average of the two times. Unlike superspeedways, there will be only one round of qualifying, without a top 10 shootout for the pole position.
The qualifying order for Sunday’s Cook Out 400 was determined using NASCAR’s qualifying metric, which was first introduced in 2020 and revised ahead of the 2025 season. A detailed breakdown of the formula can be found here.
Entry List Updates
The entry list for this weekend’s race features a change in the non-chartered car entry. While a driver named Hill was present at Darlington Raceway, it’s a different Hill competing this weekend with a different team. Austin Hill will drive the No. 33 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, marking his first Cup race at Martinsville.
Martinsville Qualifying Order
| Order | Driver |
|---|---|
| 1 | Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet |
| 2 | Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet |
| 3 | Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota |
| 4 | Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet |
| 5 | Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet |
| 6 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 7 | Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford |
| 8 | Justin Allgaier, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 9 | Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
| 10 | John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota |
| 11 | A.J. Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet |
| 12 | Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 13 | Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet |
| 14 | Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
| 15 | Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota |
| 16 | Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
| 17 | Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet |
| 18 | Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford |
| 19 | Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
| 20 | Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 21 | Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
| 22 | Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
| 23 | Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
| 24 | Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
| 25 | Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota |
| 26 | Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford |
| 27 | Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 28 | Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford |
| 29 | Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 30 | Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
| 31 | Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford |
| 32 | Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
| 33 | William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 34 | Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 35 | Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford |
| 36 | Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford |
| 37 | Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota |
Fox Sports 1’s live coverage of Sunday’s Cook Out 400 from Martinsville Speedway is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET. Begin a free trial of FuboTV today and catch all of the action from the “Paperclip”!