NASCAR is ready to host its first short track race of the season — the Cook Out 400 — at Martinsville Speedway this weekend. Earlier this month, NASCAR and Goodyear introduced two tire compounds at Phoenix Raceway, which was previously just a part of their ongoing strategy to spice up short-track racing — a tactic first employed last year at Richmond.
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This weekend, they will again roll out optional tires at Martinsville. However, tire strategies aren’t the only elements adding excitement; the prize money is also a significant draw.
In the spring of 2024, the purse for the NASCAR Martinsville races was fixed with the Cup Series boasting $7,669,028, the Xfinity Series $1,507,074, and the Truck Series $746,572. These figures have considerably increased this year due to NASCAR’s lucrative new media deals.
As per the Fox Sports journalist Bob Pockrass, the purses for this weekend’s races have surged by $3,386,222 for the Cup Series, $144,865 for the Xfinity Series, and $36,328 for the Truck Series, bringing the totals to $11,055,250 for the Cup, $1,651,939 for Xfinity, and $782,900 for Truck. FS1 will broadcast the race on March 30th at 3:00 PM ET, ensuring fans won’t miss a moment of the action.
Purses for Martinsville weekend including all payouts for all positions and all charter payouts:
Cup: $11,055,250
Xfinity: $1,651,939
Truck: $782,900
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 26, 2025
Favorites at Martinsville Raceway that fans would look out for.
Kyle Larson may have hit his stride last weekend at Homestead-Miami and might hold good chances of maintaining his momentum, echoing his success from recent years.
However, when analyzing past performances and statistics, Ryan Blaney is the driver his peers might want to look out for, on the Martinsville track, boasting an impressive average finish of 8.3 across 18 Cup starts.
His performance in the Next Gen car is even more commendable, with an average finish climbing to 3.5.
Although Jimmie Johnson, who hung up his full-time racing helmet in 2020, holds the second-best average finishing position at 9.9, among active drivers, it’s Denny Hamlin who takes that spot. Hamlin, with five wins in 38 starts at Martinsville, has an average finish of 10.0.
Other drivers to watch in the upcoming Sunday race include Joey Logano, with an average finish of 10.8, Shane van Gisbergen at 12.0, and Chase Elliott closely behind at 12.1.
However, the race could mark a turning point for RCR’s Kyle Busch, who, despite an average finish of 13.3 from 39 starts and two wins at Martinsville, has consistently shown strong performances with 17 top-5 finishes and 21 top-10 finishes on the track. The upcoming race could very well be his resurgence on a track that has seen him perform well previously.
