The upcoming Cup Series race in Martinsville will be the fourth short-track event in the ongoing season. With Toyota dominating the previous three races, it presents an opportunity for a different carmaker to earn bragging rights and along with that, a lucrative monetary prize that could serve as a strong catalyst in running operations.
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For the 2023 spring race in Martinsville, the overall purse size for the Cup Series race was fixed at $7,324,203. For Xfinity, it was $1,403,623, and for Trucks, it was $693,842. This time around, the numbers have grown taller thanks to NASCAR’s new media deals. The purse for this weekend’s races, as reported by Bob Pockrass, are as follows: Cup Series: $7,669,028, Xfinity Series: $1,507,074, and Truck Series: $746,572.
Purses for Martinsville. All payouts, all positions including contribution to year-end points fund, contingency awards, etc. … and for Cup, payouts to each charter team for participating and historical performance payouts:
Cup: $7,669,028
Xfinity: $1,507,074
Truck: $746,572
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 3, 2024
These numbers are inclusive of the contribution to the year-end points fund, the payouts for past performances, contingency awards, and so on. Similar to the previous races on the 2024 calendar, the Martinville race sees its purse size inflated. The race will start at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday (April 7) and can be followed live on Fox Sports, MRN, and SiriusXM.
Favorites to grab the largest share of the $7.6 million Martinsville purse
According to the odds reported by DraftKings Sportsbook, Joe Gibbs Racing superstar Denny Hamlin (9-2) is the favorite to grab winning honors at Martinsville. He won last Sunday’s race in Richmond after stirring up quite the controversy with his late-race restart. He is the second driver this season to have multiple wins and could be the first to have three wins should he conquer the Martinsville short track.
The second favorite is Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson (11-2). He won last year’s spring race which marked his 21st Cup Series victory. He won this year’s race in Las Vegas and has already ascertained his spot in the playoffs. Winning this weekend will mean a lot for Larson considering that his team will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in NASCAR at the venue. He will drive a ruby red colored Chevy Camaro to signify his team’s unity and legacy.
The third favorite to emerge as the winner is Martin Truex Jr (15-2). He lost out on a potential victory in Richmond owing to his teammate Hamlin’s antics and goes into this weekend riding high on frustration. He is a three-time Martinsville winner and will hope that his #19 Toyota Camry XSE displays the same level of speed it did in Richmond.
