Martinsville weekend preview
NASCAR heads to Martinsville this weekend with full paint‑scheme galleries, official qualifying orders published, and green‑flag times set — organizers and teams are also debating higher horsepower for larger tracks, which could reshape setups later in the season. Odds and purse details for both the Cup and O’Reilly Series are live for bettors ahead of the race. (nascar.com) (racingnews.co) (jayski.com)
Notable new paint schemes include Ross Chastain in the No. 1 Safety Culture Chevrolet, Ryan Blaney in the No. 12 Advance Auto Parts Ford, Kyle Larson in the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet and Tyler Reddick in the No. 45 SiriusXM Toyota as pictured in NASCAR’s gallery. (NASCAR.com: ) Cup single-car qualifying is set for 1:40 p.m. ET Friday, with Austin Hill listed as the first driver scheduled to take the track in the Cup qualifying order. (NASCAR.com: ) O’Reilly Auto Parts Series single-car qualifying is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. ET Friday, with Justin Carroll listed first on the O’Reilly qualifying order. (NASCAR.com: ) The weekend race times list the NFPA 250 (O’Reilly) at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 28, 2026, and the Cook Out 400 at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 29, 2026. (NASCAR.com: ) NASCAR will consider adding horsepower at 1.5-mile ovals and longer — naming Darlington, Nashville and Gateway as tracks to review — but insiders say implementation is unlikely this season. (Jayski.com: ) NASCAR previously announced a target increase to 750 horsepower for road courses and tracks under 1.5 miles for the 2026 season. (NASCAR.com: ) The published Cup Series purse for Martinsville this weekend is $11,233,037. (Sports.Yahoo.com: ) The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series purse for the NFPA 250 is listed at about $1,653,590. (MotorsportsWire/USA Today: ) Early betting markets list Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin among the favorites for the Cook Out 400 (Blaney shown around +450 on some boards), with full outright and prop markets live across sportsbooks. (LasVegasSportsBetting.com: ) Tyler Reddick has four wins in the first six races of the 2026 season, a statistic noted by oddsmakers and previews heading into Martinsville. (MotorsportsWire/USA Today: )
