Welcome to the first edition of From the Pit Box — the MrPitBox editorial column where we break down what’s happening on and off the track, in our own words.
We’re kicking things off with a look at this weekend’s Cook Out 400 at historic Martinsville Speedway (Sunday, March 29, 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1). Qualifying goes Saturday at 1:40 p.m. ET on Prime Video.
If there’s one thing you need to know about the half-mile “paperclip,” it’s that track position is everything. Get stuck in the back of the pack early, and you could find yourself a lap down before the first stage break. That makes Saturday’s single-car qualifying session more important here than at almost any other track on the schedule.
So who has the edge when the cars hit the track?
The Favorites for the Pole
William Byron has been the absolute class of the field in the Next Gen car at Martinsville. He won from the pole here last Fall, has three wins in the last eight races at this track, and leads all drivers with 664 laps led in the Next Gen era at the paperclip. The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet is always quick in single-car qualifying, and Byron’s smooth, precise driving style is tailor-made for this flat, tight oval.
Christopher Bell is the defending polesitter for this Spring race, having laid down a lap of 19.718 seconds last year. Joe Gibbs Racing consistently brings fast Toyotas to short tracks, and Bell knows how to extract every last tenth out of a qualifying lap. Don’t sleep on him.
Joey Logano is the active pole leader at Martinsville with five career poles — more than any other active driver. He’s also on a remarkable 13-race top-10 streak in the Cup Series at this track. Team Penske knows how to set up a car for a fast lap here.
Denny Hamlin is the all-time king of Martinsville statistically — 21 top fives, 27 top tens, over 2,700 laps led, and four career poles. He won this race last Spring and Toyota has been on fire all season with five wins in six races. Hamlin understands the rhythm of this track better than almost anyone in the garage.
The Wildcard: Tyler Reddick
Reddick comes in as the points leader after a dominant win at Darlington last weekend — his fourth win of the season in just six races. But Martinsville hasn’t historically been his strongest venue. In eight NextGen starts here, he has just one top-10. The question is whether 23XI Racing’s momentum and improved short-track package can translate into a strong qualifying effort. Watch his lap closely — if he’s within a few hundredths of Byron or Bell, that tells you the team has made real strides.
The Pit Box Verdict
When the dust settles Saturday afternoon, I’m looking at William Byron or Denny Hamlin to take the pole. Byron has been the most consistent qualifier here in the NextGen era, and Hamlin’s institutional knowledge of this track is unmatched. Christopher Bell is a strong dark horse — he did it last year and JGR will be motivated to prove Toyota’s pace isn’t just a superspeedway story.
One thing is certain: whoever starts up front on Sunday has a massive advantage. The last time the Spring polesitter won at Martinsville was 2013 — but with the field this competitive, track position could make all the difference in a 400-lap grind.
Enjoy qualifying, and we’ll be back with a full race preview before the green flag drops Sunday.
— The MrPitBox Team
