The NASCAR Cup Series might be taking a rare weekend off, but the action at Rockingham Speedway is going to be anything but quiet. “The Rock” is back, and this Friday’s Black’s Tire 200 for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is shaping up to be a pivotal moment early in the 2026 season.

For Kaden Honeycutt, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Taking over the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota—the same truck Corey Heim drove to a record 12 victories and a championship last season—comes with immense pressure. Honeycutt has shown flashes of brilliance, including a pole and a race-high 59 laps led at Darlington, but he’s still hunting for that elusive first win.

Standing in his way? None other than Corey Heim himself, who will be piloting the No. 1 TRICON truck this weekend. Heim already played spoiler to Honeycutt at Darlington with a late strategic pit stop, and you can bet he won’t be taking it easy on his teammate at Rockingham.

Adding to the intrigue, we’ve got some Cup Series regulars moonlighting in the Truck Series. Ty Dillon is jumping into the No. 25 Ram for Kaulig Racing, marking his first Truck start at Rockingham since 2013. Meanwhile, Carson Hocevar is making his Rockingham debut in the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet.

“It’s a really cool track that I’ve always wanted to race at,” Hocevar said earlier this week. “It will be fun to have a whole weekend where I just get the opportunity to run the truck and don’t have to worry about juggling it with my responsibilities in the Cup Series.”

With Chandler Smith currently leading the standings by 33 points over Honeycutt, the battle at the front is tight. Rockingham’s abrasive surface and unique layout always test tire management and driver patience. Last year’s race saw 11 lead changes and a late fuel-mileage thriller. Expect more of the same this Friday.

The green flag drops at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1. Grab your snacks and settle in—The Rock is ready to deliver.

The post From the Pit Box: Rockingham Returns with High Stakes for the Truck Series appeared first on Mr PitBox.

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

The post Cook Out 400 Qualifying Preview: Who Has the Edge at Martinsville? appeared first on Mr PitBox.