RADIO
Joey Logano Bounces Back with Third-Place Finish at Martinsville
Joey Logano, the No. 22 Ford driver for Team Penske, bounced back from a horrible 33rd-place run at Darlington to finish third in the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. Logano began the race from the ninth position and, in the first stage, showcased a car that was fast on longer green flag runs. The Penske driver went from ninth to seventh in the first stage, earning four stage points as passing became a challenge at the track throughout the day. In the second stage, Logano made up further ground as he went from seventh all the way to third by the end of the stage. He scored eight more stage points as the race transitioned to the final stage. For most of the stage, Logano ran inside the top five and made it as high as second to try and challenge Denny Hamlin for the lead. However, Logano's car was not fast enough to overtake Hamlin and then fell behind Chase Elliott, who took advantage of a pit strategy and the timing of cautions late in the race to gain track position. On the final restart, Logano went from the middle of the top 10 to finishing in third behind Elliott and Hamlin, matching his best result of the 2026 season so far and continuing his top-10 streak at Martinsville to 14 consecutive races. After seven Cup races this year, Logano is now 12th in the regular season standings.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Ty Gibbs Gains his Fourth Top-Five Finish of the Season at Martinsville
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs placed fourth in the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. Gibbs began the race from the same position and had one of the fastest cars in the field. In the first stage, Gibbs maintained his starting position throughout the stage and finished it with seven stage points. In the second stage, the No. 54 Toyota team improved Gibbs' car to the point that he drove up to second, but did not have the speed to get past Denny Hamlin, who proved to be the dominant driver of the day. Gibbs finished the second stage in second place and obtained nine more stage points. In the final stage of the race, Gibbs lost ground to Joey Logano and eventually Chase Elliott, who took advantage of a pit strategy to gain track position under two late race cautions to get past Gibbs. In the late parts of the final stage, Gibbs did not have enough speed to get past Elliott, Hamlin, and Logano and settled for fourth, leading to his fourth top-5 finish of the year. The No. 54 Toyota driver is now sixth in points after seven races this season.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
William Byron Scores Another Top-Five Finish at Martinsville
William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports finished in fifth place during Sunday's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. The No. 24 Chevrolet driver ran a mostly consistent race from start to finish after beginning the race from second. In the first stage, Byron ran second for almost the entire stage, passing Denny Hamlin for the lead once midway through it in order to lead six laps before Hamlin took the lead back. Byron finished the first stage in second and earned nine stage points. In the second stage, Byron ran inside the top 10 throughout most of the stage, but then made his way back to fifth by the end of the stage to collect six more stage points. The final stage for Byron went similarly to the second stage as he continued to run inside the top 10, but did not have the pace to make it past his eventual finishing position of fifth. As a result, Byron earned back-to-back top-5 finishes in consecutive Martinsville races since the 2024 season, and he now sits fifth in the regular-season standings after five races.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Kyle Larson Is Likely to Pay Off for DFS at Martinsville
Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports will start in the 13th position for Sunday's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. This will be the first time that Larson qualified outside of the top 10 in a Martinsville race since April 2023. In 22 Cup races at the site, Larson has one win and 10 top-10 finishes with an average finish of 15.0. Through the first six races of the season, Larson has three top-10 finishes, an average finish of 16.0, and is currently 10th in the regular-season standings. In practice for this week's Cup race, Larson ranked sixth in overall lap averages and was fastest in the 15, 25, and 30 consecutive lap average categories. Due to his upside, great practice speeds, and overall favorable track history, Larson is one of the best drivers to consider for DFS this week at Martinsville.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Christopher Bell Could Have Another Top-10 Performance At Martinsville
Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing will start in the 11th position for this week's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. This marks the first time since the beginning of the year that Bell will start outside of the top 10 in back-to-back races this season. In 12 Cup starts at Martinsville, Bell has one win and five top-10 finishes with an average finish of 14.8. After six races completed in the 2026 season, Bell ranks ninth in the regular-season standings with three top-5 finishes scored. In practice for this week's race, Bell ranked 31st in overall lap averages and displayed top-10 speeds in the 15-30 consecutive lap average categories. Overall, Bell is a solid choice for DFS lineups this week as a driver capable of placing in the top 10 based on track history and practice speeds.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
William Byron Is A Threat to Win Again at Martinsville
Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron will start on the front row in second after qualifying for the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. This will be the first time in Byron's Cup career that he will have back-to-back starts on the front row of two Martinsville races, as he earned the pole and started first in last Fall's race at the site. In 16 Cup starts at Martinsville, Byron has three wins and nine top-10 finishes with an average finish of 13.1. With six races completed so far this season, Byron is sixth in the regular-season standings with three top-10 finishes scored. In practice for Sunday's race, Byron ranked 12th in overall lap averages and as high as 11th in 30 consecutive lap averages. Considering Martinsville is a great track for Byron, and how he starts at the front with some of the best equipment in the field, he will be a threat to win and to lead laps on Sunday.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Chase Elliott is A Solid DFS Option for Martinsville Lineups
Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports qualified in the 10th position for this week's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. The No. 9 Chevrolet driver qualified in his lowest starting position at the site since October 2023. In 21 starts at Martinsville, Elliott has one win, 14 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 11.3. Through six races so far this year, Elliott has three top-10 finishes and an average finish of 10.3 while ranking fifth in the regular-season standings. In practice, Elliott ranked 27th in overall lap averages, but displayed top-10 speeds in the 10-30 consecutive lap average categories, including fastest in 10 consecutive lap averages. With Martinsville being one of his better tracks, some small upside, and a car that is capable of a top-5 finish, Elliott is a solid overall choice for DFS lineups this week.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Chase Briscoe has Plenty of Upside for DFS Lineups at Martinsville
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe will start in the 27th position for this week's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. This is the lowest starting position of Briscoe's Cup career at Martinsville. In 10 previous races at the site, Briscoe has seven top-15 finishes, including this event one year ago where he finished ninth. After six races so far this season, Briscoe is 22nd in the regular-season standings with three top-20 finishes and an average finish of 22.0. In practice, Briscoe ranked 32nd in overall lap averages and as high as 22nd in 25 and 30 consecutive lap averages. Despite underwhelming practice speeds, Briscoe has plenty of potential upside with equipment from one of the top teams in the sport. Fantasy players can utilize Briscoe in all DFS formats this week, but he is especially proficient in cash game lineups.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Should Fantasy Managers Roster Ty Gibbs at Martinsville?
Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing will start in the fourth position for Sunday's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. This will be the fourth time in his Cup career that Gibbs will start a Martinsville race in the top five, but the first time he will do so in a Spring race at the site. In seven previous Cup starts at Martinsville, Gibbs has six top-20 finishes with a best finish of 12th. After six Cup races so far this season, Gibbs has four top-10 finishes with an average finish of 13.2 while sitting 11th in regular-season standings. In practice for this week's Cup race at Martinsville, Gibbs ranked 33rd in overall lap averages and as high as 15th in 20 consecutive lap averages. Considering his high starting position, Gibbs is a DFS risk, especially with his past history of never finishing in the top 10 at Martinsville. Fantasy players should only consider the No. 54 Toyota driver in lineups specifically for tournament games and not cash.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Ryan Preece Is A Solid DFS Option for Martinsville Lineups
RFK Racing's Ryan Preece will start 17th for this week's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. Preece last qualified this well in the Cup Series in the November 2024 race at Martinsville. In 13 Cup races at the Virginia short track, Preece has nine top-20 finishes with three inside the top 10. All three of Preece's top-10 finishes came within the last four races at the site. Through six races, Preece has five top-20 finishes and currently sits 12th in the regular-season standings with an average finish of 14.8. In practice for this week's race, Preece ranked 10th in overall lap averages and displayed top-10 speeds in the 10-30 consecutive lap average categories. With decent upside from his starting position, favorable recent stats, and solid equipment, Preece is a driver worth rostering in all formats for DFS this week.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Could Josh Berry Pay Off for Tournament DFS Lineups At Martinsville?
Josh Berry of Wood Brothers Racing is starting in the third position for this week's race at Martinsville Speedway, the Cook Out 400. This marks a new career-best starting position for Berry at Martinsville in the Cup Series. In four previous starts at the site in the Cup Series, Berry's best finish is 10th, which he scored in his last race there in October 2025. With six races completed so far this year, Berry ranks 31st in the regular-season standings with two top-20 finishes and an average finish of 25.5. In practice for this week's race, Berry ranked 24th in overall lap averages but displayed speeds of sixth or better in the 10-30 consecutive lap average categories. Berry has almost no upside for DFS with his starting position being close to the front, but he does have fast practice speeds, and he is a former O'Reilly Auto Parts Series winner at Martinsville. Fantasy players could take a chance on Berry and have him pay off for tournament lineups in particular, for this week's race.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Carson Hocevar May be Too Inconsistent to Start in Martinsville DFS Lineups
Carson Hocevar will start Sunday's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway from the seventh position after qualifying. Hocevar has never previously qualified inside the top 10 for a Cup race at Martinsville. In five prior starts at the site in the Cup Series, Hocevar has two top-20 finishes and gained positive Place Differential four times. After six races so far this season, Hocevar has four top-20 finishes with two inside the top five, and he currently is 13th in the regular-season standings. In practice for Sunday's race, Hocevar ranked ninth in overall lap averages, but struggled in other categories in practice. Due to Hocevar's lack of upside from his starting position as well as his inconsistency at Martinsville in terms of finishes, he is difficult to trust in any DFS lineup this week. Hocevar should be avoided in all cash game lineups for DFS and for tournaments; there are better playable options with more upside around his salary range.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering for DFS At Martinsville?
Team Penske's Austin Cindric will start sixth after qualifying for the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. This is a new career-best starting position for the No. 2 Ford driver at Martinsville and has qualified inside the top 10 for the second time in his Cup career at the site. In eight Cup starts at Martinsville, Cindric has two top-10 finishes, and he scored positive Place Differential four times. Through six races so far this season, Cindric has one top-10 finish, an average finish of 25.0, and currently sits 21st in the regular-season standings. In practice for this week's race, Cindric ranked 29th in overall lap averages but displayed top-15 speeds in the 10-30 consecutive lap average categories. Cindric's high starting position makes him a DFS risk this week, and combined with his inconsistent history at Martinsville, he is only playable in tournament games. Despite almost no upside, he does have decent enough equipment to compete for a top-10 finish at Martinsville.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Denny Hamlin the Favorite to Win at Martinsville
Denny Hamlin is on the pole for this weekend's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway, and it should be no surprise that he is also the pre-race favorite to win on Sunday. Hamlin has been masterful at Martinsville over the course of his career, notching six wins over 40 career starts with an average finish of 10.4, which is second-best among active drivers. He's also posted top-five finishes in over half (21) of his 40 career starts. This weekend, Hamlin will be looking for win number seven at "The Paperclip," and his second of the young 2026 Cup Series season. The No. 11 Toyota wasn't the absolute fastest in practice on Saturday, but Hamlin's car had good long-run speed after the initial short run of laps. As long as Denny is able to get the lead on the start of the race, he should lead early and often this weekend--and contend for another win.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Ryan Blaney Should Contend at Martinsville
Look for Ryan Blaney to contend at Martinsville Speedway yet again this weekend. The Team Penske driver has won two of the last five races at "The Paperclip" and has post top-five results in six of the eight Next Gen races at this track. He also just finished second here last fall after leading 177 laps. This weekend, Ryan Blaney has been shown good long-run speed yet again, which is what his No. 12 Ford is known for at this track. In practice on Saturday, Blaney ranked second-best in 25- and 30-lap average, which is a good sign for this team's race on Sunday. They'll roll off the starting grid from 12th-place when the Cook Out 400 goes green, which makes Ryan Blaney an ideal DFS target with some Place Differential upside as well as dominator ability.
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
