Overview
We have the second NASCAR night race in as many nights and this time it’s the XFINITY Series drivers taking to the short track of Martinsville. We got a little taste of a short track-type atmosphere last week when the cars hit Richmond Raceway but this track this week is a true short track, in fact, the shortest on the schedule. Martinsville is a .526-mile asphalt concrete oval that has 12 degrees of banking in the turns. It’s nicknamed the “Paperclip” and requires a ton of precision and is tough on the cars, especially on the brakes. With 250 laps scheduled there are plenty of dominator points to be had as well as the usual place differential spots as some drivers try to treck through the field after sub-par qualifying results. In each of the last five races here the pole-sitter has led at least 42 each time notably Brandon Jones last year (98) and Ty Gibbs two years ago (197).
Strategy
With the number of laps in this race, I’ll want at least two dominators in each of my lineups. Like I mentioned above, the pole sitter has had success here but outside of that there’s hasn’t been much of a rhyme or reason as to why a given driver has racked up dominator points connected to his starting position. Beyond starting position we’ll have to look at track history and note specific drivers that are strong at the short track style of racing.
Most comparable tracks: Bristol Motor Speedway (but don’t look to deeply into this comparison)
*Note: all pricing is DraftKings focused
Top Drivers
Chandler Smith ($11,000), Starting 37th
It’s hard to look past – actually impossible to look past a driver like Smith who has arguably been the best driver in the XFINITY Series this season. Smith had a mishap in practice and thus did not qualify meaning he’ll start to the back of the field after repairs are done to his vehicle. Coming into this weeken Smith has an average finish of third with two wins. For the most part Smith has qualified well all season so for some there could be some cause for concern, but make no mistake about it; Smith will be popular and undoubtedly have one of the best cars out there.
Cole Custer ($10,300), Starting 2nd
Custer has been more than solid thus far as the defending series champion posting an average finish of 8th to this point. Despite not having a win to this point, Custer has four top-10 finishes including top-five finishes in three of his last four races. Starting on the front row, possibly on the pole (if Brandon Jones has to go to the rear) Custer is in a great spot to lead laps early.
Sammy Smith ($9,800), Starting 17th
In three races at Martinsville, Smith has a second and third-place finish, both results have come in his last two races here. Last year Smith led 147 laps from the pole in the Fall race but this weekend he’ll start back at 17th. With plenty of place differential available and good track history in a very good car, Smith should be in line for a very strong day.
Justin Allgaier ($9,800), Starting 5th
At one of his best tracks Allgaier will take off fifth as he looks for his second win at Martinsville. In seven races at the Paperclip Allgaier has an average finish of 8.1 with four top-fives. Allgaier won the Fall race here last year when he started second.
Also Consider:
Sheldon Creed ($10,000), Starting 3rd
Riley Herbst ($9,000), Starting 22nd
Taylor Gray ($8,000), Starting 16th
Austin Hill ($9,200), Starting 2nd
Jesse Love ($9,400), Starting 11th
Aric Almirola ($10,800), Starting 6th
Shane Van Gisbergen ($7,500), Starting 19th
GOOD LUCK!!