For the third straight week, each of NASCAR’s top series will all race on the same week, at the same track. This weekend will see Martinsville Speedway host NASCAR. Every driver will face down the daunting paper clip, where tempers flare and hot dogs are still affordable. Martinsville marks the first short track on the schedule for all of these series. While Phoenix races similar to a short track, Martinsville will be the first race to test each of these teams’ equipment with the heavy braking. This weekend should see a fair share of bumping and rubbing fenders, as drivers battle for the bottom line through the turns. As the first short track race of the season approaches, who will be chosen to be the Critical Path Security 6 Drivers to Watch for Martinsville?
Martinsville will continue this stretch of races that will help establish the real players for the 2025 seasons. Thus far, the expected teams from each series seem to be taking center stage. In the Cup Series, Hendrick Motorsports and Toyota’s top teams sit ahead in points. Meanwhile, Team Penske has flashed strength despite their lack of quality results. The Xfinity and Truck Series see the heavy hitters dominating early, but there are a few surprises who look to play spoiler. Martinsville might shine more light on the underrated teams. Certain short track aces can maximize the equipment given, especially if they are able to establish track position. This weekend will be one to watch the entire leaderboard, not only the front few positions.
Cook Out 400
Ryan Preece
Although it can be debated whether Ryan Preece’s start to 2025 is a surprise or not, it has been a pleasant headline to see RFK’s newest entry performing well. After 2 finishes in the 30s, Preece has hit his stride over the past 3 weekends. His average finish in those races is 9th while boosting up to 16th in the standings. Now, Preece enters one of his strongest tracks with solid momentum behind him. If you are looking for an upset pick this weekend, Preece could be your man.
Although Preece has only collected a single Top-10 at Martisnville, his performances have been better than his results. Especially in the Gen7 era, Preece brought struggling Stewart-Haas Racing equipment into relevancy. His first Gen7 race at Martinsville should have netted him at least a Top-5, as Preece qualified on pole and led every lap of Stage 1. A speeding penalty during the stage break ruined that race for him. Still, Preece ran well with SHR. Now that he is with a better team, the driver of the 60 car should be able to be a contender on Sunday. RFK Racing has been solid on short tracks, especially in the spring race. Paired with RFK Racing, Preece should be in a position to at least continue his current hot streak.
Chase Elliott
It is a bit weird to consider the driver who sits 6th in points as someone who many believe is struggling. However, that is the consequence of driving for Hendrick Motorsports and not stacking up to your teammates. Chase Elliott has been a man under scrutiny since 2023. In 2023, Elliott failed to win a race and make the playoffs after missing 7 races for an off-track injury and 1-race suspension. While it was easy to chalk that season up to the injury, 2024 did not aid in downplaying the additional scrutiny. To be fair, Elliott averaged the best finish in the Cup Series and advanced to the Round of 8. However, the 9 team only managed to win 1 race and only 2 stages.
Consistency is important, but solid finishes are not enough for a Hendrick Motorsports driver. Chase Elliott has been absent from the top of the leaderboard mostly since 2022. There have been few exceptions, with Martinsville Speedway serving as one of them. Between the 2 races last year, Elliott finish third and second while leading 193 laps. With some more chirping about Elliott’s performance popping up, Martinsville is the ideal track to quiet the doubters. Hendrick Motorsports has been especially strong in the spring race. Last year, the team swept the podium. For this weekend, maybe it will be Chase Elliott who can lead the Hendrick effort.
Marine Corps 250
Jesse Love
Out of the fulltime Xfinity Series drivers, Jesse Love currently leads the series in average finish (6.8). His average finish is 2.4 positions better than the driver in second. It has been an impressive season for Love thus far. Last year illuminated flashes of Love’s talent, but 2025 has pushed them further forward. Through 6 races, Love’s worst finish came at Atlanta (16th). That is the only race this season where he did not finish inside the Top-10. Entering this weekend, Love will look to continue this early season groove in his third start at Martinsville.
In his previous 2 starts, Jesse Love has been respectable but unremarkable at the paper clip. While he picked up a Top-10 in the spring race, Love failed to score stage points in either race nor lead any laps. To be fair though, neither did his teammate. With more experience at Martinsville, the thought is that Love will improve upon his results from last year. Thus far in 2025, that has been how Love has been racing. Each track has seen the young driver improve upon what he did last year. 2025 has been a year where Richard Childress Racing has been arguably the top team. If the 2 car can qualify in the Top-5, Love should be able to run there throughout the race and compete for the win.
William Sawalich
Entering into the Xfinity Series with hefty expectations, 2025 has not been the start that William Sawalich was foreseeing. Through 6 races, Sawalich only has 2 Top-10s with no laps led and an average finish of 20.2. The past two weekends have been especially rough on the young Joe Gibbs Racing driver. At Las Vegas, Sawalich wrecked out before a single lap was logged. Meanwhile, Homestead proved to be a struggle as his average running position sat 24th. For a JGR car on an intermediate, that is a sign of immense troubles.
Similar to others featured here, Martinsville should be the recipe for success for Sawalich. Sawalich rose up through the short track ranks, winning races in the CARS Tour and other regional series. In his young NASCAR career, his short track events have been where he has found the most success. Martinsville was the home of his first Craftsman Truck Series Top-10 when he was 16. If there was a track to turn his season around, it should be Martinsville. Not only due to Sawalich’s comfort zone, but JGR’s Xfinity Series program has been strong at the short track. Aric Almirola swept the races there last year. Watch out for William Sawalich to improve this weekend and compete inside the Top-5.
The Boys & Girls Club of the Blue Ridge 200
Stewart Friesen
After a couple of rough seasons, Stewart Friesen is putting together a solid 2025 campaign together. Nearly winning at Atlanta, Friesen’s 52 truck has been a fixture near the front for the past 2 races as well. Currently sitting 5th in points, Friesen might be the bounce back candidate for the Truck Series. The Canadian has only had one bad race thus far, which was the season opener at Daytona. At Las Vegas, Friesen led 14 laps while running inside the Top-5. Homestead saw the 52 score points in both stages despite the 16th place finish.
Similar to how his recent seasons have gone, Stewart Friesen has struggled at Martinsville. Last fall was Friesen’s first Top-10 at the track since 2020. Over the past 5 races at the short track, his average finish is 17.8 with that single Top-10. In his first 7 starts at the track, Friesen scored 4 Top-10s with an average finish of 11.3. Hopefully, last fall and the beginning of 2025 will help curb his performance. Short tracks have usually been Friesen’s calling card (outside of dirt). If the improvements fans have seen thus far are true, then the 52 truck should battle for stage points and a Top-5 finish.
Jake Garcia
Who would have predicted that Jake Garcia would be the second highest ThorSport driver in the Truck Series standings after 4 races? Currently, the driver of the 13 truck sits 9th in the points. With his second Top-10 on the season at Homestead, Garcia has already matched his total from 2024. The early season success is pleasant to see, especially considering how rough last year was for the young driver. Garcia demonstrated promise in his rookie season in the 35 truck. The move to ThorSport should have helped his performance, but maybe it took a year to make the transition work.
Martinsville has not been the best track for Jake Garcia. His first 3 races were not disasters, but they definitely fall into the mediocre category. Garcia has yet to finish Top-10 at the track, with his best finish coming in this race last year with a 13th place finish. In that race, Garcia qualified inside the Top-10. If Garcia can replicate that qualifying effort this weekend, that would be a boost to his chances of earning that first Top-10. With a short track expert as his teammate, maybe Garcia has learned a thing or two about how to succeed at Martinsville. It is doubtful that Garcia will be in the running for the win, but a strong effort from the 13 team should be expected Friday night.
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