We’ve made it….a season that started in mid-February at Daytona, is now in the twilight moments of a season full of excitement, drama, and rivalries. With only two races remaining to decide a champion in their respective series, the Craftsman Truck, Xfinity, and Cup Series teams arrived in Martinsville.
Located in Virginia, and one of the original short tracks with it’s iconic paperclip shape…has always been a source of excitement and old school beating and banging. While the focus remains on the four playoff drivers…the rest of the field looks to bookmark their seasons with a surprise performance.
Slim Jim 200
Race Winner: Corey Heim
#15 Tanner Gray: The 2025 season has not went as planned for Gray and his #15 TRICON Garage team, with many good runs turning sour. With only one race following Martinsville, Gray had one of his best runs of the season. Starting his Toyota 12th on the grid, Gray ran a smart race and finished 8th.
Sitting 13th in standings heading into Martinsville, Gray three top fives and six top tens spread over 24 starts. Prior to Martinsville, Gray had a pair of 6th-place finishes in Darlington and Bristol.
Photo Credit: Jayski and Christian Petersen/Getty Images
#56 Timmy Hill: With limited funding, veteran owner-driver Hill has only made a handful of truck starts in 2025. The Virginia-based short track was next on Hill’s schedule, and it did not disappoint. Rolling off 26th, Hill survived the occasional chaos Martinsville always presents, and finished 16th.
In eight truck starts this season, Hill has shown his team can compete with the powerhouse teams. While the highlight of the season came with an 8th-place finish in Darlington, Hill also finished 16th in his last start on the Charlotte ROVAL.
#76 Spencer Boyd: Following Hill across the line, was fellow owner-driver Boyd. The #76 Freedom Racing Enterprises team has had a late season consistency surge, with another top twenty finish coming in Martinsville. While Boyd started his truck in 28th, he started moving through the field, and brought it home in 17th.
In the last three races, Boyd has scored finishes 20th (ROVAL), 15th (Talladega), and 17th in Martinsville. The team has been building subtle consistency late in 2025, which should help build a strong 2026 run.
IAA and Ritchie Bros. 250
Race Winner: Taylor Gray
#54 Taylor Gray: A truck series graduate to Xfinity full-time in 2025, Gray has performed well in his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing. With many near misses this season, Gray finally broke through in Martinsville to score his first career win in NASCAR’s premier touring series’. Gray handedly upset the playoff field, leading the final 52 laps (including multiple restarts), to score the win after starting 13th.
With his first win in the books now (and after several “what if” moments), Gray has finished 6th in Kansas, and 8th in Las Vegas.
#18 Justin Bonsignore: Getting the call to replace William Sawalich (who is recovering from a concussion) in Joe Gibbs Racing’s #18 Toyota, The Whelen Modified standout had an impressive run in Martinsville, collecting his first career Xfinity Series top ten (10th) after starting 14th and even leading his first Xfinity lap.
Having made seven previous starts in JGR’s #19 entry this season, Bonsignore has shown he can run at the elite level, with finishes 16th in Homestead and 12th (Iowa).
Bonsignore in the #18 race day. Photo Credit: Jayski and Joe Gibbs Racing
#1 Carson Kvapil: Perhaps one of the biggest nail biting runs in Martinsville came from Round of 4 contender Kvapil. Following a second place run in Talladega, Kvapil pointed his way into championship contention. While the JR Motorsports’ rookie started in second, led 40 laps, and showed muscle up front throughout the race…a late race incident sent Kvapil’s Chevrolet to the mid-pack. Not to be denied, Kvapil quickly made up spots in the closing laps to finish 18th and lock in his spot for a championship run in Phoenix.
Kvapil’s late season surge into championship contention has not been without hiccups, but it also includes 14 top ten finishes and 7 top five runs. The most recent top runs include the 2nd-place run in Talladega, a 4th in Bristol, and a trio of 15th-place runs that came in Kansas, the ROVAL, and Las Vegas.
Xfinity 500
Race Winner: William Byron
#60 Ryan Preece: Preece’s career resurgence with his new RFK Racing #60 team continued in Martinsville, as the Cup veteran looks to wrap his season in Phoenix. A short track racer by trade, the RFK Ford made its presence felt throughout the event…leaving Martinsville with a strong 6th-place finish (after starting 18th). While Preece did not make the playoffs, he and his #60 crew have put together a solid first year.
The RFK driver leaves Martinsville sitting 14th in the standings, with three top five finishes and 13 top tens. Preece’s last top five came at Iowa, where he finished 5th.
#34 Todd Gilliland: For 2025, Front Row driver Gilliland moved into the team’s flagship #34 Ford replacing Michael McDowell. While the finishes have been a roller coaster, Gilliland and his crew have shown speed late in the season. This rang true in Martinsville, where he placed his Ford 9th after starting 16th.
Through 35 events thus far in 2025, Gilliland has collected one top five and five top tens. The shining star of this season came at Talladega, where the Front Row driver finished 2nd (and collected his second career top five finish).
#7 Justin Haley: With rumors already confirmed that Haley will not return to Spire Motorsports’ #7 Chevrolet next season, the team has something to prove. While Haley showed speed during the race, the usual short track chaos put a slight damper on what could have been. That being said, Haley placed his Chevrolet 19th after surviving multiple late race wrecks, and having a much needed good run.
As this season comes to a slow close, Haley’s return to Spire this season did not quite meet expectations. Still through the inconsistency and bad luck, Haley scored a third place finish in the summer Daytona event, as well as 10th at Homestead early in the season.
Photo Credit: Jayski and Spire Motorsports