Martinsville is a short track. Actually, it’s the shortest track. One lap is just .526 miles. Drivers either love short tracks or hate them. Since most got their start racing on short tracks, this is a popular place to visit.

 

Most crews will bring their Bristol ride here. The difference is Martinsville runs moderately different than Brisol. The Paper Clip (it really is shaped like a paper clip) differes from Bristol (and Dover for that matter) in two ways.  

Drivers will contend with  two reasonably long straightaways with zero banking, then hit two tight corners. Since it’s a 500-lap race, you don’t have to be a math major to realize how often the breaking package will be tested Sunday. Martinsville also has asphalt on the straightaways and concrete along the turns. Even though this is  the shortest track on the circuit, there are plenty of opportunities for a driver to feel uncomfortable.

 

As a result qualifying here is huge. You could argue qualifiying is as important here as any track on the Sprint Cup. The pits are tight, so getting a good stall is a legit bonus. Plus, there’s a 1/4 lap difference between first and last on a double file restart. It’s easy to get caught in traffic or lapped, even if you have a good car.

 

Business will be interesting on Sunday. Now some other random facts to impress the friends and annoy the ladies Sunday: