TRACK – Martinsville Speedway (0.526-mile oval)
NOAPS RACE – NFPA 250 (250 laps / 131.5 miles)
TUNE IN – CW, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90 at 3:30 p.m. (ET)
- Carson Kvapil will make his fourth career start at Martinsville Speedway this weekend in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
- Kvapil has had strong results at Martinsville in late model competition, earning a grandfather clock in 2024, placing second in 2022, and third in 2023, all while driving for JR Motorsports.
- The Mooresville, N.C. native qualified on the front row in both Martinsville races last season.
- In the fall of 2025 event at Martinsville, the JRM driver led 40 laps.
- Justin Allgaier heads into this weekend as the most recent winner in the NOAPS, having captured the checkered flag one week ago at Darlington.
- By virtue of last weekend’s win, Allgaier now holds a 52-point lead in the championship standings.
- In 11 career NOAPS starts at Martinsville, Allgaier has scored one win, seven top-fives and nine top-10s.
- Allgaier’s lone victory came in dramatic fashion in the fall of 2023, as the veteran driver earned the victory in a photo finish.
- Sammy Smith will make his eighth career NOAPS start at Martinsville this Saturday afternoon.
- In seven NOAPS starts at Martinsville, Smith has earned four top-five and six top-10 finishes, with an average finish of 6.3. He has finished in the runner-up position three times and has led 202 laps, the most out of any track he has competed on in the NOAPS.
- Smith has one NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start on the 0.526-mile track where he brought home an eighth-place finish in the Spring of 2024.
- Pilot will share the TV panel this weekend with Mabe Trucking Co., an award-winning carrier company based out of Eden, NC for more than 30 years.
- Legendary Late Model star Lee Pulliam will make his first NOAPS start on Saturday at Martinsville with JRM.
- The 37-year-old driver has had success on the .526-mile oval, winning the annual ValleyStar Credit Union 300 for Late Models as a driver in both 2011 and 2014.
- In addition, Pulliam is a four-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division 1 National Champion (2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017).
- Pulliam has had an influence on several drivers who have raced for JRM in the national ranks, having fielded cars for Sammy Smith, Alex Bowman, Ross Chastain, Miguel Paludo and Ryan Truex.
- Sponsorship for the one-race effort comes from Folsom Fence Supply, Best Repair, Carolina Drilling and Jerky Boys.
- Rajah Caruth returns to the No. 88 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet this weekend at Martinsville, continuing his 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Series campaign with JRM.
- Through six starts in 2026, Caruth has scored a best finish of eighth, coming at both Atlanta Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway.
- Caruth has made two career NASCAR O’Reilly Series starts at Martinsville, earning a best finish of 12th in both appearances.
- In the NCTS at Martinsville, Caruth has made five starts, recording two top-10 finishes.
Carson Kvapil: “Martinsville has always been a strong track for me, and I’ve enjoyed a lot of success there over the years. This No. 1 team has a lot of momentum right now and I’m hoping we can continue to build off that and bring home a great finish for Registix this weekend.”
Justin Allgaier: “Anything can happen at Martinsville. It is a physical, no-holds-barred kind of short track. We have had a lot of speed there over the years and I know this BRANDT Professional Agriculture team is capable of that again on Saturday. Andrew (Overstreet, crew chief) and all the guys on this group have been firing on all cylinders all season long and we are ready to keep this momentum going this weekend.”
Sammy Smith: “I’m looking forward to Martinsville this weekend, I enjoy racing there and the short-track suits my driving style. We’ve come so close several times to getting a grandfather clock and I really believe this No. 8 Pilot team is capable of getting it done. We’ve had consistent finishes this year with Cory (Shea, crew chief) making good calls, the pit crew being on it and this whole No. 8 team working together, so I know our time is coming.”
Lee Pulliam: “To drive that car out on the track, I mean, I get goosebumps right now just thinking about it. I don’t take it for granted. It is absolutely an honor to do it. I always dreamed of doing this, it’s what you work for when you race. I’m going to have fun, going to soak it all in and just enjoy it. I’m going to savor every second of it. And I feel like if I do my job and I go out there and compete for the win and go to Victory Lane, I’d be hard-pressed to believe that it won’t open the door to maybe do some more of this. No matter the result, I’ll put in 100-percent effort and that’s the part that’s important to me. When I look back on it, 20 years from now, I know that. I didn’t leave anything on the table.”
Rajah Caruth: “Martinsville is a track that really challenges you to stay disciplined all day, and I’m looking forward to getting back in the car and working with Mardy (Lindley, crew chief) and the No. 88 team again these next couple weeks. We’ve been building something solid, and I feel like we’re continuing to make progress each time out. Everyone at HendrickCars.com and JR Motorsports has been putting in a lot of effort, so hopefully we can put together a clean race and keep that momentum going.”
JRM Team Updates
- JR Motorsports at Martinsville Speedway: JR Motorsports has competed at Martinsville Speedway a combined 47 times in the NOAPS. In those starts at the 0.526-mile oval, the organization has recorded three wins, 22 top-fives and 30 top-10s. The average finish is 11.5.
- Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith, Lee Pulliam and Rajah Caruth will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / HMS WB + AB souvenir rig on Saturday, March 28 from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ET.