Though the race fell flat for much of the evening, the Toyota Owners 400 saw some drama at the end. A late caution resulted in Martin Truex Jr. losing a certain victory while Denny Hamlin notched his second win of 2024. Tempers flared and some of that likely carries over to another short track in Martinsville, where the close quarters will lead to beating and banging once more in the 2024 Cook Out 400.
Can Denny Hamlin take home a second straight victory and cement his short track domination so far or will a new face rise up?
2024 Cook Out 400 Entry List
The most significant changes for the entry list this week are Xfinity regular Josh Williams hopping behind the wheel of the #16 car for Kaulig Racing and the #66 car making another appearance after competing at CotA. The driver of the #66 car for Power Source is listed as TBA. However, it appears David Starr mans the wheel come Sunday.
As mentioned above, the tight quarters of Martinsville often lead to beating and banging. Though the same length as Bristol at a half mile, the paperclip configuration of Martinsville means a vastly different style. Low banking and a small turn radius means slow corners. Both entry into the corner and outbreaking opponents as well as exiting the corner and getting a great launch keep teams and drivers up at night.
No one has ever driven a Cup car around Martinsville faster than Ross Chastain on the last lap. Here is Ross' last lap (18.845) compared to Jamie McMurray's track record (18.954) set in 2014. pic.twitter.com/Ekspl0cZsp
— nascarman (@nascarman_rr) October 31, 2022
Passing difficulty likely plays a massive role once again with the NextGen car on a short track. The good news is I expect the racing to still be a step above either Phoenix or Richmond – just don’t expect tire fall off like we had at Bristol.
2024 Cook Out 400 Race Odds and Predictions
Unsurprisingly given their success on short tracks this year, Denny Hamlin (+500) and Martin Truex Jr. (+600) rank as the favorites to win on Sunday. Fellow JGR teammates Christopher Bell (+800) and Ty Gibbs (+1100) possess a solid chance at victory in their own right.
The Hendrick Motorsports camp likely contends for the win on Sunday as well with Kyle Larson (+700), William Byron (+1100), and Chase Elliott (+1100) all holding decent chances.
.@JimmieJohnson.
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) April 4, 2024
A legend of @MartinsvilleSwy. pic.twitter.com/LgkxEXhC9U
However, I’m reaching outside of the JGR and Hendrick Motorsports camps for my Sunday winner prediction. Joey Logano had a strong run at Richmond last week in the Toyota Owners 400. The driver of the #22 sorely needed a good finish and delivered. Though Richmond and Martinsville are vastly different tracks, I’d expect Logano to run well once again and am taking him as race winner at +900.
Check out teh schedule below so you don’t miss any on track action from Martinsville Speedway!
Friday 04/05
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying – 2:40 p.m. CT on FS1
NASCAR Xfinity Series Qualifying – 4:40 p.m. CT on FS1
Long John Silver’s 200 (NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) – 6:30 p.m. CT on FS1
Saturday 04/06
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – 4:20 p.m. CT on FS2
DUDE Wipes 250 (NASCAR Xfinity Series) – 6:30 p.m. CT on FS1
Sunday 04/07
Cook Out 400 (NASCAR Cup Series) – 2:00 p.m. CT on FS1
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