RIDGEWAY, Va. – Four of the past five Martinsville races have been won by either William Byron or Ryan Blaney. Both entered the weekend winless early in the 2026 season citing the need to make pit box tweaks and make improvements to pre-race setup.
“I think we need to do a better job on balance on Saturdays so that we’re not guessing so much for Sundays,” Byrson said. “Some of that could be obviously the new body but also just tire changes and things of that nature need to do a better job of kind of utilizing our tools and getting closer to unload so that we’re not guessing so much.
“If you’re going to have those problems you want to have them early,” said Ryan Blaney. “You don’t have any problems at all but if you’re going to have them right you want to have them early enough to where hey we can we work on this stuff and get them to where they need to be when it becomes you know chase time and later in the season.”
It’ll be a special weekend for Brad Keselowski as the driver of the sixth car is set to become the 35th in history to make his 600th career start. The only driver to win in such scenario Richard Petty but BK wouldn’t mind having it his way Sunday. He’s turned top 10s the past two weeks but says he and his team are missing just one thing.
“Well Eric we just we want to have that blinding speed like you know the 45 car had last week,” said Keselowski. “You know, that speed where you can have issues and still win you know that’s what we haven’t experienced. We’ve had close moments with it but we haven’t fully experienced it. If we can bring that to the racetrack that that would just make my day and make me feel really special.”
On the pole for the Cook Out 400--the Commonwealth kid Denny Hamlin. It’s his fifth career pole here at the paperclip as he’ll be seeking his seventh win at the track.
“I knew it was very possible but truthfully I approached the lap to get in the top eight,” said Hamlin. “That was that was the goal and executing that lap is that I think I would go faster if I went out and did it again right now.”
Green flag for the Cook Out 400 is set for just after 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.