This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200
Location: Martinsville, Va.
Course: Martinsville Speedway
Format: 0.53-mile oval
Laps: 200
Race Preview
Zane Smith picked up his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win of the season two weeks ago at Circuit of the Americas, holding off John Hunter Nemechek, who remains winless in the series this season. After a week off, the teams return to action Thursday night at Martinsville Speedway. Smith won the last race at the track last October where the final four championship contenders were decided. The race will be the 45th time the short track has hosted the Trucks with 31 different winners. In fact, Martinsville has produced eight different winners in the last eight races. Of the five prior Martinsville winners who are still active in the series, four are entered this week.
Key Stats at Martinsville Speedway
- Number of races: 44
- Winners from pole: 9
- Winners from top-5 starters: 27
- Winners from top-10 starters: 37
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 1
- Fastest race: 75.296 mph
Previous 10 Martinsville Winners
2021 - Zane Smith
2020 - Grant Enfinger
2019 fall - Todd Gilliland
2019 spring - Kyle Busch
2018 fall - Johnny Sauter
2018 spring - John Hunter Nemechek
2017 fall - Noah Gragson
2017 spring - Chase Elliott
2016 fall - Johnny Sauter
2016 spring - Kyle Busch
All of the on-track action for the Trucks will take place Thursday this week with the race under the lights Thursday evening. The speedway itself is a flat, short track where drivers must manage their equipment and preserve their brakes to make passes into the circuit's tight turns. Mechanical grip is what everyone will be looking to maximize with launches out of the turns to reach maximum speed before out-braking drivers ahead at the end of the track's long straights. The preferred line will be on the inside, and getting caught out of the groove can cause a driver to lose many positions before working back into line. As with any short track, track position and grip are sometimes a tradeoff. Fresh tires will be faster, but the number of drivers who stay on track to maximize track position could make those new tires not worth it. No Trucks Series driver has started outside of the top 15 and won at Martinsville since Jamie McMurray started 18th and won in 2004.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Kyle Busch - $15,000
John Hunter Nemechek - $12,000
Zane Smith - $11,400
Grant Enfinger - $10,400
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
William Byron - $9,800
Matt DiBenedetto - $9,500
Matt Crafton - $9,200
Stewart Friesen - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Christian Eckes - $8,700
Ty Majeski - $8,400
Parker Kligerman - $8,200
Carson Hocevar - $8,000
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Tyler Ankrum - $7,800
Derek Kraus - $7,300
Tanner Gray - $6,600
Timmy Hill - $6,100
My Picks
John Hunter Nemechek - $12,000
William Byron - $9,800
Christian Eckes - $8,700
Derek Kraus - $7,300
Chase Purdy - $6,800
Tate Fogleman - $5,400
A second-place finish with 135 laps in last week's Xfinity Series race at Richmond could be a strong signal that Nemechek is ready to win his first Trucks race of the season this week. He won at Martinsville in 2018 but has failed to finish three of the last five races there. Cup Series regular William Byron will make a Trucks appearance this week as he continues to hone his skills for success in his primary series. He already has a Cup Series win this year and finished third in the spring Martinsville race in that series last season. Christian Eckes enters this week sixth in the standings with two top-10 finishes. He also has two top-10s at Martinsville from just three series starts. Derek Kraus is also in the playoff positions ahead of this week's race. He also has three Martinsville starts under his belt with a best finish of 10th in 2020. Chase Purdy has been a consistent top-20 finisher this season but doesn't have much Martinsville experience. He dropped out of last year's race with a rear gear issue just 33 laps in, and his only other start at the track was in 2018 when he finished 21st. Finally, Tate Fogleman should be another top-20 contender. He finished 18th at Martinsville last season and has a best finish of 12th this season at Las Vegas.
