NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Highlights | 2026 Martinsville Speedway

On board here, Taylor Gray. Ride with him throughout the afternoon. Pole sitter Justin Allgaier takes the outside lane. Teammates working to get there, I believe. Maybe he'll slide down in front of Raja Karuth. We'll see. We're green at Martinsville. This is not good for tire wearers either. When you're in the outside, you have to work so hard, so much harder hustling the car that you'll pay. Oh, we see contact right there. You'll pay the penalty later in the run. Squeeze them down the bottom. There's a little contact again, because you're trying to pinch off the corner for them. They can't get the throttle down, and hopefully that gives you the momentum to be able to get ahead of them. That didn't happen, but you can have a huge risk when you squeeze them like that, where that contact could cut down that left rear tire. Ran pretty well here last year. Brandon Jones gets to the inside of Creed. Oh, there's a little contact. He's on the curb. Two drivers really good at Martinsville, Creed and Jones. That's for fourth in. Three wide into the corner. No, that won't work. Dave thinks better of it. Slides into line. Smart choice. You don't want to do that, especially this early. It always looks like an opportunity to go three wide, but it gets really condensed because that curb down there into one. But Jesse Love, you know, we talked about RCR. They've been working on this. Cars driving great, driving out to a large lead. A little different than what we're seeing here for the two car of Jesse Love. He's constantly been in a battle these first 26 laps and look as he gets the inside here. Jesse Love. There's one thing I was noticing he was doing to talk about his skills in the late models and has won here at Martinsville twice in the big late model 300 lapper race. But what he was doing behind Jesse Love was super interesting. He was actually entering the corner just a tick higher than Jesse and almost diving the corner away. I don't feel like I've seen very often where a lot of times the rally drivers are more defensive around this race track. The only difference I'd say is what Alfredo is doing is what I normally see. It was a little tighter the way Lee was doing it. He was able to do it while being able to be defensive for a car behind it. When you have no one behind you like Alfredo had, you can get real aggressive so we got a caution on track halfway through the opening stage and the wheel and caution lights are on one of those drivers making his first ever start. Luke Baldwin doing double duty today. He'll run the modified race here later tonight. Marbles there. Oh, man. Oh, man. It's like it locked the rear. Wow. Yeah, it's almost looks like something broke whether in the breaking and he had to panic to get on the brakes there. Here they are in the poet restart zone. All gyro and Jones. Both drivers have won right here at Martinsville. Big jump from the seven. And you see Roger Caruth fill that void on the bottom. Brandon Jones will have his hands full. Got a pretty good exit, though. Can you get down in front? He can. Little squeeze their little stack up right here. Taylor almost got there to the wall before that, and then they connected. That can easily happen because when you're behind a car like he is with Dean Thompson there, you have very little sight as to where the wall is, and you basically can sort of lose where you are. And if you look on the life picture in the bottom right, a little bit of tire smoke, possibly for the 54. That is not good enough to see if there's maybe a larger issue for Taylor. Great. Well, that'd be devastating for a team that has one top ten finish this year and coming to a track where you feel like they can really take advantage. I love this battle going on right here for 16 17 Cory Day 41 Sam Mayer. As we said, they've made pit stops. They're racing for a position at the front of the field when everything cycles through in another five laps, and they're getting after it. They need to take care of their car at Martinsville, and it's hard to have that patient. You see him kind of just following Cory Day through here. It's so easy. It's so tempting to want to make it three wide when some of these slower cars guys that have stayed out on tires. Caution is out again. Wheeling caution lights are on this time for the zero of Garrett Smithley, and it comes out with four laps to go in the stage. Got to believe this is how we will end our opening stage. Smithley was back in the 25th position top of your screen there, and you can see some serious funding damage for Jeff Burton. It's gonna put him over 100 stage points in 2000 and 26. Just remarkable. Rajah Carruth lacking laterally said I need to keep the rears on it, and he did tell Marty Lindley Don't tighten me up because I'm worried about my turn. Air pressure doesn't give it more grip. Dylan will issue on Pit road earlier. Oh, hose stuck. Yeah, hose got stuck up in the fender and gonna be inside of 50 laps to go in the stage because we took the time to cycle it through. So this could be the shortest run of the day. The control car inside through the poet restart zone. Cory Day with Sam Mayor to his right. And if I'm Cory Day right here, I want Jeff Burton to follow me through because I think Mayor might have a little bit of a better car. Oh, he's not going to the Sam's gonna get clear and get down down in behind him. Three wide. Look at Lee Pulliam looking outside that number nine high. It's real. Real sideways. Got maybe a little bit of help there. Taylor Gray off of four. He's gonna try and slot back in here. Some of those drivers that pitted at lap 39 37 at the speeding penalty. But everything cycled through, and they're back in the game. Now. Austin Hill, Parker Rensselaer in that group. Ryan see it's all worked out for him after the cycle. It almost looked like he's starting to drive away from those guys. That was gonna be a result of that situation right there. Sammy Smith gave him a warning in one and two and then said, I'm coming through in three and four. We got a right front vendor. Rob, is that what's going on? Yeah, something like like left front, maybe left front. Looks clear. Power power. Yeah, there's no there's a little damage on that car, but smoke is just coming out from underneath it. And Jeremy, obviously telling him what he's inside of the car. You gotta think that's gonna draw caution. That's basically punctured the radiator. Probably got a hole in an oil cooler here. I'm telling him to shut it off right now. That means that they can obviously see the issue. And day was exceptional. After about five or six laps, he's got to get this single file. Just get his rhythm. Here he is once again in the restart zone. That's a great launch by the 17. As I mentioned last time, he liked to see anyone but that 41 right behind him is the podium is gonna get to the inside. Oh, I don't think he's gonna get clear this time. Look, contact nine is 21 Austin Hill, and there he goes up the track. New leader Sam Mayor drives through about Austin Hill up to third. Didn't have a great starting spot, but they flipped the stage, had the speeding penalty, and here he is riding inside the top lights are on for a fourth time. Got some debris on track. Yep. Oh, I saw that. We've lost a wheel cap. Oh, it came off Brandon Jones's car. You see contact right there. The right rear crushed in. Justin Allgaier in as well said that he was tighter in the center, freer on exit, but thought maybe that was just dirty air. They're sticking to their plan here to flip this second stage to try to get track position for the end of the race. Four tires and fuel for Sam Mayor in control to his right. Austin Hill. Eight laps to go in the stage. You know, it comes down to the end of these stages. Being in that outside is it is it is detrimental. If you could just stay side by side. You see, Austin Hill gets a tremendous run on that top side. We saw the 41 be able to do that earlier in the race. The poet restart zone was good. Austin Hill and outside Lane next time around. He's trying to get the lead away. Hey, an RCR has struggled at this racetrack. Austin Hill said the pre race show. And as we battle for the lead, think about the drivers that are up there. All drivers that won on short tracks last year. Sam Mayor in Iowa. Austin Hill right here. Taylor Bray here in the fall. You know, Ryan Sieg was great on short tracks a season ago. By the way, Justin Allgaier has worked his way to 10. He's going to get stage points here, just like Corey Day, most likely, even though they chose to flip the stage. Mayor in front of Hill coming to three to go in the battle for third is on 39 is Ryan Sieg, 54 Taylor Gray and waiting in the wings. 18 William Swallow give him a little courtesy shove into the corner. It gets his inside right here. I think Mayor does that purpose, though, knowing he can just run this outside. It'll be one lap to go on the stage and a fantastic finish coming. Mayor trying to hang on. Austin Hill is right there. Decision for Mayor is how much do you squeeze Austin here? Do you give him the room and just try to maximize your exit? The push, the shove, the finish to the stage. Hill in control in that inside lane turns three and four runs him wide back to the green and white checkered flag. What a finish. Austin Hill gets his fourth stage win of the season. Mayor Gray, Ryan Sieg, Williams, it's the top five. And by that much, those drivers that were at the front at the end of the stage pit now, Kim Taylor Gray, pitting from the third position, fired off decent, but they're still trying to get that right front turning better. Speaking of which, on the right side of your screen, three Parker Red Slot for a ride. Oh, wheel and caution lights are on for the sixth time today. So here you go. This is where it starts. This is off of four. There's a little bit of contact. Some of this. And then I thought one. Somebody might give up here. Nobody did. And start. Polly was the sandwich. There's a eventually spun out Parker. It's off. He reminded us that that all the Burton's have had success that we remind him of that. Quit telling those stats until I've got a victory here through the poet restart zone. Restart with one hundred and twelve laps to go. Sammy Smith thought about making it three wide on Corey Day. Corey's had a great car. Oh, I got into the fence right there on the exit to Patrick Star. Polly goes around. Twenty eight is Ryan Sieg. Kyle Sieg. Kyle Sieg. Yeah, an average finish. Sixty point five is best of any track. I knew you were gonna work that. I found a way. Here's Kyle Sieg. Twenty eight. See what happened here. It's two separate incidents right there. Well, it's the checkup. So, yeah, they start. Polly starts to go around. That checks up the field. The accordion, in fact, got him as we come through the poet restart zone. Seventeen really struggled right there. Oh, that's a big shot. All I give him. We lost his momentum. It's kind of brought Corey back into this on the outside. Harris is not on that much older tires based on the amount of cautions we've run. They've done a tremendous job, had the best strategy right here, put him in a situation he really never was in. But he's done a nice job. And this is what we saw on board. Riding with Gray. It's so aggressive. There goes the fifty four. So aggressive from Austin Hill, making it three wide. Taylor Gray, just kind of an innocent victim right there. Tried to give room. They're just narrow track, narrow groove. Just hasn't been able to time out the momentum again. Gets a really good exit off. Turn to now going to get his inside. Harrison's got to fight hard here, though. You see Corey Day and Jesse Love lined up behind. Don't get stuck on the outside. It's nice. He's able to get down today with all the bumper tag and how the field's been flipped back and forth with the flipping of stages. The pit strategy. Excellent job by Brent here to have such a clean car and to be up in the top five. What about this young driver from North Carolina, Dylan? Well, one of the things that as a rookie you have to learn or kind of just be conscious of in the car is what tools you have inside the car to adjust on and make yourself better. They're just knocking on the door of the top ten now here with seventy four to go. So plenty of time. It's worked in their favor to have be able to get back towards the front. Look out the stage. Look out. Seventy four to go. And the 19 is turning it up. Look to me like the 19 got by him clean earlier and then saw a little bit of contact there. Oh, Corey, really? Ryan Ellis from right here in Virginia. Yeah, a lot of times when drivers say they don't have brakes, you have a little bit, but you just don't have what you need. And if the balance gets shifted really bad, drivers that stayed out, Pulliam and Jones. They're at the poet restart zone. Sixty two to go. Number nine in charge. Here we go. Oh, I'm pulling out a hard time. Get going There was a big stack up behind him because of that. Just an old guy. I got forced the middle. He got to the outside there. Patrick Star Poli. But there's a lot of cars. You had some serious bumper tag with that checkup. Roger Cruz gets the second gets by Brandon Jones on the inside there. He had a really good car. Get where they need to go. And here comes Brandon Jones for third in the running order. Seven looks good. I go to last year. I think about how strong junior motor sports was. Seventeen wins. Six different drivers. They've won four in a row this year, and they're one to three at the front. Back behind him, though. It is an absolute dog fight. Corey Day back in the top five, and here's the caution. Number nine. Right on board with him. Oh, I saw Garrett Smith. Yellow. That lesson can be learned for everyone in short track racing through the poet restart zone one more time at Martinsville. Way better restart by Lee Pulliam. They're way cleaner. Got away. Love push. Oh, there's contact again from Jeff Burton. Ryan seeks a big loser and all that. He got forced the outside. He's slow. Lee Pulliam. Corey Day is going to be able to clear Roger right here down into turn one. All guys going to follow them through. I think just a little better car than Corey Day, but Corey was able to get to his inside. I'm curious to see how Justin treats this when he gets the rear bumper there. The 17. He's pretty fair. He's pretty fair. That was a fairly aggressive move. Taylor Graves had a host of problems. Plus seven. Sammy Smith. I mean, a lot of junior motorsports here. A lot of junior motorsports at the front of the field as we get our 10th yellow of the afternoon. It's for the 25. Nick Sanchez has a right front. I believe that's gone down here on Nick Sanchez, Pulliam and Allgaier. Here we go again through the restart zone. Oh, not a good start there once again for Lee Pulliam. Just got out ahead, but there was it's like spun the tires or had a bit of a checkup. Oh, a little bit of contact off of two. Just to carry good momentum on the outside, but I think the nine still in a good position. As you see, they get pitched there on the exit. Oh, you got him cleared right here. See if the nine does Allgaier back in front last week. Restart Lane takes the outside lane and takes over the top spot. He's there with 23 to go, and I don't think that was all. Corey Day was into the back of the 17 right there, and that's what happens at the end of these races. Everybody gets a little bit impatient. If you don't go, the guy behind you is going to force you to go. We got spinning down the back. That's Ross Chastain. Ross Chastain wheel and caution lights are on for an 11th time today as we get a look here. What happened with Oh, contact right there on the outside wall and just everyone trying to use as much racetrack as possible back in the pack. Gosh, that could have been bad. He thought the aggressions high at the front. Unbelievable. 17 to go. Gonna be a fun run to the finish. Allgaier inside is in control. It's definitely a miss shift. Big damage there for the one of Carson Quaffle. They're scattered, and it is a parking lot on the front straight away at Martinsville. Caution number 12. Yeah, pay attention to that car on the outside. You're gonna see they start to accelerate, and then he shifts to third right there. Just either just doesn't go into gear, and the momentum's coming from behind because everybody's anticipating that, and there's no where you can go. And then once the car start wrecking here, if any oil gets on the racetrack, you see the smoke coming out of those cars of steam. It's just like you're hitting ice. So you're trying to slow down, even though you're not going very quick. There's just nothing you could do. Allgaier Day front row. 12 laps to finish it in Martinsville. Corey didn't get a good restart on the tires. Trying to rally back in that outside lane. Sammy Smith right behind Allgaier in the 87 is away with the lead. 17 had a great run down the backstretch. He just could have got a little better restart. It's a great perspective here to see. Oh, we got a spinner. Question number 13. You have the 18 of William Swalich. This is all you see. Oh, no, maybe an engine. Well, he's got a tire rubbing right there when the caution came out. A love tap by Brennan Pool there. Allgaier Day going at it again on the restart. Five laps to go at Martinsville. Oh, 17 did a better job. And Justin still going to be out front. But watch here. One and two. He was so good to hear last restart. Can he clear Sammy Smith? Not quite. Looks like Sammy's going to still be the inside down at three. One lap to go. Sponsored by Credit One Bank for what's ahead. How aggressive does Sheldon Creed get right here? Does he try to force up Sammy Smith and maybe try to get two for one down in three and four? A dominating day for Justin Allgaier. The wheel and caution lights are on. The race is over. Justin Allgaier hits the trifecta. His third win of the season comes at Martinsville. These two, Jesse Love and he going back and forth. You got to think that there's a little retaliation. We'll see as we get down in here to turn one. No, just looks like Brent Cruz.