Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 Predictions, Picks (Cup Series)

• Martin Truex Jr. came close at Richmond. Perhaps his ship will arrive at Martinsville.
• One of these days, Joey Logano will put a complete race together. Saturday, maybe?
• Do major differences in format at Martinsville mean different results on the track?

Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 Odds

Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook

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The NASCAR Cup Series visits the oldest and shortest speedway on the circuit for the first premier-division night race at Martinsville Speedway, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.

Saturday night’s Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 will be contested over 400 laps (210.4 miles)—shortened from the traditional 500 laps—with stage breaks scheduled after 80 and 180 laps. Martin Truex Jr. is the defending winner of this event.

Martin Truex Jr. Seeks to Extend Short-Track Domination at Martinsville

We thought last weekend at Richmond might be the right time for a Toyota driver to score the car maker’s first victory of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season.

We had the right manufacturer and organization—but the wrong driver. Playing tire strategy to perfection, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin charged to victory, passing then-leader William Byron for the top spot with five laps left.

But our pick, Martin Truex Jr., was close. He was chasing Byron for a potential victory before Hamlin and Kevin Harvick blew by him to take first and second. Truex came home fourth.

On a .526-mile Martinsville track where tire strategy won’t play as big a role as it did at Richmond, we pick Truex to claim the grandfather clock trophy. He’s listed at +550 via DraftKings Sportsbook, and we think he’s a righteous choice at that number.

Not only is Truex the defending race winner, but he also has gone to Victory Lane in three of the last five events at the track.

It’s Time for Ford Driver Joey Logano to Put a Complete Race Together

After the fourth race of the season, at Phoenix, Joey Logano led the NASCAR Cup Series standings, despite remaining winless and posting an eighth-place result in that event.

Since then, Logano has faded to fifth in the standings, losing two positions after finishing 17th, one lap down in last Sunday’s seventh race of the campaign, at Richmond.

Saturday night’s Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 gives Logano a chance to pick up his first victory of the season. He enters the race on a streak of five straight top-10 finishes at Martinsville.

He has finished in the top 10 in seven of his last eight starts there, including his lone win at the track in the 2018 Playoff race.

So if you’re looking for a winning bet with higher odds, Logano at +1000 via DraftKings just might be the ticket. We also like him as a top-five candidate at +120.

Major Changes at Martinsville May Broaden the Pool of Possible Winners

Typically, racing at Martinsville Speedway is an acquired taste. There are those who embrace it and those who never find the necessary speed at the tight, technical short track.

This season, however, brings a new set of variables to the equation. NASCAR’s new Next Gen race car, with its much larger brake package, will allow drivers to charge the corners to a much greater degree than ever before.

The race has been shortened from 500 to 400 laps, and for the first time, it will take place under the lights. Traditional Martinsville mavens, like last Sunday’s Richmond winner Denny Hamlin (+900 at Martinsville via DraftKings), should still be contenders, but the new variables could also open the door for a driver like Christopher Bell (+1400 to win).

We also like William Byron, who has three top fives in his last five Martinsville starts to run top-three (+300) and top five (+150).

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