After a bye week to recover from the spectacle that was the Bristol Dirt Race, the NASCAR Cup Series is back in action with the first Saturday night race of the year. For just the second time in the storied history of Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR will run the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 under the lights. This marks the first of two visits NASCAR will pay “The Paperclip” this season. The second won’t come until the tail end of the playoffs.
This article contains all of the vital information necessary to get you ready for the eighth race of the NASCAR Cup Series season. Read on for the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 starting lineup, start time, fast facts and statistics.
Our NASCAR Cup Series standings and statistics article is a must-read for those looking to play DFS and bet on this weekend’s race!
NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway
71st Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500
Date: Saturday, April 10, 2021
Start Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Track: Martinsville Speedway — Ridgeway, VA
Coverage: FS1
Pole Sitter: Joey Logano
Defending Champion: Martin Truex Jr.
Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 Race Details
Distance: 263 miles
Laps: 500
Lap Length: 0.526 miles
Stages: Three (Laps 1-130; Laps 131-260; Laps 261-500)
Surface: Asphalt (Concrete in the turns)
Turns: 4
Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 Starting Grid
See below for a breakdown of qualifying.
| Starting Position | Driver | Car Number | Team | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 3 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 4 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 5 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 6 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 7 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 8 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 9 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 10 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Ford |
| 11 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 12 | Chris Buescher | 22 | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford |
| 13 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 14 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet |
| 15 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 16 | Matt DiBenedetto | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford |
| 17 | Kurt Busch | 1 | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet |
| 18 | Ross Chastain | 42 | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet |
| 19 | Ryan Newman | 6 | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford |
| 20 | Brad Keselowski | 2 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 21 | Cole Custer | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 22 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 23 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 24 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 25 | Ryan Preece | 37 | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet |
| 26 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 27 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 28 | James Davison | 15 | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet |
| 29 | Anthony Alfredo | 38 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 30 | Erik Jones | 43 | Richard Petty Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 31 | Josh Billicki | 52 | Rick Ware Racing | Ford |
| 32 | Quin Houff | 00 | StarCom Racing | Chevrolet |
| 33 | Cody Ware | 51 | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet |
| 34 | Justin Haley | 77 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 35 | B.J. McLeod | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 36 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 37 | Garrett Smithley | 53 | Rick Ware Racing | Ford |
| 38 | Austin Cindric | 33 | Team Penske | Ford |
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying Overview
Following the virus-caused interruption to racing last season, NASCAR did away with practice and qualifying runs at the majority of races. A combination of grouped draws and a performance-metrics formula were used to determine starting lineups. That same formula remains in place for the majority of races on the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, including this weekend’s Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500.
So, what exactly is involved in the performance-metrics formula? Well, it draws on a number of factors including individual race performances and seaosn-long results. The following breakdown illustrates the weighted grades associated with each component of NASCAR’s metrics formula:
NASCAR Cup Series Metrics Formula Breakdown
- 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
- 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
- 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
- 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race
Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 Stats and NASCAR Betting Facts
- This race is on its 17th different name in the 71-year history of the event. It was first known as the Virginia 500 and was called the STP 500 as recently as 2019. Interestingly enough, this race was also run six times from 1950-55 with no name at all!
- Richard Petty leads all drivers with nine career wins in the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500.
- Denny Hamlin leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers with three previous wins in this race.
- Hendrick Motorsports tops all current race teams with eight wins in this race. Team Penske and Joe Gibbs Racing are just behind with seven apiece.
- Joe Gibbs Racing has won three of the last six editions of the race including last season’s running.
- Chevrolet has been the dominant manufacturer in the Martinsville spring race with 26 wins. However, no Chevy has reached victory lane since 2014.
- Ford manufacturer has won three of the last four editions of the race.
- 2020 race winner Martin Truex Jr. had an average speed of 77.378 mph.
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