It seems that there is a new change in NASCAR every week or so. The latest change comes from Martinsville for this year’s April meet.
Of course, Martinsville is known for being the shortest track in all of NASCAR. It presents challenges that other tracks don’t. WInning there is never easy and wrecks can happen on the tight track. Drivers have respect and admiration for the venue and fans love going there for great races and great hot dogs.
In 2021, the race was officially called the Blue-Emu Pain Relief 500. Martin Truex Jr. was able to snag the win over the course of the 500 lap race. This year, drivers will only have to round the .526 mile-long track 400 times. This will mean that the shortest track in NASCAR will host the shortest race it ever has.
April 9 is the date of the race. Part of the reason for the change has to do with scheduling issues. The start time is set for 7:30 PM and racing fans know just how long a race can last. So, to deal with any potential delays or other problems, they have shortened the length.
While a full 500 lap race at Martinsville takes around 3 and a half hours to just under 4 hours, this should speed things up for sure. This isn’t the first time that Martinsville has shortened the race. Older fans might remember the Old Dominion 400 in 1956. Also, in 1974 the race was shortened to 450 laps. NASCAR did this in response to the fuel shortage.
When NASCAR takes their Xfinity playoff race to Martinsville, the race will be a full 500 laps. So, no changes to that October 30th meet.
NASCAR Facing New Season and Next Gen Cars
2022 is a huge year for NASCAR. The sport has been evolving over the years. Now, with the Next Gen Cup Series cars almost ready to deploy, the future is upon us racing fans. There have been a number of tests on these new vehicles and there have been some decisions made leading up to the season opener.
After testing these new cars NASCAR is no longer going to move forward with the 550 horsepower package. This also includes getting rid of the 750 hp package. So, fans will get to see the 670 hp packages used on all tracks except for the superspeedway.
NASCAR wants to get this right. If they aren’t able to convince fans that these new cars are going to change the sport, then it will just be another season. However, there seems to be some excitement around the vehicles from executives and drivers alike. The season opener at the LA Coliseum is fast approaching. Get ready for the Next Gen, it’s almost here.
