2026 NFPA 250
| Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 7 of 33 in the 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series | |||
 | |||
| Date | March 28, 2026 | ||
| Location | Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 0.526 miles (0.847 km) | ||
| Distance | 250 laps, 131.5 mi (211.628 km) | ||
| Average speed | 55.015 mph (88.538 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | JR Motorsports | ||
| Grid positions set by competition-based formula | |||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | |
| Laps | 114 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | |
| Time | 20.491 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | The CW | ||
| Announcers | Adam Alexander, Jamie McMurray, and Parker Kligerman | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | MRN | ||
| Booth announcers | Alex Hayden, Mike Bagley, and Ryan Preece | ||
| Turn announcers | Dave Moody (1 & 2) and Tim Catafalmo (3 & 4) | ||
The 2026 NFPA 250 was a NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race held on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. Contested over 250 laps on the 0.526-mile (0.847 km) paperclip-shaped oval, it was the seventh race of the 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series season, and the sixth running of the event.
Justin Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, survived late chaos in the final stage which resulted in numerous cautions, and pulled away on the final restart to earn his 31st career NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series win, his third of the season, and his second consecutive win. Allgaier proceeded to dominate the race as well, winning the first stage and led a race-high 114 laps from the pole position.[9] Corey Day finished second, and Sammy Smith finished third. Sheldon Creed and Lee Pulliam (in his series debut) rounded out the top five, while Austin Hill, Dean Thompson, Ross Chastain, Ryan Sieg, and Brent Crews rounded out the top ten.
Report
[edit]Background
[edit]
Martinsville Speedway is a NASCAR-owned stock car racing track located in Henry County, in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At 0.526 miles (0.847 km) in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in NASCAR, being built in 1947 by H. Clay Earles. It is also the only remaining race track on the NASCAR circuit since its beginning in 1948.
The National Fire Protection Association was announced as the title sponsor on January 8.[10]
Entry list
[edit]- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
Practice
[edit]The first and only practice session was held on Friday, March 27, at 4:20 PM EST, and would last for 50 minutes.[11]
Lee Pulliam, driving for JR Motorsports, set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 20.364 seconds, and a speed of 92.988 miles per hour (149.650 km/h).[12]
Practice results
[edit]| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Lee Pulliam | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.364 | 92.988 |
| 2 | 92 | Josh Williams | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 20.464 | 92.533 |
| 3 | 02 | Ryan Ellis | Young's Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.465 | 92.529 |
| Full practice results | ||||||
Starting lineup
[edit]Qualifying was originally scheduled to be held on Friday, March 27, at 5:35 PM EST, but after six cars took their laps, the rest of the session was cancelled due to inclement weather.[11][13] Justin Allgaier, driving for JR Motorsports, was awarded the pole position as a result of NASCAR's pandemic formula with a score of 1.000.[14]
Two drivers failed to qualify: Dawson Cram and Justin Carroll.
Race
[edit]Race results
[edit]Stage results
[edit]Stage One Laps: 60
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 20 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 9 |
| 3 | 88 | Rajah Caruth | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 4 | 19 | Brent Crews (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 7 |
| 5 | 00 | Sheldon Creed | Haas Factory Team | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 8 | Sammy Smith | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 96 | Anthony Alfredo | Viking Motorsports | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 1 | Carson Kvapil | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 2 | Jesse Love | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 18 | William Sawalich | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 1 |
Stage Two Laps: 60
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | Austin Hill | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 41 | Sam Mayer | Haas Factory Team | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 3 | 54 | Taylor Gray | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 8 |
| 4 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 18 | William Sawalich | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 6 |
| 6 | 96 | Anthony Alfredo | Viking Motorsports | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 88 | Rajah Caruth | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 24 | Harrison Burton | Sam Hunt Racing | Toyota | 3 |
| 9 | 17 | Corey Day | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1 |
Final Stage results
[edit]Stage Three Laps: 130
| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | 114 | Running | 67 |
| 2 | 7 | 17 | Corey Day | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | 37 | Running | 37 |
| 3 | 9 | 8 | Sammy Smith | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 39 |
| 4 | 6 | 00 | Sheldon Creed | Haas Factory Team | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 39 |
| 5 | 12 | 9 | Lee Pulliam | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | 40 | Running | 32 |
| 6 | 26 | 21 | Austin Hill | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 9 | Running | 41 |
| 7 | 22 | 26 | Dean Thompson | Sam Hunt Racing | Toyota | 250 | 0 | Running | 30 |
| 8 | 38 | 91 | Ross Chastain (i) | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 0 |
| 9 | 14 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 35 |
| 10 | 4 | 19 | Brent Crews (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 250 | 0 | Running | 34 |
| 11 | 10 | 99 | Parker Retzlaff | Viking Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 26 |
| 12 | 8 | 2 | Jesse Love | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 27 |
| 13 | 13 | 54 | Taylor Gray | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 250 | 0 | Running | 32 |
| 14 | 17 | 44 | Brennan Poole | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 23 |
| 15 | 15 | 96 | Anthony Alfredo | Viking Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 31 |
| 16 | 27 | 48 | Patrick Staropoli (R) | Big Machine Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 21 |
| 17 | 28 | 31 | Blaine Perkins | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 20 |
| 18 | 3 | 20 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 250 | 1 | Running | 28 |
| 19 | 37 | 30 | Myatt Snider | Barrett–Cope Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 18 |
| 20 | 16 | 18 | William Sawalich | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 250 | 0 | Running | 24 |
| 21 | 34 | 42 | Brad Perez | Young's Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 16 |
| 22 | 36 | 45 | Lavar Scott (R) | Alpha Prime Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 15 |
| 23 | 11 | 41 | Sam Mayer | Haas Factory Team | Chevrolet | 250 | 14 | Running | 23 |
| 24 | 33 | 55 | Joey Gase | Joey Gase Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 13 |
| 25 | 2 | 88 | Rajah Caruth | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | 18 | Running | 24 |
| 26 | 24 | 24 | Harrison Burton | Sam Hunt Racing | Toyota | 248 | 17 | Running | 14 |
| 27 | 25 | 0 | Garrett Smithley | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 242 | 0 | Running | 10 |
| 28 | 5 | 1 | Carson Kvapil | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 234 | 0 | Accident | 12 |
| 29 | 30 | 87 | Austin Green | Peterson Racing | Chevrolet | 233 | 0 | Accident | 8 |
| 30 | 23 | 27 | Jeb Burton | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 233 | 0 | Accident | 7 |
| 31 | 19 | 32 | Andrew Patterson | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 233 | 0 | Accident | 6 |
| 32 | 31 | 92 | Josh Williams | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 233 | 0 | Accident | 5 |
| 33 | 18 | 25 | Nick Sanchez | AM Racing | Ford | 213 | 0 | Accident | 4 |
| 34 | 35 | 28 | Kyle Sieg | RSS Racing | Chevrolet | 207 | 0 | Suspension | 3 |
| 35 | 21 | 07 | Josh Bilicki | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 205 | 0 | Running | 2 |
| 36 | 32 | 02 | Ryan Ellis | Young's Motorsports | Chevrolet | 183 | 0 | Brakes | 1 |
| 37 | 20 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 89 | 0 | Oil Cooler | 1 |
| 38 | 29 | 5 | Luke Baldwin (i) | Hettinger Racing | Ford | 31 | 0 | Accident | 0 |
| Official race results | |||||||||
Race statistics
[edit]- Lead changes: 14 among 8 different drivers
- Cautions/Laps: 14 for 97 laps
- Red flags: 1
- Time of race: 2 hours, 23 minutes and 25 seconds
- Average speed: 55.015 miles per hour (88.538 km/h)
Standings after the race
[edit]
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References
[edit]- ↑ "2026 schedule". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- ↑ "Martinsville Speedway". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. January 3, 2013. Archived from the original on April 25, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- ↑ "NASCAR releases 2026 schedule, adding Chicagoland and shifting All-Star to Dover". NASCAR. August 20, 2025. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- ↑ "Entry list" (PDF). Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. March 27, 2026. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- ↑ "Practice Results" (PDF). Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. March 27, 2026. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- ↑ "Starting Lineup" (PDF). Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. March 27, 2026. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- ↑ "Race Results" (PDF). Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. March 28, 2026. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Points standings" (PDF). Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. March 28, 2026. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Justin Allgaier charges to O'Reilly victory at Martinsville". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Wire Service. March 28, 2026. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
- ↑ "National Fire Protection Association sponsoring spring O'Reilly race at Martinsville". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. January 8, 2026. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- 1 2 "2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Martinsville Speedway Spring Race Page". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- ↑ Srigley, Joseph (March 27, 2026). "NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series NFPA 250 Practice Results (Martinsville)". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- ↑ "2026 NASCAR Qualifying Procedures". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
- ↑ Srigley, Joseph (March 27, 2026). "Qualifying Axed; Allgaier Awarded Top Starting Spot for Martinsville O'Reilly Race". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
