NFPA 250
Location: Martinsville, Virginia
Track: Martinsville Speedway
Format: Oval
Length: 0.5 miles
Laps: 250
NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Race Preview
Justin Allgaier took down a loaded field at Darlington last weekend to become the first multi-race winner in the O'Reilly Series this season. With two wins in the first six races, he has a comfortable lead atop the standings for the time being. Carson Kvapil also continued his impressive recent run by qualifying third in finishing fifth, and he now sits in third in the season-long standings.
After a trio of intermediate tracks, the series will now head to the first shot track of the season at Martinsville Speedway.
Key Stats at Martinsville
Number of Races: 45
Winners from Pole: 6
Winners from top-five starters: 21
Winners from top-10 starters: 33
Previous 10 Martinsville Winners
Fall 2025 – Taylor Gray
Spring 2025 – Austin Hill
Fall 2024 – Aric Almirola
Spring 2024 – Aric Almirola
Fall 2023- Justin Allgaier
Spring 2023- John Hunter Nemechek
Fall 2022- Ty Gibbs
Spring 2022- Brandon Jones
Fall 2021- Noah Gragson
2020 – Harrison Burton
Martinsville is the first short track race of the season and is the shortest track on the calendar at just .526 miles. The unique shape of the track – resembling a paper clip – and the tight quarters mean that this is functionally a single-lane race for most of the day. As a result, many of the passes will requiring pushing opponents out of the way. This exact scenario played out in the spring race last season, when Sam Mayer spun Taylor Gray out from the lead on the final lap of the race, causing a massive wreck that affected the top three positions and allowed Austin Hill to take the checkered flag. After a public reprimand from NASCAR officials, the fall race was much cleaner. It remains to be seen whether that lesson will carry over into 2026.
Also notable is the relative lack of importance in qualifying. Only 13 percent of the race winners started on pole, and fewer than half began in the top five of the field. Of the last 10 winners, seven began in the top 10, four began the top five, and none began on pole.
NASCAR O'Reilly Series DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the NFPA 250
(based on standard $50k salary cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Justin Allgaier - $12,500
Ross Chastain - $10,500
Sammy Smith - $9,800
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Taylor Gray - $9,400
Carson Kvapil - $9,100
Sheldon Creed - $8,900
Corey Day -$8,500
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Ryan Sieg -$7,800
Parker Retzlaff- $7,600
Jeb Burton- $7,000
DraftKings Tier 4 Values
Dean Thompson - $6,900
Anthony Alfredo- $6,600
Josh Williams - $5,400
Optimal DraftKings Lineup for the NFPA 250
Ross Chastain - $10,500
Sammy Smith - $9,800
Sheldon Creed - $8,900
Jeb Burton - $7,000
Dean Thompson - $6,900
Anthony Alfredo - $6,600
The past few races have best been attacked by building through one elite driver and then relying primarily on the midfield, but this week offers a different outlook. There are strong options at both the top and bottom of the driver pool, with fewer options in the middle of the price pool. That leads to more of a stars and scrubs build, as seen in the sample roster above.
There is some roster flexibility because Smith and Creed should arguably be the top priority to roster but aren't priced at a premium salary. In his last six races at Martinsville, Smith has finished third or better four times and has not finished worse than 10th. Even as one of the more expensive drivers, he's a strong value. Creed very similarly has three top-five finishes in his last six races at Martinsville, while finishing inside the top 10 five times. Creed is the model of consistency, and this weekend should be no different. Gray isn't included in the optimal lineup, but he is also a very strong play. He was in contention for his first win in the Series at Martinsville in the spring of 2025 before being spun out by Smith, and he then took the checkered flag in the fall.
As the build suggests, the middle tier of pricing isn't all that compelling to roster this week. Ryan Sieg is a potential exception. He regularly qualifies toward or inside the top 10 and finishes inside the top 15. The main reason he isn't all that compelling is due to the quality of even cheaper drivers.
Jeb Burton has an average finish of 13.5 in his last six races at Martinsville, which includes three top 10s. He's had a bad start to the season, but Saturday sets up for him to start turning things around. Alfredo and Williams are more in the punt price range but have earned consistently strong results at the track. Alfredo has a pair of top 10s in his last five races and has finished inside the top 20 four times in that span. Williams' track record isn't quite as impressive, but he does have five top-20 results in his last six races.
Best Bets for the NFPA 250
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 2:00 PM ET Friday
Outright Winner - Taylor Gray (+450), Sammy Smith (+900). Sheldon Creed (+1300)
Top-Three Finish - Sheldon Creed (+225)
Top-Five Finish – Sheldon Creed (+120)
Head-to-Head Matchups:
Ross Chastain (-105) vs. Austin Hill (-125)
Sam Mayer (-115) vs. Jesse Love (-115)
Brandon Jones (-120) vs. Carson Kvapil (-110)
Odds for race winner and driver props typically mirror DK prices closely, but that is less true this week. That creates potential value on both platforms, just with different drivers. Gray has a decent chance to win the race, but he has a more favorable price in DFS contests relative to the rest of the field. Smith offers better value on the sportsbook relative to Gray.
Creed is an interesting bet as a race winner. He often hasn't converted opportunities into race wins, but he took home his first win and is very often in contention. Landing in the top three or five is very realistic, even if he doesn't win.
As always, the head-to-head matchups are safer options. Short tracks typically haven't been Hills's strength, and his race win in the spring of last year was primarily the product of being in the right place at the right time. That makes Chastain a nice value in their matchup.
The case is similar for Mayer vs. Love. Love has a mixed track record at Martinsville, while Mayer has finished inside the top seven in three of his last four races. Kvapil has been good both at the track and on a strong run this season, making him a driver I'd be willing to rely on in most matchups.
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