The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series is headed to Virginia this week for the 2022 Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400. Last year, Martin Truex Jr. took the checkered flag. Can he do it again this year? Or will another driver cross the finish line first? Check out our preview below of the 2022 Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400.
Truex should definitely be part of the conversation about favorites to win in any race at Martinsville Speedway. While he remains winless this season, he has cracked the top 5 once and the top 10 four times in eight starts. He is also on a three-start streak of top 8 finishes. But more than that, Truex has collected three wins, nine top 5s, and 15 top 10s in 32 career starts at Martinsville Speedway, which really is all you need to know why he is such a favorite whenever he’s racing there. And of course, Truex is the defending Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 champ, having topped the field last year. He also finished fourth in his most recent appearance there, which was during the 2021 Xfinity 500.
Elliott is also still searching for this first win of the season, but he has been consistently competitive thus far. He has four top 10s and a top five in eight starts. He has also finished sixth or better in two of his last three starts, including a fourth-place campaign at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. As for this background at Martinsville, he has shown the ability to put together a performance there that always makes him a threat to have a podium finish. In 13 career starts at the said track, Elliott has five top 5s and seven top 10s. That includes his 2020 victory at the Xfinity 500.
Blaney’s got three poles and two top 5s with four top 10s in eight starts. He remains winless but he is soon going to get one with the way he’s been performing so far this season. Coming off a seventh-place finish at the Toyota Owners 400 last week, Blaney will also be looking for his first win at Martinsville Speedway where he’s always performed well. While he has yet to win there, Blaney owns five top 5s and six top 10s in 12 starts at Martinsville Speedway.
The Hendricks Motorsports driver is coming off a fifth-place finish at the 2022 Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway. While he is usually not seen as a sleeper, Larson’s current odds to win the 2022 Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 is shorter than what he usually gets, so if there’s a time to look for value on Larson, now seems to be a good one.
Almirola has started in seven races this season and has come up with three top 10s, including a top 5. He owns a career average finish of 18.5 in six starts at Martinsville Speedway but has cracked the top 10 in two of his last three starts there.
