NASCAR makes historic change to Martinsville race
Night race shortened from 500 laps to 400 laps
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Martinsville Speedway is the NASCAR Cup Series' shortest track, and it will hold its shortest race ever this year.
The Blue-Emu 400 is scheduled to start at 7:30 pm on April 9. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
The spring race on April 9 will now run 400 laps instead of the traditional 500 laps to accommodate its new 7:30 pm start time and potential delays that could push the finish late into the night.
The name of the race has officially been changed to reflect its new distance. (Martinsville Speedway)
The .526-mile track originally shifted the Blue-Emu-sponsored event to the later time in 2020, but the race was moved to a weekday later in the year due to the coronavirus pandemic, while the 2021 running was suspended mid-race due to rain and finished on Sunday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ryan Truex Jr. won the 2021 spring race, which was held over two days due to a rain delay. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
The past five Martinsville 500-lap races took between 3 hours 29 minutes to 3 hours 54 minutes to complete, according to Fox Sports NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass.
The last time the track hosted a Cup Series race scheduled for 400 laps was the Old Dominion 400 1956, while the 1974 spring race was shortened to 450 laps in response to the energy crisis.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Xfinity 500 playoff race scheduled for Martinsville on the afternoon of October 30 will remain a 500-lap event.