Stubbs Controlled aggression key as Martinsville puts best to test

The NASCAR Cup Series will see the pack tightly bunched and organized Sunday when the seventh race of the 2025 season takes to the track at the famed Paperclip that is Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Martinsville has been on the NASCAR schedule since the first season of competition in 1948. The half-mile oval, known for its long straightaways and tight corners, is famous for pushing man and machine to their absolute limit over the course of an afternoon.

A few drivers have made Martinsville their playground over the years. Richard Petty is atop Martinsvilles all-time wins list with 15 victories, while those below him also are known as true Martinsville masters.

Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson each won nine grandfather clocks, given to the drivers that can keep time the best on the Cup Series shortest track. Darrell Waltrip and Rusty Wallace won at Martinsville 11 and seven times, respectively. Denny Hamlin is the active wins leader at Martinsville with five victories.

Martinsville lends itself to those who toe the line between aggression and foolishness. Its a track where drivers have to keep both themselves and their car cool, as tempers and brake issues have been the focal point on a number of occasions.

The tight confines favor only the best drivers in the sport -- you wont find fluke winners at Martinsville under normal circumstances. Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell -- four of the best drivers currently competing in the Cup Series -- are the four most recent Martinsville winners.

Simply put, Martinsville is a track that favors the best.

Ahead of the Cook Out 400, here are the drivers to watch during Sundays race:

Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Ford, Team Penske

Its not a stretch to call Martinsville Blaneys best track. In 18 starts, Blaney