Darlington was supposed to be the proving ground for NASCAR’s new short-track package. Instead, the much-hyped falloff never quite lived up to expectations. Now, as the series heads to Martinsville Speedway, Austin Cindric believes the real test is yet to come, something that could finally deliver the kind of racing fans were promised.

Austin Cindric warns drivers about Martinsville

“If there’s anywhere we’re going to feel that it’s going to be Martinsville.” Cindric is almost sure that the drivers will suffer the wrath of the higher horsepower at Martinsville. And what he says does make a fair bit of sense. After all, this track is much different from the other short tracks that the Cup Series has raced on so far this season.

“Last year at Martinsville, you’re certainly going full throttle as the right rear and right side tires fall off. So, I definitely think it’s going to make an impact, probably more so than maybe anywhere else. I mean, we’re doing two U-turns and coming from a stop in comparison to most of places we go.”

Compared to the other short tracks, Martinsville is only half-a-mile long, but its distinctive feature is the complete U-turn that drivers have to make on each side. It’s almost like coming to a full stop before they go drag racing again until the next corner, and the cycle just keeps on repeating for the next 200 miles. This year, however, with the horsepower peaking at 750hp, it will make a difference.

“From what I did on the Sim today and everything else, I think it’s definitely going to make an impact and definitely going to have to be pretty nice to those tires,” Cindric added.

So far, even at Darlington, there was a significant aero advantage, while this will also matter at Martinsville, it wouldn’t be as pronounced. It would be more like the drivers going full throttle to make the most gains within the 780 ft. run to the next corner, before repeating the cycle again.

Now, understandably, the higher horsepower will increase the competition significantly, along with some other aspects. As Cindric mentioned, conserving tires will be the game-changer in the race, and this is certainly because of the higher power delivery. At the same time, however, Denny Hamlin feels that the basic understanding of the track will remain similar.

Denny Hamlin comments on the upcoming Martinsville race

Being one of the older faces on the grid, Denny Hamlin has spent enough time racing across generations. As he debuts at Martinsville with the new package, Hamlin feels that although the package is changing, which will affect the overall driving style, the base of the track and its competitiveness should remain the same.

“It is different, and how you make speed at Martinsville has changed with shifting, tires, and the car,” Hamlin said. “But the general premise of what you need is the same.”

So far, the new package has sat well with Hamlin… and the rest of the Toyota-driving folks. Chevrolet seems to be in a developmental stage with the changes they introduced to their cars’ bodies (which Hamlin finds confusing). Meanwhile, Ford has also managed to win a race. But Toyota has the grip currently.

Tyler Reddick won four of the first six races, and Hamlin won another at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, bringing glory to the Toyota brand. But the Martinsville Speedway could again become a proving ground for the drivers. There will be a lot of aspects, and the quality of racing will certainly be improved because of the massive surge in the overall power delivery. Amidst this, it will be interesting to see how drivers adapt to it, as Cindric warned.