Cook Out 400 (Martinsville) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cook Out 400

NASCAR Cup Series
Venue	Martinsville Speedway
Location	Ridgeway, Virginia, United States
Corporate sponsor	Cook Out
First race	1950
Distance	210.4 mi (338.606 km)
Laps	400 Stage 1: 80 Stage 2: 100 Final stage: 220
Previous names	Unnamed (1950–1955) Virginia 500 (1956–1981, 2001–2003) Virginia 500 Sweepstakes (second 1961 race) Virginia National Bank 500 (1982–1983) Sovran Bank 500 (1984–1987) Pannill Sweatshirts 500 (1988–1989) Hanes Activewear 500 (1990) Hanes 500 (1991–1995) Goody's Headache Powder 500 (1996–1998) Goody's Body Pain 500 (1999–2000) Advance Auto Parts 500 (2004–2005) DirecTV 500 (2006) Goody's Cool Orange 500 (2007–2008) Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 (2009–2010) Goody's Fast Relief 500 (2011–2012) STP Gas Booster 500 (2013) STP 500 (2014–2019) Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 (2020-2021) Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 (2022) NOCO 400 (2023)
Most wins (driver)	Richard Petty (9)
Most wins (team)	Petty Enterprises (12)
Most wins (manufacturer)	Chevrolet (29)
Circuit information
Surface	Asphalt (straightaways and top of turns) Concrete (turns)
Length	0.526 mi (0.847 km)
Turns	4

The Cook Out 400 is a yearly NASCAR Cup Series stock car race. It takes place at the Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. This track is about half a mile long (0.526 miles).

This race is one of two Cup Series events held at Martinsville each year. The other big race is the Xfinity 500, which is part of the NASCAR playoffs.

For many years, the Cook Out 400 was 500 laps long. But starting in 2022, it was shortened to 400 laps.

Winners of NASCAR races at Martinsville get a special prize. Instead of a regular trophy, they receive a grandfather clock. This cool tradition has been going on since 1964!

History of the Race

The 2019 race in action.

The race logo from 2022.

The race logo from 2023.

The race started way back in 1950 and didn't have a specific name until 1956. Then, it became known as the Virginia 500.

Over the years, different companies have sponsored the race. For example, Goody's Powder was a sponsor in the late 1990s. They returned in 2007 with a new orange-flavored product. The race was then called the Goody's Cool Orange 500.

From 2013 to 2019, a famous motor oil company called STP became the main sponsor. The race was known as the STP 500 during these years.

In 2020, Blue-Emu took over as the sponsor. They signed a deal for several years.

A big change happened in 2022 when the race was shortened from 500 laps to 400 laps.

In 2023, The NOCO Company, which makes car parts, became the new sponsor. The race was called the NOCO 400.

Then, in 2024, the race got its current name, the Cook Out 400, thanks to its new sponsor, Cook Out.

Exciting Moments in Race History

• 1953: Herb Thomas was first thought to be the winner. But after checking again, it turned out he had an extra lap counted.
• 1971: Richard Petty won, but there was some debate. He lost his gas cap during the race. Drivers were usually told to fix this, but he wasn't.
• 1973: David Pearson won his first short track race since 1971. He drove for the Wood Brothers Racing team.
• 1976: Darrell Waltrip earned his first win for the DiGard Motorsports team.
• 1979: Richard Petty got his first win in a Chevrolet car. It was also his first short track win since 1975.
• 1981: Morgan Shepherd surprised everyone by winning his first ever Winston Cup race. It was also the first win for a Pontiac car in 17 years!
• 1982: After many second-place finishes, Harry Gant finally got his first win.
• 1984: Geoff Bodine won a very close race against Ron Bouchard. This was Bodine's first win and also the first for Hendrick Motorsports.
• 1986: Ricky Rudd won a race where many cars crashed or had engine problems. Every other car finished at least one lap behind him.
• 1989: Darrell Waltrip won the last race for Chevrolet's Monte Carlo car. A new car, the Lumina, replaced it.
• 1990: Geoff Bodine got his first win while driving for Junior Johnson.
• 1991: Dale Earnhardt celebrated his 50th Cup Series win. This happened just one day before his 40th birthday.
• 1993-1996: Rusty Wallace won the Martinsville Spring Race four years in a row! He is the only driver to do this in the spring race.
• 1997: Jeff Gordon narrowly beat Bobby Hamilton to win. This ended Rusty Wallace's four-race winning streak at this event.
• 1998: Bobby Hamilton won in a Chevrolet. He had an exciting battle with John Andretti during the race.
• 1999: John Andretti fell a lap behind but fought his way back to win. He raced side-by-side with Jeff Burton in the final laps. This was a big win for Petty Enterprises.
• 2002: Bobby Labonte earned his first win on a short track.
• 2004: Rusty Wallace got his final Nextel Cup win here.
• 2007: This was only the second race for NASCAR's new "Car of Tomorrow". Teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson had an amazing battle for the win. Johnson won even after Gordon hit his car multiple times trying to pass.
• 2010: Denny Hamlin made an incredible move on a late restart. He drove through traffic to "steal" the win.
• 2012: Ryan Newman won after a big crash happened before the finish. He held off A. J. Allmendinger on the second try.
• 2014: Kurt Busch won his first race with Stewart-Haas Racing. He passed Jimmie Johnson with only eleven laps left. The lead changed 33 times, which was a new track record!
• 2018: The race had to be moved from Sunday to Monday because of snow. Clint Bowyer won, ending a long 190-race streak without a win.
• 2019: Brad Keselowski led most of the race, leading 446 laps, and won.
• 2020: This race was supposed to be the first-ever night race for the Cup Series at this track.

Past Winners

• 1957: The race was shortened because of a crash.
• 1961 (first): This race was stopped early due to heavy rain.
• 1961 (second): This race was held as a replacement for the first 1961 race.
• 1970, 1977, and 1995: These races were shortened because of rain.
• 1974: The race was shortened due to the energy crisis happening at the time.
• 1998 and 2010: These races were moved from Sunday to Monday because of rain.
• 2010, 2012, 2022 and 2024: These races went longer than planned due to a special "NASCAR Overtime finish" rule. The 2012 race needed two tries to finish.
• 2018: The race was moved from Sunday to Monday because of snow.
• 2020: The race was moved from May 9 to June 10 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 2021: The race started on Saturday night but had to finish on Sunday afternoon because of rain.
• 2022: The total race length was changed to 400 laps.

Drivers with Multiple Wins

Teams with Multiple Wins

Manufacturer Wins