The NASCAR Truck Series heads to Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia, on Thursday, April 7, for the 2022 Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400. It will mark the fifth race of the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the first race in Martinsville since the United Rentals 200 in October 2021.
The Blue-Emu 400 will also mark the first spring Truck Series race on this track since 2019. As part of the schedule realignment, the track was given to the Xfinity Series, with the change seeing the two swap with the Richmond Raceway – which would have one Xfinity and one Truck Series race.
But on the NASCAR 2022 schedule, the Truck Series at Martinsville was moved to spring, meaning there will be no Truck Series race at the track for the first time since 2002.
Last races records
The last Truck Series Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 was held in 2019, when Kyle Busch claimed his second victory (2019,2016), joining the club of only five drivers who won here more than once. Other names on the list include Jonny Sauter (2011, 2013), Mike Skinner (1996, 2007), Kevin Harvick (2009, 2010, 2012), and Dennis Setzer (2002, 2003, 2008).
The defending champion here, Kyle Busch, has yet to win a Truck Series race this season, but he has two top-3s from Las Vegas (2nd) and COTA (3rd). Meanwhile, Kevin Harvick will not race in the Truck Series in 2022, which opens up the field for a new driver to claim his maiden Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 title.
Some of the main favorites to do so are the current frontrunners, including Chandler Smith, Ben Rhodes, Steward Friesen, Zane Smith, and John Hunter Nemechek. So let’s take a look at our main NASCAR picks for this week.
Race Information
- Time, day: Thursday, April 7, 8 pm ET
- Location of the race: Ridgeway, Virginia
- Stadium: Martinsville Speedway
Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200 Betting Picks
Pick 1: Chandler Smith
Chandler Smith is the current NASCAR Truck Series leader, with 170 points and three top-5s. He had a rough start to the season, finishing the Daytona race in the 21st, but has since found his stride and won in Las Vegas, and added a 4th-place finish in Atlanta and a fifth-place finish at COTA.
Smith has shown that he can be a threat for the Truck Series crown, and he has had solid results in Martinsville in the past. Admittedly, he raced here only once in his career (in October 2021), but he finished the race in fourth.
He has already shown that he can deliver on the track and is evidently in good form, making Smith one of the main drivers you should add to your sports betting guides ahead of this week’s race.
Pick 2: John Hunter Nemechek
John Hunter Nemechek is the second man we would add to our NASCAR betting shortlist, even though his overall record this season isn’t great. Nemechek had a very rough start to the season, with a 24th, 25th, and 24th-place finish at Daytona, Las Vegas, and Atlanta, respectively.
But his poor finishes were hardly Nemechek’s fault as he was caught in a crash or he had suffered an issue with his car. But once Nemechek was able to finish the race without any issues, he had shown up and delivered, with a runner-up finish at COTA.
Assuming he doesn’t suffer another devastating ending to the race, it’s fair to expect Nemechek to deliver. He had already won in Martinsville in 2018 and has four top-5s. Last year, he ended the race in 39th, but we wouldn’t put too much weight on that.
Pick 3: Zane Smith
Zane Smith travels to Blue Emu 400 fresh off his second NASCAR Truck Series victory of the season. He won the season opener at Daytona, added a 36th-place finish in Las Vegas, a fifth-place finish in Atlanta, and won at COTA.
With that, Smith is the only multiple winner of the Truck Series, and with three top-5s, he has proven himself as a serious threat. Moreover, he has won here last year and has a third-place finish in 2020, so clearly, Smith likes the track.
As one of the most in-form drivers with one of the best figures in Martinsville, Smith is someone who is hard to ignore as we head into the fifth race of the 2022 season. He is a driver that should be on everyone’s betting guides for this week.
Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200 Betting Trends
- Zane Smith is the only multiple-race winner of the 2022 Truck Series season
- Kyle Busch is the only still-active driver to win Blue Emu 400 more than once
- Richard Childress Racing, Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, and ThorSport Racing are the most successful teams of Blue Emu 400, with three wins apiece
- Chevrolet won the most Blue Emu 400 races out of all manufacturers (12), with Toyota coming in second with six wins.
- Ford won three races, but not once since 2015
Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200 Betting Picks And Predictions
Looking at the NASCAR odds for this week’s Blue Emu 400, it’s hard to ignore Zane Smith. Admittedly, he is one of the favorites to go all the way, but there is a perfect reason for that.
He is in exceptional form with two wins (Daytona and COTA) and one top-5 from Atlanta and has an awe-inspiring record in Martinsville. He won the 2021 fall race and claimed a third-place finish in 2020. In other words, he has not placed worse than third across his last two starts here.
Admittedly, Smith is by no means one of the most experienced drivers entering the race. But with the numbers, he has been posting on the track, and this season, you should bet against Smith at your own peril.
Prediction: Zane Smith to win
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