Justin Allgaier Wins at Martinsville for 3rd Victory of Season

Veteran driver overcomes late-race chaos to claim third win of 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series campaign.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 6:55am

A cubist, geometric painting depicting the chaos and intensity of a NASCAR race at Martinsville Speedway, with overlapping planes of color and shape representing the cars, track, and action.Allgaier's third victory of the season extends JR Motorsports' hot start, but the race was marked by a chaotic late-race crash that took out several contenders.Martinsville Today

Justin Allgaier led a race-high 114 laps and survived a chaotic late-race restart to win the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts NFPA 250 at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday. The victory was Allgaier's third of the season and 31st of his career, extending his points lead over reigning champion Jesse Love.

Why it matters

Allgaier's win at the historic short track marks the fifth consecutive victory for the JR Motorsports organization, closing in on a record set by Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008. The race featured several incidents, including a 19-car pileup on a late restart that took out several contenders.

The details

Allgaier started from the pole and led the opening 65 laps, winning Stage 1. He then regained the lead late and held on for the victory, his second in as many weeks. Corey Day finished a career-best second, while Sammy Smith, Sheldon Creed, and Lee Pulliam rounded out the top five. Pulliam, making his NASCAR national series debut, led 40 laps before being caught up in the late crash.

  • Allgaier led the opening 65 laps and won Stage 1.
  • A 19-car pileup on a late-race restart brought out a 26-minute red flag.
  • Allgaier regained the lead late and held on to claim the victory.

The players

Justin Allgaier

The 39-year-old driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet claimed his third win of the 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series season.

Corey Day

The 20-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver finished a career-best second in the No. 17 Chevrolet.

Sammy Smith

The JR Motorsports driver finished third and recorded his seventh top-10 result in eight races at Martinsville.

Sheldon Creed

The Haas Factory Team driver finished fourth in the No. 00 Chevrolet.

Lee Pulliam

The 37-year-old North Carolina native, making his NASCAR national series debut, led 40 laps and finished fifth in the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.

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What they’re saying

“I keep saying it and I keep talking about how great this team is, but we have fired off 2026 better than I could have imagined.”

— Justin Allgaier

“Just first off real quick, I'd like to apologize to everyone we tore up there. I just couldn't get going with the older tires and it was just a little bit of inexperience.”

— Lee Pulliam

“I know you didn't want that to happen, and you'll handle it like a pro, we all make mistakes.”

— Dale Earnhardt Jr., JR Motorsports Co-Owner

What’s next

The NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series moves to Rockingham Speedway for next Saturday's North Carolina Education Lottery 250 Presented by Black's Tire.

The takeaway

Allgaier's dominant performance at the historic Martinsville Speedway extends JR Motorsports' hot start to the 2026 season, as the organization closes in on a record set by Joe Gibbs Racing. The race also featured an impressive debut for late model star Lee Pulliam, who led laps and finished in the top five before being caught up in a late crash.