Does Martinsville need a night Cup race? Or a date change?

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Saturday night’s Cup race at Martinsville Speedway did not produce the type of racing most expect at the historic half-mile track. While some issues can be fixed, there’s a bigger question for NASCAR.

Does the sport need a night race at Martinsville?

If the answer is yes, then NASCAR should look at a new date for the event. 

The low dropped to 39 degrees Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service. Add sustained winds of 10 mph and gusts of 20 mph and it made for a chilly night for fans. 

The crisp conditions also are not good for the tires, which don’t lay rubber on the track when it’s that cold. Without rubber on the track, drivers aren’t forced to find different lanes. The result is that field runs in a line.

Add the speeds the cars ran and aero tight — an uncommon phrase at Martinsville — became an issue. That made passing difficult. 

Saturday’s race had five lead changes over 403 laps. That’s the fewest lead changes since both 2019 races — which featured the high downforce package — saw three lead changes in each event at Martinsville. NASCAR changed the short track package after that season.

While NASCAR can possibly make changes to the car this season, changes to tires can be trickier. 

Maybe a date change would be better for Martinsville if the series still wants a night race there. 

The mean minimum temperature for Martinsville in April is 40 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The mean minimum temperature for Martinsville is 50 degrees in May. 

Saturday’s race was the earliest night Cup race — excluding the Clash and qualifying races in Daytona — since 2016. Texas Motor Speedway hosted a night race on April 9 that year. 

Five times since 2015, NASCAR has had a