Stock car racing’s half-mile paperclip is one of the toughest on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
It’s unique in that it has just 12 degrees of banking and a mix of concrete on the corners and asphalt on the straights.
A flying lap takes 20 seconds, give or take, and requires a unique technique and car setup.
“It’s an odd track,” van Gisbergen said, speaking on the Motor Racing Network.
“I thought it would race like a road course with two hairpins, but it really doesn’t.
“The way the cars are set up just to turn left, a general road course technique of a hairpin makes no sense at all.
“The way you have to drive it is very different to a road course.”
From three Cup Series starts at Martinsville, van Gisbergen has a career-best finish of 12th on debut in 2024 with Kaulig Racing in the #16 Chevrolet Camaro.
He battled handling issues upon his return with Trackhouse Racing at the start of 2025, but lost a wheel mid-race on his #88 car that meant he finished six laps down in 34th.
However, his most recent Martinsville race bore better results – starting 22nd and finishing 14th.
“I feel like it is one of my better tracks, but I’m still learning that technique and how to drive a corner like that with the setups,” van Gisbergen explained.
“It’s a fun little race track. It’s really cool when your car is working for you well and you can move around a bit.”
Martinsville is noteworthy for being quite chaotic at times, something van Gisbergen isn’t keen to get involved with.
“I don’t enjoy it when it gets crazy like the green-white-chequereds and everyone drives like idiots,” van Gisbergen laughed.
“When it’s general racing, I find it’s really fun. You can pass and set people up or bump them if you need to. When it goes crazy it’s a bit overboard. I like the track.”
“I try not to get involved in that stuff,” he added.
“I try not to be too rough or let people rough me up as well. I try not to. It’s just so different to my background. I’m not used to being allowed to do that stuff still. It’s still a pretty big adjustment.
“Some of the stuff you see at Martinsville over the years, you’d be banned for a long time if you did that at home (in Supercars).”
The Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway takes place on Monday, March 30 at 6:30am AEDT with coverage live and exclusively on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.
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