2024 Cook Out 400 BellyUp Racing Picks

What an Easter weekend last week at Richmond. But we’re headed to the paper clip at Martinsville Speedway this weekend for the Cook Out 400! This is the shortest track on the schedule at just over a half mile long. It’s resulted in some fun racing in the past, and we’re hoping we get just as much action this week as in years past.

Last week, I had the winner locked for about 200 laps. Martin Truex Jr made me look like a genius. Kyle Busch was disappointed with a bad car and a bad caution in stage two. Unfortunately for me, Truex lost the lead on a green-white-checker finishing P4. Meanwhile, Joey Logano who I faded, goes and proves me wrong and gets the runner-up. So it was a bittersweet week for me. Chris’s picks resulted in a P4 out of Kyle Larson’s sheer will to finish after contact with Bubba Wallace. Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney was disappointing for his standards and fell to P19. But it’s a new week, and the Cook Out 400 needs their picks. Let’s dive right in for who we expect to succeed, and who might struggle, at Martinsville Speedway!

Chris’s Picks: #1 Ross Chastain (+2500) and #9 Chase Elliott (+1800)

Alright, well those odds are a little lower than what I’m used to having but let’s roll with it. Chase Elliott broke a long streak of NOT finishing inside the top five last week at Richmond of all places. So, some momentum is already in his favor in my humble opinion. The thing is though the stats are pretty solid at Martinsville for Chase also. In his last six races at Martinsville, he’s got an average of a tenth-place finish. Not to mention he’s led over six hundred total laps as well. It helps too that Hendrick Motorsports as a whole has the most wins amongst any of the teams at Martinsville too with twenty-eight total. I like Chase’s chances as a “middle of the pack” kind of odds.

Now as for “The Watermelon Man” himself Ross Chastain. Ross has been quietly consistent in his time with Trackhouse at Martinsville. Yes, last year he didn’t crack the top ten in either of the races finish-wise. He’s also well struggled at Bristol and recently at Richmond to get into the top ten for the finish as well. So I know it doesn’t look like a super good pick when looking at stats. However, this is also the type of track that if Ross and his team can bring a front-row qualifying effort he could easily shock some and/or win you some money if you like the long shots.

Kaleb’s Picks: #11 Denny Hamlin (+450) and #14 Chase Briscoe (+2200)

Forgive me for taking the odds on favorite for once in this series. Denny Hamlin should have many more wins at the paperclip than he does. Sure, he leads the field in the total amount of wins among Cup Series drivers today. But his last win at Martinsville was in 2015. In four of the last six races though, he’s in the top five. There’s a reason he’s up this high and hopefully, the #11 team can get this monkey off their back, hit victory lane this time, and become the first driver this year to win back-to-back races. For the sake of my picks anyway.

Chase Briscoe of Stewart-Haas Racing is my pick if you want somebody a little more under the radar. He’s finished the last two races at Martinsville inside the top five. The last four are inside the top 10. This seems to be one of his better tracks on the circuit and with the impressive speed that SHR has had over the past few weeks, it’s a good bet. At +2200 to win the whole thing and some decent odds to get back in the top five, I really like betting on Briscoe here.

Chris’s Fade: #8 Kyle Busch (+3000)

I really as a fan of the sport in general have come to not bet against Kyle Busch. However, he’s not with Joe Gibbs Racing anymore and well RCR hasn’t exactly been the most consistent either. Plus, since leaving Atlanta this season Kyle has only grabbed one top-ten finish. So, I don’t like the momentum being against Kyle right now and neither do the odds makers.

Kaleb’s Fade: #54 Ty Gibbs (+1300)

I said it in this week’s edition of Three Up, Three Down. Ty Gibbs should be fine long term. He’s been one of the better cars and has put the world on notice in his second season. But he had a brutal race at Richmond and Martinsville historically hasn’t been good to him in the Cup Series. In both races last year he finished P18. Could just be rookie driver syndrome and he was getting used to the Next-Gen car and the differences between Xfinity and Cup, but I prefer to be a little more hands-off with him. Who knows, maybe the 21-year-old is fine and figures out this track and wins. With my track record on picks, it wouldn’t shock me in the least. But I just read into what happened last week at Richmond and last year at Martinsville, and hammer a patient approach until he proves it.

If you enjoyed this content, or hate it and want to argue with me, follow me on Twitter @KalebEmcee! Also, read up on the rest of the NASCAR content Belly Up Sports has to offer here! Heck, for all your other sports needs, follow the main page. If you love racing of any shape or form, find Chris on Twitter, and let’s talk!