NASCAR's short tracks battle for $50,000 grand prize

The NASCAR Circus is at Martinsville Speedway this weekend for the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 on Saturday. The track is situated in Ridgeway, Virginia, and is the second consecutive track in the state to host a Cup Series race in the 2022 season.

At 0.526-miles long, this weekend's venue is the definition of a short track, the likes of which will be competing in the Advance My Track Challenge. The program is organized by Advance Auto Parts, a leading aftermarket automotive parts retailer and title sponsor of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (NAAPWS).

The competition is meant to highlight the 21 NAAPWS short tracks and their communities across North America and Canada who are responsible for nurturing grassroots-level talent into future superstars. The program invites fans to vote for their favorite track out of 21, with the most popular pick winning a grand prize of $50,000.

The first round concludes on May 6, 2022. The top six picks will further move onto the final round, which will take place between May 9 and May 13. The first and second runners-up spots will be awarded $15,000 and $10,000 respectively.

Jason McDonell, executive vice president for Advance Auto Parts, was thrilled to bring the program back for 2022 as he spoke to nascar.com, saying:

“NASCAR’s Home Tracks and the Weekly Series play a critical role in our sport, giving local racers and future superstars the opportunity to put on a great show for their communities. This program helps advance historic grassroots racing venues while recognizing the communities with loyal and passionate racing fans.”

NASCAR senior vice president of racing development and strategy Ben Kennedy was also supportive of the initiative and said:

“The Advance My Track Challenge is a great partnership with Advance Auto Parts that puts a well-deserved focus on our weekly tracks and the development of their infrastructure to enhance facilities in local communities. Our roots in racing at the local level are a key part of the sport's history and future success, and this is instrumental in engaging more fans at weekly tracks.”

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Ryan Blaney to run Advance Auto Parts livery in NASCAR Cup Series race this Saturday

In support of the Advance My Track Challenge, Ryan Blaney will run a livery inspired by the program on his #12 Ford Mustang on Saturday at Martinsville Speedway.

The seven-time Cup Series winner belongs to a family of racing drivers, and touched upon the impact of grassroots support, saying:

“Ensuring the success of local tracks is something that’s important to me and my family, so it’s exciting to have a partner like Advance who is making it their mission to support NASCAR’s Home Tracks. We look forward to racing with Advance My Track Challenge on our Ford at Martinsville, one of the most iconic grassroots-style tracks.”

Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 goes live at 07:30 pm EST this Saturday.