2025 Cook Out 400 Weather Prediction: Rain Threatens To Disrupt NASCAR’s Martinsville Cup Action

The NASCAR race week has arrived at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. We’ve already seen the Truck Series race at the circuit, and while the weather was perfect for the NCTS race at Martinsville, the same might not be expected for the final event of the weekend.

NASCAR 2025 Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Under Weather Threat
A smoky haze blanketed the sky Friday evening as wildfires persisted south of the Triad. Dry, breezy conditions keep the fire danger high until rain is expected to move in early next week, and North Carolina remains under a burn ban for all counties.

Weather forecasts suggest that by Saturday, a smoky haze will begin to settle in. Wildfires across the Southeast will raise particulate matter levels in the air over the Triad, potentially pushing air quality to code yellow — and at times code orange — for residents near the western foothills and mountains.

The weather for the Xfinity race should be favorable, however. Saturday’s temperatures are expected to reach 25°C, with a low 3% chance of rain. Humidity will climb to 44%.

The Xfinity race, the US Marine Corps 250, will start earlier, at 5 p.m. ET, so daylight will be less of a concern. Showers are expected in the morning ahead of the Cup Series Cook Out 400, with a 35–40% chance of rain for the rest of the day. The temperature will reach a high of 24°C, and humidity will be at 60%.

NASCAR Cook Out 400: A Brief Preview
The NASCAR Cup Series has completed six races so far, including stops at two drafting-style tracks (Daytona, Atlanta), a road course (COTA), the one-mile Phoenix Raceway, and two 1.5-mile intermediates (Las Vegas, Homestead-Miami).

On Sunday, drivers will face a short track for the first of six points-paying short-track races this season.

As Martinsville is the cutoff race that determines the Championship 4 at the end of the season, Sunday will be the drivers’ only chance to race at the track before the stakes are raised in October. The 400-lap race this weekend is shorter than the 500-lap playoff race, offering fewer chances to correct mistakes and less time to make an impact.

Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney enters the race as the favorite. Blaney has had one of the fastest cars on the track over the past three weeks but has nothing to show for it.

He was caught in a multi-car incident at Las Vegas, finishing 35th. At both Phoenix and Homestead-Miami, a blown engine ended the 2023 champion’s race early, resulting in 28th and 36th-place finishes, respectively.

While the results haven’t followed, Blaney arguably has the most speed of anyone in the Cup Series right now. He’s won the last two fall races at Martinsville and has scored five top-10 finishes in the last six races at the half-mile paperclip. His recent form suggests he’ll soon leave the bad results behind.