The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2025, descended into a chaotic spectacle that left fans and drivers alike frustrated and questioning the nature of short-track racing. What should have been an exhibition of skill instead turned into a demolition derby featuring 14 cautions, one red flag, and over 100 laps under yellow flag conditions.
Austin Hill somehow made it through the chaos to win the race. It was his second win this season and the 100th Xfinity Series win for Richard Childress Racing — but nobody was really talking about that. All eyes were on the crazy final lap when Sammy Smith spun out race leader Taylor Gray, causing a huge pile-up.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Wreck at Martinsville Sparks Reactions
Fans didn’t hold back on social media. One user asked what everyone was thinking: “Ok man. Is this racing or ping pong?”
Another fan joked, “At this rate it’s a good thing they added lights to Martinsville,” since the race dragged on forever with all the cautions.
The drivers were just as upset. Justin Allgaier, last year’s Xfinity champion, called it “unacceptable” and complained about the lack of respect in today’s short-track racing. Jeremy Clements didn’t mince words either: “Really disappointed in the lack of respect on the track tonight. It’s a disgrace to this great series,” he said on X.
Even NASCAR Cup Series star Denny Hamlin chimed in on social media, suggesting Martinsville needs an “avoidable contact” penalty. He tweeted: “Absolute garbage.”
Race winner Austin Hill admitted how bad things have gotten: “When it’s green-white-checkered at a Martinsville race, just the respect stuff’s out the window,” he said.
Sammy Smith, who caused the final crash, didn’t apologize. He simply said, “It’s what you got to do” to win at Martinsville.
The whole mess has NASCAR veterans like Anthony Alfredo wondering, “How do you suggest we fix this moving forward and redeem this track in this series to what it should be?”
The Martinsville race will likely be remembered for all the wrong reasons. Fans didn’t just see aggressive driving; they witnessed what many consider a complete lack of racecraft. The final lap incident between Smith and Gray perfectly showed the night’s biggest problem. While Smith tried to defend his actions afterward, most fans and drivers saw it as just another example of the series’ growing lack of professionalism.
As NASCAR prepares for its next Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway, the pressure mounts to restore respect and professionalism to a series that, at Martinsville, resembled ping-pong more than racing.