Carson Kvapil wins Martinsville pole
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 30, 2026
Kvapil wins pole
Carson Kvapil put himself at the front of the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series field at Martinsville Speedway, winning the pole with a 19.855-second lap at 95.371 mph in the No. 1 Chevrolet. The run gave Kvapil the top starting spot in a 38-car lineup and set the tone for the qualifying order. Rajah Caruth was the nearest challenger, qualifying second and finishing just 0.048 seconds behind Kvapil. Justin Allgaier followed in third, Parker Retzlaff took fourth and William Sawalich claimed fifth in the lineup. The result placed those drivers in strong positions for the race at the 0.526-mile oval in Martinsville, Virginia.
Kvapil’s lap stood out because it separated him from the rest of the field by only a small margin, but enough to secure the pole. Caruth’s second-place effort left him within striking distance, while the remaining top-five spots went to Allgaier, Retzlaff and Sawalich. That group was set to open the race near the front, with the qualifying order establishing the first positions in a crowded field.
Caruth takes second
The rest of the qualifying order gave the field a spread of starting positions, with Sammy Smith set to roll off sixth, Brandon Jones 12th, Harrison Burton 17th and Austin Hill 21st. Those spots stretched from the front half of the field to the middle and deeper into the lineup, showing how the session positioned drivers for the start. Smith’s sixth-place result kept him close to the leaders, while Jones, Burton and Hill were set to begin farther back.
The 38-car entry list gave the qualifying session a wide range of starting spots, with the first dozen positions carrying immediate value. The drivers outside that group were set to begin in traffic rather than near the front, creating a layered starting order before the green flag. Martinsville’s tight qualifying margins made each position count as the field took shape behind Kvapil’s pole-winning lap.
Martinsville race details
Martinsville Speedway is scheduled to host the race at 4 p.m. ET, with coverage set for CW, the ESPN App, MRN and SiriusXM. The event is scheduled to run in stages of 60, 120 and 250 laps, and the purse is $1,661,806. Those details frame the race around Kvapil’s pole, with the starting order establishing the opening setup for competition at the Virginia track.
Kvapil’s pole position was the headline number going into race day, while the scheduled event supplied the next test for the field. The purse added a clear financial figure to the race, and the 38-driver entry list completed the competition behind the qualifying result. With the lineup set, the race was positioned to begin with Kvapil at the front and the rest of the grid arranged behind him.
