Cook Out 250

The Cook Out 250 is a NASCAR Xfinity Series stock car racing spring event at Martinsville Speedway, in Martinsville, Virginia, originally held from 1982 to 1994 as a standalone spring meeting, but starting in 2021 returns as part of a three-day tripleheader along with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Cup Series.
It was first held as a Late Model Sportsman and Modified doubleheader in 1970, and in 1982 the Late Model Sportsman feature changed to a touring format for the original 1982 Budweiser Late Model Sportsman season, and stayed as a touring race until 1994. Following the 1994 season, both of Martinsville's race, the Miller 500 and the Advance Auto 500, were converted to Late Model only races. The March Late Model race was discontinued at the end of the 1997 season.
In 2021, the Xfinity Series restored Martinsville's spring date as a night race in support of the Cup Series' Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 and aligned with the Modified Tour where the two series race over consecutive nights, instead of racing on one day. The race is one of two Xfinity events at the short track along with the Draft Top 250 in the fall.
Distance.
The race changed distances several times in its history. When first held in 1970, the Late Model Sportsman and Modified features were both 250 laps, covering . Following the addition of local Late Models and the conversion of the Modified race into part of the NASCAR's regional touring series in 1985, the two touring races were decreased to 200 laps, with a 100 lap, Late Model feature, where it remained until the Modifieds were removed for the 1993 season, when the distance was increased to 300 laps, for the touring Busch Grand National cars, and 200 laps, for the Late Model race. When the race format became strictly Late Model only, the qualifying races and Late Model feature (25 lap heat races and last chance race) totaled 300 laps. The race was discontinued after the 1997 season, and only the fall race was held for Late Models.
The race was never 500 laps, miles, or kilometers in distance at any point in its history. The "500" originated from Martinsville's two traditional combination Late Model and/or Modified races that resulted in a 500-lap format:
The 2021 Cup Weekend format will return to the 1970-84 format of 250 laps. The Whelen Modified Tour returns as the Thursday night feature, with the Xfinity race the Friday night feature. No practice or qualifying will be utilised as part of post-pandemic restrictions.