As the Martinsville Cup race approaches on Sunday, Kyle Larson lies on the edge of the cutline, after his last-lap upset at Talladega last week when he ran out of fuel. Similarly, while not in playoff contention, Larson’s Xfinity protégé drove in the Martinsville race under high stress, an event that was filled with long runs, tight handling, and a late-race incident that tried his patience and expertise.

Entering the Paperclip, his second outing at the fabled venue, it was a chance for him to build on the learnings of the spring race. And Day proved that in the practice, as he posted the third-quickest lap. But the actual race reminded the No. 17 how the two things are very different from each other.

Corey Day’s tough Martinsville night

As the race started, Day looked determined to

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