Byron's Career Day Results in Martinsville Victory!
MARTINSVILLE, V.A. - William Byron went to victory lane for the first time in the 2026 season after a career day at Martinsville Speedway! Byron led a career high 362 laps in his Xfinity 500 win. Byron started the race 8th, but it became fairly clear after winning the first stage, his #24 Liberty University car was going to be the car to beat.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Denny Hamlin started the race on pole, as was in need of winning day to better his odds in the championship race, but lost the lead early to teammate Ty Gibbs after missing a shift on lap two. Hamlin though stayed in the mix and did eventually get back to the lead as he would pass Ty Gibbs back on lap 46.
The issue for Hamlin in stage one though, his team picked the wrong strategy. But Hamlin was not alone.
With the tires being much softer than years past, there was big time wear on the track. In the 130 lap first stage, teams were faced with a possibilty of one stopping the stage, or running it entirely. Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, and Chase Briscoe all opted to run the stage without pitting. Of the title contenders, Christopher Bell was the only driver who elected a one stop strategy.
Which was the wrong strategy? As it turned out, it was running the stage to completion. Of the cars who played the strategy, only Ryan Preece, who took the lead on lap 85 actually scored stage points. Preece had a very strong long-run car, and managed to finish the stage in fourth.
As for the other drivers on the long run strategy in the championship hunt? Well, it didn't work at all in their favor. For Denny Hamlin after getting passsed by Ryan Preece, he faded very hard. Hamlin not only failed to score stage points, but he ended up fading to 17th. Surprisingly though, he was the best of the championship contenders on that strategy.
Teammate Chase Briscoe struggled late in the stage, and finished the opening stage in 21st. Briscoe was the last car on the lead lap. As for Kyle Larson, the opening stage was a distaster, as on the final lap got lapped by teammate William Byron, lost the lucky dog position to Daniel Suarez, and finished the stage in 23rd. The loss of track position hindered the rest of Larson's race.
Stage two was dominated by William Byron as he won the stage with ease. Strategy got shook up however, as Carson Hocevar went for a spin on lap 198. During the spin, Christopher Bell was on his way down pit road for his green flag pit stop. The issue for Bell, he got caught speeding on entry, causing him to lose track position that allowed him in the battle for the lead.
Luckily for Bell, there was a variety of cautions that allowed him to get back in the mix as the race progressed, but he ultimately was able to recover to 10th in stage two. But it did not come easily, as trouble found him.
Kyle Larson spent most of the second stage as the first car a lap down. The issue for Larson though, was that bad timing for the yellow allowed Ty Gibbs to earn the free pass instead. Larson would not get on the lead lap until lap 217, and thats when trouble found Christopher Bell, as Joey Logano sent both Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell for a spin.
This spin was crucial as it allowed Kyle Larson to make up positions and points.
At the end of stage two, Denny hamlin finished 12th, Chase Briscoe 18th, and Kyle Larson 13th. A big time miss for Joe Gibbs Racing.
As for the third stage, after a loose wheel in stage two, Ryan Preece found himself multiple laps down due to penalty, and finished the race in 23rd. Preece was arugably the best compeition for William Bryon.
In the third stage the battle came between Byron and teammate Chase Elliott, but once Byron took control, there was neer an opportunity for Elliott to capitalize. Chase Elliott pit on lap 420, and William Byron came down three laps later. Both had clean stops, and Byron came out ahead.
Elliott was able to close the gap briefly, but Byron's tire advantage began to show as he tip toed away with a statement victory.
OTHER NOTES:
Leaving Martinsville, Kyle Larson finished the race 9th, heading to his best track with a 67 point lead over Christopher Bell. Of the bunch, Denny Hamlin earned the best finish as he finished 6th. But the lack of stage points to Bell causes him to leave the Paperclip -70 points to Larson.
As for Chase Briscoe, he finished the race in 14th, and his struggles resulted in his team being eliminated from championship contention as he left Martinsville -84 points to Larson.
The race also had some noteworthy finishes as well. Josh Berry earned a 4th place effort, the best of the non-Chase drivers, earning his fourth top five of 2026, a new career high. Behind him, Shane Van Gisbergen earned a 5th, as his growth at short tracks continue to show strong progress.
For Trackhouse Racin as a whole, it was a strong day as Ross Chastain finished 11th, and Connor Zilish 17th. The result for Chastain though is not reflective of his day, as he spent most of the second and final stage inside the top five. A slow stop on pit road cost Chastain the lead lap, and he never got back inside the top ten.
Austin Dillon earned his sixth top ten finish of the season, as he had another strong run at Martinsville as the veteran finished 7th, the last car on the lead lap. For Dillon it marked his sixth top ten of the season, the most he has had since 2023.
Lastly, the race saw some drama in the second stage. Carson Hocevar had a scuffle with Austin Cindric, where there were four incident in which he brake checked Cindric down the straight away, causin Cindric's car to get catasrophic damage ending his race. As for Hocevar, he was damage free as the soft bumper in the nose played the impact to Cindrics damage, and he finished 21st. Austin Cindric was evaluated in the care center, but he declined to comment.
Later in the stage, Josh Berry had a similar incident, just less agregious, as he got by Ryan Blaney in turns three an four, and damaged the nose of Blaney's car. After the race Berry said he was just trying to save the car resulting in the contact. For Ryan Blaney, he had to go to the garage with his teammate, and he was able to get his car repaired back on the track. Blaney finished the race 59 laps down in 35th.
UP NEXT:
The NASCAR Cup Series will round out its 2026 season next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway! Not only is Kyle Larson likely to win the championship, but he also is the defending winner at Homestead. Larson will seek his third career vicotry at the track he considers his playground, as he also looks to secure his third NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Motorsports Today will have coverage at the track all weekend long at Homestead, so make sure to follow us on X, Youtube, Tiktok, Instagram, and stay up to date right here at MotorsportsToday.net!
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