Byron Secures Spot in Final Four with Martinsville Win as Engine Issues Plague Toyota

KELSEY CHRISTMAN - STAFF WRITER

William Byron celebrates with his grandfather clock trophy at Martinsville. (Photo Credit: Chuck Burton, Associated Press, October 26th, 2025)

The NASCAR Cup Series arrived at Martinsville Speedway to conclude the Round of 8 with the race to the checkered flag more crucial than ever. As the cars rolled onto the track, four drivers were in virtual must-win situations to advance to the championship, as William Byron, Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, and Ryan Blaney would each be challenged against the field of 37 cars. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe had nothing to worry about thanks to their victories the past two weeks. While not secured, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell were set to battle on points for their position to advance and hoping not to see any of the four cars below the line reach victory lane.

William Byron secured the pole to lead the field to green. Also starting in the top ten were playoff drivers Kyle Larson (3rd), Joey Logano (4th), Denny Hamlin (5th), Chase Elliott (8th), and Chase Briscoe (9th). Ryan Blaney had his work cut out for him, rolling off 31st. With three of the four playoff drivers from below the cut line securing a top ten start, the pressure increased on the battle between Bell and Larson to secure as many points as possible.

Ryan Blaney recovered quickly from his 31st starting position and miraculously earned stage one points, finishing 7th and proving to be the only driver who could wrap the curb and efficiently make passes. While still needing to find victory lane in order to advance, his playoff hopes remained very much alive, as the Ford held long-run pace and the team managed their tire wear with success.

Stage three brought misfortune to the Toyota engines. On lap 296, Chase Briscoe fell victim to an engine issue which slowed him on the track. He was able to exit the track without caution. Riley Herbst’s engine was the next to fail as he snuck into the garages at lap 324 to end his day. Just 39 laps after Briscoe's DNF, Denny Hamlin became the third and final Toyota to have the day go up in smoke. Denny spent his day up front and dropped from second into the garage. Joe Gibbs has since come forward to address the issues as they prepare to send two cars into championship contention at Phoenix. Gibbs says the culprit was a batch of faulty valve springs, further explaining that the part comes to their shop in batches and that they were able to identify and rid themselves of all the remaining parts from that batch to alleviate the concern moving forward.

Future Spire Motorsports teammates Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suarez experienced drama and tension throughout the race. With consistent contact between the 77 car of Hocevar and the 99 of Suarez, the two took turns moving each other up the track as Suarez sent Hocevar spinning on lap 216 to bring out a caution and Carson retaliated by making contact to move the 99 in the corner about 40 laps later. On lap 398, the pair brought another caution out, as the 77 appeared to slow on the track entering the turn and the 99 made contact to the rear and then appeared to spin him through the entrance of turn one. Hocevar did find himself spinning again through turn 4 on lap 483. Daniel Suarez spoke about his future teammate post-race stating “he’s making enemies faster than he’s learning the car." Tensions went beyond the drivers too, as the crew members had a heated exchange on pit road post-race.

Meanwhile up front, with 44 laps remaining, William Byron approached Ryan Blaney down the front straightaway to try to take back the race lead. With slight contact, Byron moved Blaney up the track and initiated the final lead change of the race. The 24 team was dominant with sweeping the stages, performing steady pit stops, and had a pace to secure themselves a Final Four spot. With Byron taking the third slot, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson out ran Christopher Bell in both stages and the race, sending the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion back to compete for a title. It will be Hendrick Motorsports vs. Joe Gibbs Racing, as Larson and Byron duke it out with Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe.

Ryan Blaney’s championship contention ended just one position shy of advancing. The 12 team led 177 laps and finished 2nd, but due to his luck in the other two races of the Round of 8, he was required to win to advance. Team Penske will not appear in the Final Four for the first time since 2021 as Joey Logano was also eliminated after finishing 8th.