Cup Series: Hamlin and Toyota dominate in Martinsville

Sean McKean
Mar 30
5 min read

Written by Sean McKean

In a dominant display by the Toyotas, it was Denny Hamlin who led the most laps enroute to his first win of the season. It was Hamlin’s first victory at the half-mile oval since 2015.

As it unfolded

Christopher Bell led the way from pole with little contest from Chase Elliott on his outside. However, after 23 laps, Bell’s tyres fell off and allowed Elliott to take the lead.

The first caution came out on Lap 32 for debris in Turn 4.

This caution split the stage nearly in half, so most drivers took to the pits. Bell won the race out of pit road followed by Joey Logano and Elliott. Six drivers stayed out, with Josh Berry leading this bunch.

Berry led the way on Lap 40. In the middle of lapped traffic, Joey Logano cycled into the lead whilst Bell got shuffled wide by Brad Keselowski, who stayed out.

The first caution for cause came out on Lap 71. On the frontstretch, Chris Buescher thought he cleared Carson Hocevar, but he turned himself around. Buescher drove away with minimal damage.

Under the caution, most cars came into the pits bar Logano and Alex Bowman. Elliott won the race out followed by Denny Hamlin.

The pits saw some turbulence for Josh Berry. Just as Bubba Wallace came out of his stall, he hit Berry on his left side – causing the Wood Brothers driver’s battery to shut off completely. He needed to spend more time repairing this.

Joey Logano led the way with two laps to go in the stage, holding onto that lead until the end. Alex Bowman and AJ Allmendinger followed behind.

Stage 1 Results:

No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)
No. 48 - Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)
No. 16 - AJ Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing)
No. 6 - Brad Keselowski (Roush Fenway-Keselowski Racing)
No. 43 - Erik Jones (Legacy Motor Club)
No. 42 - John Hunter Nemechek (Legacy Motor Club)
No. 60 - Ryan Preece (Roush Fenway-Keselowski Racing)
No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)
No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)
No. 41 - Cole Custer (Haas Factory Team)

Austin Cindric came into the pits for a battery issue under this break.

Alex Bowman led the way on Lap 93, but Chase Elliott managed to take the lead.

Short track ace Burt Myers brought out the next caution when his Team AmeriVet car came to a halt on the backstretch. He went out of the race.

Most drivers took to the pits barring Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace and Ty Gibbs. Kyle Larson won the race off pit road followed by Chase Briscoe.

Hamlin took the green flag on Lap 132 and shot out into the lead over Wallace. Hamlin held this lead until the stage's end. Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace followed behind.

Stage 2 Results:

No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)
No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)
No. 23 - Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing)
No. 54 - Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing)
No. 19 - Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing)
No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)
No. 1 - Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)
No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)
No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)
No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)

All of the frontrunners took to the pits. Hamlin won the race off followed by Elliott and Wallace.

Hamlin maintained his lead on the Lap 193 restart. But only nine laps later, a spin into the Turn 1 wall by Riley Herbst brought out the caution once more.

Hamlin again kept his lead whilst Wallace spun his tyres on the Lap 208 restart. Elliott managed to sneak by for second.

Green flag pit stops began with 134 laps to go with William Byron. However, a caution for a spinning Shane van Gisbergen in Turn 3 interrupted this, as a wheel came off his car following his pit stop.

Hamlin again kept the lead over a tyre-spun Wallace on the restart with 114 laps to go. Bell managed to move into second.

The caution came out again with 103 laps to go. Coming out of Turn 2, Tyler Reddick sent a far move into the corner to pass Ty Gibbs – sending the JGR driver into a spin. Zane Smith ran into Gibbs in the melee. Each car sustained minimal damage.

Hamlin led the way with only 94 laps remaining. Wallace got a better jump than the previous two, but the three-time Daytona 500 champion kept his lead.

Only two laps following the restart, though, Noah Gragson went for a spin off Turn 2. This happened due to Chris Buescher hitting the rear of his car mid-corner. Each driver drove away with cut tyres.

Hamlin decisively maintained his lead with 85 laps remaining, but only one lap later, Joey Logano went for a spin off the bumper of Chase Briscoe in Turn 3. Logano drove away undamaged but was understandably angry.

Hamlin and Bell headed the field with 75 laps remaining. Bell put up a strong fight, but Hamlin again kept his lead.

Hamlin led this whole run to take a dominant victory in Martinsville.

Provisional Results: