NASCAR Cup Series: Byron dominates Martinsville to score first win of 2026

Credit: Getty Images via NASCAR

William Byron dominated the penultimate race of the 2026 season at Martinsville, leading 362 laps of the 500-lap event.

As it unfolded

Denny Hamlin started on pole position with Ty Gibbs alongside. Championship leader Kyle Larson lined up a row behind, next to Austin Cindric. Hamlin set the pace immediately, but he washed up the track on Lap 3, giving the lead to Gibbs. Meanwhile, Ryan Preece moved up from sixth to third.

The Joe Gibbs Racing drivers of Gibbs and Hamlin put a gap on the rest of the field before they began weaving through lapped traffic, bringing Preece back into the mix. Hamlin reclaimed the lead on Lap 46. Preece took second from Gibbs later.

Christopher Bell pitted on Lap 62. More green flag pit stops followed for drivers such as Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric and William Byron. Gibbs came for service on Lap 77.

Preece passed Hamlin for the lead on Lap 85 as Hamlin got held up behind lapped cars. Byron's fresh tyres helped him work his way into the top five, chasing Preece for the lead as Stage 1 came to a close. Hamlin and Larson suffered the consequences of staying out long, dropping out of the top 10. Byron passed Preece with six laps to go on his way to win the stage.

Stage 1 Results:

1. No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)

2. No. 54 - Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing)

3. No. 60 - Ryan Preece (RFK Racing)

4. No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)

5. No. 21 - Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)

6. No. 48 - Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)

7. No. 2 - Austin Cindric (Team Penske)

8. No. 1 - Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)

9. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)

10. No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)

Credit: Alejandro Alvarez NASCAR Digital Media

Byron and Gibbs led the charge as Stage 2 went underway. Bell maneurvered by Gibbs for second place. Meanwhile, Kyle Larson tried to claw his way back through the pack after going a lap down.

Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin pitted lap 192. Gibbs followed suit a few laps later.

Hocevar spun on Lap 198, bringing out a caution. Bell entered pit road as the yellow was thrown, being able to service the car but receiving a speeding penalty shortly afterwards.

Byron and Preece led the restart on Lap 207. Chase Elliott worked up into second.

On Lap 215, championship contenders Bell and Hamlin got together after contact from Joey Logano entering Turn 1. Larson was able to rejoin the lead lap because of the caution, having been the first car one lap behind.

Logano, Bell, Hamlin and Chastain were among those that opted to pit. Larson came down pit road twice, adjusting a suspected loose wheel on the second trip.

Byron and Elliott led the field back to green, but the caution flew again three laps later for Ryan Preece, who spun after a tyre issue.

The restart on Lap 233 saw Bell, Hamlin and Larson battle each other on their way back into the top 10. Ryan Blaney ran into the back of Josh Berry, damaging Blaney's front end. He then spun with 8 laps remaining in the stage, bringing it to a close under caution. Blaney went to the garage for repair after the incident.

Stage 2 Results:

1. No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)

2. No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)

3. No. 54 - Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing)

4. No. 1 - Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)

5. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)

6. No. 23 - Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing)

7. No. 21 - Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)

8. No. 34 - Todd Gilliland (Front Row Motorsports)

9. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)

10. No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)

Credit: Getty Images via NASCAR

Most of the field headed to the pits during the stage break, but Byron and Elliott retained their advantage over the field nonetheless. Cody Ware spun on the first lap back under green, prompting another caution right away.

Byron led the way with Elliott, Logano, Gibbs and Chastain rounding out the top five.

Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell were among the first to pit under the green flag conditions. Byron gave up his lead on Lap 343 to pit. Joey Logano had issues on pit road, forcing him to make two stops. Chase Briscoe assumed the top spot briefly until Byron took it back.

After falling down the running order earlier, Bell cracked the top five again. Hamlin and Larson re-entered the top 10 as the race neared its final 100 laps.

Bell kicked off green flag pit stops with 85 to go. Byron cycled back to the lead after his stop inside 80 laps to go. With 50 laps left, Hamlin was sixth, Bell was eighth and Larson was tenth.

Elliott gained on Byron, cutting the margin to less than a second between the two cars, but Byron responded, pulling ahead again by over two seconds. He went on to score his first win of 2026 and fourth victory at Martinsville.

Heading into the season finale, Kyle Larson holds a 67-point lead over Christopher Bell in the standings. Denny Hamlin is now 70 points behind Larson. The three will battle for the title next Sunday.

Provisional Results:

1. No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)

2. No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)

3. No. 54 - Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing)

4. No. 21 - Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)

5. No. 97 - Shane Van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing)

6. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)

7. No. 3 - Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing)

8. No. 23 - Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing) [+1 Lap]

9. No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) [+1 Lap]

10. No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing) [+1 Lap]

11. No. 1 - Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing) [+1 Lap]

12. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing) [+1 Lap]

13. No. 48 - Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports) [+1 Lap]

14. No. 19 - Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing) [+1 Lap]

15. No. 34 - Todd Gilliland (Front Row Motorsports) [+1 Lap]

16. No. 71 - Michael McDowell (Spire Motorsports) [+1 Lap]

17. No. 88 - Connor Zilisch (Trackhouse Racing) [+1 Lap]

18. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske) [+2 Laps]

19. No. 38 - Zane Smith (Front Row Motorsports) [+2 Laps]

20. No. 33 - Austin Hill (Richard Childress Racing) [+2 Laps]

21. No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports) [+2 Laps]

22. No. 10 - Ty Dillon (Kaulig Racing) [+2 Laps]

23. No. 60 - Ryan Preece (RFK Racing) [+2 Laps]

24. No. 17 - Chris Buescher (RFK Racing) [+3 Laps]

25. No. 16 - A.J. Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing) [+3 Laps]

26. No. 4 - Noah Gragson (Front Row Motorsports) [+3 Laps]

27. No. 6 - Brad Keselowski (RFK Racing) [+3 Laps]

28. No. 7 - Daniel Suárez (Spire Motorsports) [+3 Laps]

29. No. 43 - Erik Jones (Legacy Motor Club) [+3 Laps]

30. No. 47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Hyak Motorsports) [+3 Laps]

31. No. 42 - John Hunter Nemechek (Legacy Motor Club) [+4 Laps]

32. No. 35 - Riley Herbst (23XI Racing) [+5 Laps]

33. No. 51 - Cody Ware (Rick Ware Racing) [+6 Laps]

34. No. 41 - Cole Custer (Haas Factory Team) [+13 Laps]

35. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske) [+59 Laps]

36. No. 2 - Austin Cindric (Team Penske) [DNF]

37. No. 66 - Josh Bilicki (Garage 66) [DNF]