NASCAR accomplished its triple-header weekend at Martinsville Speedway that includes three very completely different races and loads of drama. Many of the dialog facilities across the extremely controversial end to Saturday’s Xfinity race, however there was loads of motion past that. Denny Hamlin, Austin Hill and Daniel Hemric walked away with checkered flags as Hendrick Motorsports did not repeat their 1-2-3 effort from one yr in the past within the Cup Collection. The weekend ended with a number of drivers mighty pissed off and keen to simply transfer on to Darlington, which is now simply days away.
This is a have a look at the largest winners and losers from Martinsville:
WINNER: Denny delivers with new sponsor and crew chief
Watch: Denny Hamlin recaps dominant day at Martinsville
Hamlin is now tied for eleventh on the all-time wins checklist after the motive force of the No. 11 Toyota earned his fifty fifth profession win on Sunday. After coming agonizingly shut a number of instances already this season, Hamlin made positive the competitors did not also have a likelihood at Martinsville. He led 274 of 400 laps (68.5%), driving off to a 4.6-second lead on the end. To make the win much more particular, it was Hamlin’s second-ever race with new sponsor Progressive, which just lately struck a serious cope with Joe Gibbs Racing. Sunday’s victory was additionally Hamlin’s first win with new crew chief Chris Gayle, shutting down whispers that the pairing was a foul transfer.
LOSER: Xfinity race ends in a demolition derby
Watch: Austin Hill makes inside maneuver, wins chaotic extra time Martinsville end
Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity race was an unlucky show of ‘win in any respect prices’ with one driver merely taking it too far. The race was already a little bit of a wreckfest with 14 cautions and 104 of 256 laps being run beneath yellow flag situations. However the race was about to have an excellent ending as Taylor Grey was one nook away from turning into a first-time winner. Shockingly, Sammy Smith then got here from a number of automotive lengths again and blatantly ran over Grey. Each drivers ended up wrecking within the ensuing chaos as Austin Hill jumped from fifth to first to win the race. When requested in regards to the incident, Smith indicated that “it is what you bought to do” on the finish of those races, however a number of veteran drivers took to social media to say in any other case. There’s additionally a chance NASCAR could penalize Smith, as they penalized Austin Dillon at Richmond final yr.
WINNER: Wallace is knocking on the door of Victory Lane
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota
Picture by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Photographs
Bubba Wallace is having an excellent begin to the 2025 season. Sitting eighth within the standings, Wallace now has back-to-back podium finishes after putting third at each Homestead and Martinsville. In each races, he was a official contender for the race win. Dealing with a winless streak that’s rapidly approaching 100 races, it is a much-needed turnaround for the motive force of the No. 23. He appears happier, extra assured, and is working effectively with a brand new crew chief atop the pit field.
LOSER: Jones hit with a post-race DQ
Erik Jones, Legacy MotorClub Toyota
Picture by: Getty Photographs
Martinsville wasn’t a very nice race for Jones, putting twenty fourth. Nonetheless, he did handle to complete fifth within the first stage, permitting him to depart with an honest haul of 19 factors. Sadly, his No. 43 Toyota failed to fulfill the minimal weight necessities after the race, leading to an instantaneous disqualification. The DQ dropped him seven positions within the championship standings, from twenty second to twenty ninth, giving Jones his worst end in over 4 years (thirty eighth).
WINNER: Preece with the most effective stretch of his profession
Ryan Preece, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Picture by: Jonathan Bachman – Getty Photographs
Ryan Preece is quietly showcasing some actual potential within the third RFK Racing entry. Though the yr started with him flipping wildly on the Daytona 500, Preece is now having fun with the most effective streak of his whole Cup profession with three consecutive prime tens. To place that in perspective, Preece’s greatest 36-race season featured simply 5 prime tens, however he is effectively on his solution to topping that. Preece has been out and in of the Cup Collection since 2015 and a few started to surprise if the previous Modified champion was able to competing on the sport’s highest stage, however Preece is leaving little doubt about his skill now.
LOSER: Logano will get a prime ten, however he is nonetheless mad
Joey Logano, Group Penske Ford
Picture by: Getty Photographs
The reigning NASCAR Cup Collection champion has had a tough begin to the yr. Solely Denny Hamlin has led extra laps than him, however Logano did not also have a top-ten end till this previous weekend at Martinsville. But even that wasn’t sufficient to alleviate the Group Penske driver’s frustration. Earlier this month, he mentioned how he has left each race this yr “mad at one thing” and that development continued at Martinsville. He completed eighth, however solely after preventing again via the sphere following a mid-race spin. Logano took problem with the way in which Ross Chastain minimize him off to get to the underside lane, blaming him for an additional comparable incident that ended with Logano spinning. He mentioned Chastain “races like a jackass each week and I maintain paying the worth.” Might this be the start of a rivalry between two of the game’s most aggressive drivers?
WINNER: Hemric backflips to redemption within the Truck Collection
Watch: Again-flipping to victory: Daniel Hemric scores Martinsville triumph
Daniel Hemric’s NASCAR profession has taken him for fairly the trip. He initially made it to the Cup Collection in 2019 earlier than shedding his trip with Richard Childress Racing. He moved again right down to the Xfinity Collection the place he grew to become a champion with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021. In 2024, he was again full-time within the Cup Collection with Kaulig Racing, however a tough season noticed him lose his trip in NASCAR’s prime division as soon as once more. He then discovered a brand new house within the Truck Collection for 2025, because of McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. Final weekend at Martinsville, he earned a little bit of redemption after taking a preferred victory within the Martinsville Truck race, celebrating with Carl Edwards-esque backflip. A number of Cup drivers applauded him on-line and Ryan Blaney even made his solution to the frontstretch to congratulate him in particular person.
LOSER: A lifeless battery derails Berry’s promising day
Josh Berry, Wooden Brothers Racing Ford
Picture by: Logan Riely / Getty Photographs
Josh Berry’s Martinsville displaying began robust, main 40 laps within the opening stage. It is probably the most laps the Wooden Brothers have led at Martinsville since David Pearson dominated the race within the No. 21 again in 1973. He was about to win the opening stage as effectively when a warning compelled them to alter up the technique. He dove to the pits with the lead however was by no means seen up entrance once more. A battery problem value him monitor place and laps because the group scrambled to swap it out on pit highway. He by no means recovered, ending the race 4 laps down and in thirty second place.
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Nick DeGroot
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR XFINITY
NASCAR Truck
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