Whereas Denny Hamlin completely dominated Sunday’s NASCAR Cup race, it was Chase Elliott who emerged victorious via an amazing restart and a method gamble. NASCAR’s Most In style Driver earned his twenty second profession win and Hendrick Motorsports’ thirty first at Martinsville Speedway.
Tyler Reddick completed fifteenth in his worst results of the 2026 season, and solely misplaced 13 factors in his large championship lead.
The race featured solely six completely different leaders, and 34 of the 37 starters reached the checkered flag, so it was a reasonably tame Martinsville Cup race. However nonetheless, there was loads to debate as we have a look at among the largest winners and losers from Sunday’s 400-lapper:
WINNER: Alan Gustafson proves he nonetheless has a trick up his sleeve
Watch: Gustafson explains the ‘safer play’ behind Elliott win
Chase Elliott drove an amazing race at Martinsville, however with no roll of a cube from atop the pit field, he probably would have completed round tenth. Nonetheless, crew chief Alan Gustafson opted to short-pit with about 140 laps to go together with plans of two-stopping to the top of the race. When spherical of green-flag stops cycled via, Elliott was within the lead, and earlier than shedding too many positions to these now on more energizing tires, a well timed warning flew. Elliott then took the lead from Ross Chastain (who stayed out), getting round Hamlin within the course of, and by no means relinquished the highest spot once more. Gustafson has been criticized fairly a bit by Elliott’s fan base, however the veteran crew chief proved he nonetheless is aware of play the sport, securing HMS its first win of the 2026 season.
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LOSER: Denny Hamlin and his ‘nearly’ good race
Watch: Hamlin on watching win slip away: ‘We gave it our all’
Hamlin earned the pole, led 292 of 400 laps, received Stage 1, received Stage 2, and even secured the quickest lap bonus. Nonetheless, Elliott spoiled his good race, and although Hamlin nonetheless scored essentially the most factors that day with a runner-up end, it was a ‘intestine punch’ for a person intensely targeted on his race win file. He was battling a barely free wheel within the closing laps, however what actually value him was a sluggish restart, permitting Elliott to nostril forward earlier than the subsequent warning, placing Hamlin on the second row behind Chastain on older tires. The excellent news is that the No. 11 is clearly very quick proper now, and that will not be his final alternative so as to add to his win tally this yr.
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WINNER: Penske nonetheless very spectacular at quick tracks
Watch: Joey Logano on ‘stable’ third-place end at Martinsville
A dismal Darlington is now behind Joey Logano, who led the best way for Crew Penske and Ford with a third-place end at Martinsville. And his teammates weren’t far behind him. Regardless of getting walled on the ultimate restart, Ryan Blaney nonetheless completed sixth, and Austin Cindric was eighth for his second consecutive prime ten.
LOSER: Bubba Wallace’s expensive run-in with Carson Hocevar
Wallace entered this race third in factors, however left it in eleventh. He’s locked right into a four-way tie for eighth, however nonetheless, that could be a important loss within the standings. It was a mean day for 23XI, however Wallace misplaced one other 15 to twenty factors after entering into it with Carson Hocevar. The 2 drivers collided on a late-race restart, and Wallace appeared to expire of endurance with the No. 77 automobile. A multi-car wreck ensued, nevertheless it was Wallace who couldn’t proceed after colliding with one other automobile. He later mentioned that it wasn’t intentional, however regardless, the top consequence was very expensive for the No. 23 Toyota.
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WINNER: Josh Berry is the largest mover within the factors
Josh Berry, Wooden Brothers Racing
Picture by: Jacob Kupferman / Getty Pictures
After a second row qualifying effort, Berry piloted the No. 21 Wooden Brothers Ford to its first prime ten because the Daytona 500. That consequence helped him to be this week’s largest mover within the standings, leaping seven spots from thirty second to twenty fifth in factors.
LOSER: Kyle Busch’s winless streak hits 100
Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing
Picture by: David Jensen / Getty Pictures
Richard Childress Racing has no prime tens as a corporation after seven races this yr, and Busch — NASCAR’s winningest lively Cup driver — now faces a winless streak that has hit 100 races. The yr began with such promising, profitable pole for the Daytona 500, nevertheless it’s all been downhill since then. After beginning thirty fourth at Martinsville, Busch went on to complete twenty fourth in a grueling day, and that consequence was the best among the many three RCR vehicles within the discipline. Busch ended the day two laps down, and at one level was penalized for sending a wheel flying down the pit lane.
WINNER: 4 prime fives in seven races for Ty Gibbs
Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing
Picture by: David Jensen / Getty Pictures
Outdoors of Tyler Reddick, no driver within the discipline has as many prime fives and prime tens as Gibbs thus far within the 2026 season. He has completed no worse than sixth within the final 5 races and whereas nonetheless winless after 130 Cup begins, the driving force of the No. 54 is true on the sting of breaking via to Victory Lane. He is just one prime 5 away from matching his complete for the complete 2025 season, and he’s solidly sixth within the standings. That is by far the very best begin to a season but for Gibbs within the Cup Collection. And the subsequent race on the schedule is a spot the place he can 100% get that first win, and almost did final yr — Bristol.
LOSER: Rookie season troubles proceed for Zilisch
Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing, Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing
Picture by: Jacob Kupferman / Getty Pictures
One of the vital promising younger drivers in NASCAR has been going via it for the previous seven weeks. His Twenty sixth-place end at Martinsville is his third greatest results of the yr, as he solely has two showings which are higher — 18th at Darlington and 14th at COTA. He’s thirty third in factors, and has been the lowest-finishing Trackhouse driver in 5 of seven races run thus far in 2026. Whereas the complete staff appears off, he clearly needs to shut the hole to his teammates. However as of proper now, the lone ROTY candidate nonetheless has a number of work to do.
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