William Byron Dominates Martinsville for First 2026 Cup Win 0mLink copied!

Nov 2, 2026, 10:59 AM ET

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott finished as the runner-up in the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday. Elliott started ninth in the race and was one of several drivers to hit pit road midway through the first stage on lap 66 for tires and fuel. Although this put him behind in track position initially, Elliott rallied and made it up to 10th by the end of the first stage. In the second stage, Elliott did not make much progress to the front initially, but he did avoid pit road until a lap 199 caution for Carson Hocevar spinning. Elliott cycled to the front of the pack behind his teammate William Byron as a result and went on to finish the second stage behind him. In the final stage, Elliott ran second almost the entire stage behind Byron. Although lap traffic got Elliott close to Byron in the final laps, he could not get close enough to make any moves on Byron, while more traffic caused Elliott to fade behind Byron late on the final lap. After Martinsville, Elliott moved up to 10th in the championship standings with only one race left for the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Nov 2, 2026, 10:58 AM ET

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin finished in sixth position during Sunday's Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Hamlin started the race from the pole position, but quickly lost the lead to his teammate Ty Gibbs on lap three as he overshot one of the corners. By lap 46, however, Hamlin regained the lead from Gibbs and held it until lap 85, when lap traffic slowed him down to the point where Ryan Preece passed him. As other drivers went to pit road for fresh tires and fuel midway through the stage, Hamlin ran the entire stage without pitting. This caused him to lose positions on older tires until he ended the first stage in 17th and without stage points. In the second stage, Hamlin struggled to regain his track position, but tried to pit midway through the stage. He was a lap down when the caution came out on lap 199, but he took the wave around to get back on the lead lap. However, after the next restart, Hamlin spun after contact with Christopher Bell and Joey Logano on lap 216. Hamlin tried to regain further positions for stage points, but fell short of earning any at the end of the second stage as he placed 12th. In the final stage, Hamlin kept his car clean and avoided further mistakes, allowing him to move up through the field as the race progressed on a longer green flag run. He made it up to his eventual finishing position of sixth, falling short of a top-5 finish. After the 35th race of the year, Hamlin is still alive in the championship fight as he is 70 points behind Kyle Larson in the standings. However, he is a long shot to win the title as he is the furthest back of the three drivers remaining for the championship, but he can easily be eliminated after the first stage.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Nov 2, 2026, 10:55 AM ET

Kyle Larson's performance in the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway was full of challenges, but he recovered for a top-10 finish by the end of the event. Larson started the race from third, but immediately fell to fifth. He continued to run inside the top 10 until drivers started pitting around lap 63. Larson continued to stay on track and ran the whole stage on older tires. This proved to be detrimental for his track position as he fell back to 23rd by the end of the stage and fell off the lead lap. For most of the second stage, Larson tried to get back to the lead lap, but was unable to do so until a lap 217 caution for Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin spinning. Despite making it back to the lead lap, Larson was unable to make it back to the top 10 to score any stage points as he finished the second stage in 13th. In the final stage, Larson quietly kept his car clean and ran without further issues, eventually going from the top 15 to finishing the race in ninth. As a result, Larson maintained the championship lead, but failed to clinch the title at Martinsville. With Homestead as the final race of the season, Larson can win the 2026 championship with eight points or a finish of 28th or better.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Nov 2, 2026, 10:54 AM ET

Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing finished 10th in the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, but could have potentially scored a better finish. Bell began the race from 14th position and only made it up to 11th before his first pit stop on lap 62 for fresh tires and fuel. Other drivers stayed out on track at this time, allowing Bell to take advantage of his fresher tires to pass other drivers quickly and move to the front. The No. 20 Toyota driver ended the first stage in fourth and scored seven stage points. In the second stage, Bell ran third behind William Byron and Ryan Preece until he elected to move to pit road on lap 199 right as a caution was called. During this pit stop, however, Bell was tagged with a speeding penalty and lost his track position. From there, Bell restarted in the top 15, but then a few laps later spun on track thanks to Joey Logano. After this spin, Bell recovered to end the second stage in 10th and earn one extra stage point. In the final stage, Bell made it up to as high as sixth before dropping back positions over the course of the stage as others were better over the final long green flag run. Bell placed 10th for his 19th top-10 finish of the 2026 season. With this performance, Bell moves to second in the championship standings, with a slim chance of fighting for the title next week at Homestead, as he is now 67 points back from leader Kyle Larson.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Nov 1, 2026, 12:25 PM ET

Ryan Blaney of Team Penske will start in 13th for this week's race at Martinsville, the Xfinity 500. Blaney continues to miss out on a top-10 starting position at Martinsville since April 2024. In 21 Cup starts at Martinsville, Blaney has two wins, 14 top-10 finishes, and an active driver series-leading average finish of 8.0. With 34 races completed so far this year, Blaney has three wins, 22 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 12.4. In practice for this week's race, Blaney ranked as high as 10th in 10-15 consecutive lap averages. Compared to most drivers, Blaney has more upside, great track history, and solid practice speeds. Fantasy players should consider Blaney as a favorable option in all lineups this week at Martinsville. --Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Nov 1, 2026, 12:20 PM ET

Team Penske's Joey Logano qualified fifth for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, marking his first top-five start at the site since October of 2025. In 35 Cup starts at Martinsville, Logano has one win and 23 top-10 finishes with an average finish of 10.4. Through 34 Cup races so far this season, Logano has three wins, 15 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 15.8. In practice for Sunday's race, Logano ranked 16th in 10 consecutive lap averages and 17th in 30 consecutive lap averages. Although Logano has been a highly consistent top-10 finisher with 14 straight top-10s at Martinsville going into this week's race, he is a DFS risk based on starting position and practice speeds. Logano is best recommended for tournament lineups, but makes for a solid contrarian option in that DFS format.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Nov 1, 2026, 12:14 PM ET

Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing will start 14th after qualifying for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. This will be the third race in a row at Martinsville where Bell will start in the top 15, but not inside the top 10. In 13 Cup starts at Martinsville, Bell has one win, six top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 14.2. After 34 Cup races completed this year so far, Bell has one win, 18 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 13.8. In practice for this week's race, Bell displayed top-5 speeds in the 10-25 consecutive lap average categories. Considering his upside, positive track history, and highly favorable practice speeds, Bell is one of the top DFS options to recommend for all formats this week.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Nov 1, 2026, 12:04 PM ET

Joe Gibbs Racing's Chase Briscoe will start in 11th for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. In 11 Cup races at Martinsville, Briscoe has six top-10 finishes with an average finish of 14.6. Through 34 races completed in the 2026 season, Briscoe has three wins, 18 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 14.4. In practice for this week's race, Briscoe ranked eighth in 10 consecutive lap averages and 11th in 20 consecutive lap averages. Based on his practice speeds and overall track history, Briscoe is a top-10 contender worth consideration for all DFS formats this week at Martinsville.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Nov 1, 2026, 12:01 PM ET

Ty Gibbs will start on the front row for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway after qualifying second on Saturday. This is the third time that Gibbs will start in the second position at Martinsville, but he has never scored the pole position at the site in his Cup career. In eight Cup races at Martinsville, Gibbs has one top-5 finish, but it was earlier this season at the site where he finished in fourth. He also has an average finish of 16.9 in his Cup career at Martinsville. In 34 races so far this year, Gibbs has two wins, 19 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 13.0. During Saturday's practice, Gibbs ranked as high as fourth in 10-20 consecutive lap averages while ranking fifth in 25 consecutive lap averages and eighth in 30 consecutive lap averages. Due to his starting position at the front, Gibbs has the potential to be a dominator early on and also compete for the win based on his fast practice speeds. --Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Nov 1, 2026, 11:50 AM ET

Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron will start eighth for this week's race at Martinsville Speedway, the Xfinity 500. It will be the fifth consecutive Martinsville race with a top-10 starting position for Byron. In 17 Cup races at Martinsville, Byron has three wins, 10 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 12.6. He is also the defending winner of this week's Cup race. In 34 races completed this season, Byron has 16 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 16.0. Through practice on Saturday, Byron ranked as high as 12th in 25 consecutive lap averages. With Martinsville being one of his better tracks statistically, Byron is a driver capable of placing in the top 10, especially based on equipment.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Nov 1, 2026, 11:44 AM ET

Chase Elliott will start in the ninth position for Sunday's Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. With his top-10 result in qualifying, Elliott will start in the top 10 for his sixth Martinsville race in a row. In 22 races at Martinsville in his Cup career, Elliott has two wins, 15 top-10 finishes, and 1,359 laps led with an average finish of 10.8. After 34 races so far this year, Elliott has two wins, 12 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 15.2. In practice for this week's race, Elliott showed plenty of speed on longer green flag runs as he ranked as high as fourth in 30 consecutive lap averages. Martinsville is one of Elliott's best tracks, and he has placed in the top five in each of the last five races at the site. Fantasy players should heavily consider Elliott for DFS this week, as he is likely to have a great result at this track.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Nov 1, 2026, 11:34 AM ET

Josh Berry of Wood Brothers Racing will start in 10th for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. With this starting position, it will be the first time in Berry's Cup career that he will start in the top 10 at Martinsville in back-to-back races. In five Cup starts at the site, Berry has two top-10 finishes, which he scored in his last two races at the track. He also has an average finish of 18.6 in his Cup career at Martinsville. With 34 races completed so far this season, Berry has 10 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 21.6. In practice for this week's race, Berry displayed top-10 speeds in the 10, 15, 25, and 30 consecutive lap average categories. Since his racing background comes from short-track racing, Martinsville is one of Berry's better tracks to race on in the Cup Series. Although he does not carry as much upside as some drivers, Berry has a higher chance of placing in the top 10 than most, making him worth consideration for all DFS formats this week.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Nov 1, 2026, 11:22 AM ET

23XI Racing's Bubba Wallace qualified 15th for this week's Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. This matches the same exact position Wallace qualified in for the previous race at the site back in March 2026. In 17 Cup starts at Martinsville, Wallace has four top-10 finishes and an average finish of 17.3. Through 34 races so far this season, Wallace has 15 top-10 finishes with an average finish of 16.2. In practice for this week's race, Wallace ranked as high as 22nd in both 20 and 25 consecutive lap averages. Overall, Wallace's track history has been decent at Martinsville, and he has the equipment needed to maintain a top-15 finish. Fantasy players can consider him a respectable DFS option for all formats this week.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Oct 31, 2026, 10:59 PM ET

Denny Hamlin won the pole for this weekend's Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, the first step in potentially having a maximum-points day on Sunday. Heading into the final two races of the season, Hamlin is 73 points behind Kyle Larson in the Championship standings, so he will be looking to have a maximum-points day here this weekend to close the gap as much as possible before the season finale at Homestead next weekend. Martinsville is a phenomenal track for Denny Hamlin, as he has six wins here and an average finish of 10.2 over 41 career starts. Over the last eight races here, Denny has posted six top-five finishes, and only one result worse than 11th. As far as DFS goes this weekend, Hamlin is a must-play, even at his high salary ($12,000 on DraftKings), as the No. 11 Toyota could absolutely dominate and win this race on Sunday afternoon.--Jordan McAbee
Source: ESPN

Oct 31, 2026, 10:54 PM ET

After his huge win at Talladega last weekend, Kyle Larson now looks well on his way to his second straight NASCAR Cup Series Championship, as the Hendrick Motorsports driver has a 73-point advantage over the rest of the Chase drivers with two races left to go in the season. It will likely take an epic failure for Larson to not win the title this year, and he gave himself even more of a boost this weekend by qualifying third for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday. Track position is very important at a short track like Martinsville, so qualifying third is a major advantage for Larson this weekend. With that being said, he's likely not going to be a great daily fantasy pick. Larson really just has to cruise and not make any mistakes, and this No. 5 team struggled here at Martinsville in the spring, scoring just 30 points after a ninth-place finish. During practice, Larson came on the radio to let his team know that his car "sucks," but he did note later in the session that their adjustments were making the No. 5 Chevrolet better.--Jordan McAbee
Source: Yahoo! Sports

Oct 31, 2026, 10:49 PM ET

Some drivers just struggle at specific tracks. For Tyler Reddick, that track is Martinsville Speedway. The 23XI Racing driver has made 13 career starts here in the Cup Series and has posted just two top-10 finishes: a seventh here back in 2024, and an eighth here in 2021. His career average finish at this track is 19.1, which is middle-of-the-road in terms of Cup Series drivers. For a driver of Reddick's caliber, that's certainly disappointing. This weekend, Reddick qualified in 12th for Sunday's Xfinity 500, and while he may have an outside shot at a top-10 result, it's certainly not expected. The No. 45 Toyota struggled to find speed during practice this weekend, as Reddick was just 30th-fastest on the overall speed chart on Saturday. It's probably best to stay away from him in daily fantasy this weekend. --Jordan McAbee
Source: Jayski

Oct 31, 2026, 10:47 PM ET

Keep an eye on Austin Cindric this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. There's no doubt that Team Penske knows how to bring fast race cars to this track, and Cindric joined in on the speed earlier this season, starting sixth and finishing eighth in the first stop at "The Paperclip" in 2026. He also finished fifth and sixth in the two Stages. This weekend, Cindric is off to an even better start, as he qualified fourth for Sunday afternoon's Xfinity 500. The No. 2 Ford was also strong on the speed chart in practice, posting the best 30-lap average in the field. Cindric has three top-10 finishes in the last six Martinsville races and looks poised to make it four of seven here this weekend. In DFS, he's a risky play since he's starting on the second row, but as an outside dominator, Cindric ($8.2K on DraftKings) could be a valuable mid-range tournament play if his practice speed comes true in the race. --Jordan McAbee
Source: Speedway Media

Oct 31, 2026, 10:41 PM ET

It was an up-and-down day on Saturday at Martinsville Speedway for Carson Hocevar, as the Spire Motorsports driver had a strong practice session to start out, ranking seventh-fastest on the speed chart with a lap of 19.775 seconds. He also looked very strong on the long run in practice, ranking third or better in 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, and 30-lap average. Even Hocevar himself remarked after practice, "That's probably the best I've ever felt here." And then qualifying happened. On his hot lap, Hocevar ended up hitting the curb and got out of the groove, ending up just 25th-fastest on the speed chart. In other words, he'll have some work to do on race day, and he's a prime Place Differential pick in DFS--as long as he can stay on the lead lap. One downside to Hocevar this weekend is that in six career Cup Series starts at the track, he's never finished better than 17th.--Jordan McAbee
Source: PitByNumbers

Oct 31, 2026, 10:37 PM ET

After practice and qualifying at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday afternoon, one thing was clear: Ryan Preece has a good race car this weekend. The No. 60 Ford was the fastest car in the lone practice session of the weekend, and in terms of long-run speed, Preece ranked sixth-best in 30-lap average as well. He also qualified sixth for the Xfinity 500 on Sunday. When talking about adjustments and how track conditions were on Saturday, Preece remarked, "I'm really proud of the adjustments we made to make our car better in the long run. It looks like guys are struggling, and I hope I don't eat my words, but we're really good." At Martinsville specifically, Preece has top-10 finishes in three of the last five races, and hasn't finished worsew than 14th here since 2023. He's a tournament-style play in DFS this weekend.--Jordan McAbee
Source: PitByNumbers

Oct 26, 2026, 1:32 PM ET

Before Sunday's YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Kyle Larson had never won a race at a drafting track. In the Cup Series event, Larson started from 10th, but ran very well throughout. In the first stage, Larson climbed from 10th to fourth, finishing behind three RFK Racing drivers who used an unusual pit strategy to get far ahead of the pack. Larson lost ground during the stage break between the first and second stage as he was one of only a few drivers to head to pit road for fuel. In the second stage, Larson recovered positions and competed for the lead until a lap 132 wreck that Larson avoided. From there, he stayed off pit road and fell short of the stage win, finishing second behind Joey Logano. In the final stage, Larson kept moving between the front and back of the lead pack at times, but regained the lead on lap 155 before fading back around laps 174 to 176. A few laps later, with more drivers pushing him, Larson made it back to the top five and avoided a massive crash on lap 183. With Larson now in second, he set himself up to contend for the win, with Austin Hill pushing him. On the final lap, Hill dived under Larson and moved him up the track, causing him to fade to 11th. However, thanks to Ross Chastain pushing him, Larson mounted a huge run off the final corner and passed every car in front of him to take a clutch victory at the finish line over William Byron and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Larson's first Talladega win left him with the championship lead in the standings, now 73 points ahead of second place with two races left and a chance to clinch the title next week at Martinsville. --Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com