Byron wins Martinsville for first Cup victory of 2026
Byron wins Martinsville
William Byron won the NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 at Martinsville and earned his first victory of the 2026 season. He led 362 of the 500 laps and held off Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott in the closing laps for a 1-2 finish.
Larson stays alive
Kyle Larson did not clinch the Cup Series title a week early, but he left Martinsville still in command of the standings. Larson finished ninth and remained the series leader with 2,469 points, carrying a 67-point edge over Christopher Bell into the final race. Larson’s race included an early setback when a strategy gamble briefly put him a lap down, but he recovered. He entered Martinsville with a 73-point lead over Denny Hamlin after winning at Talladega, and he still had the best points position when the checkered flag fell. Bell finished 10th and Hamlin finished sixth, and both remained mathematically alive for the championship. Larson did not put the title away at Martinsville, so the final race of the season will decide the championship with Larson, Bell and Hamlin still in the mix.
Martinsville sets final
Seven drivers remained eligible for the championship entering Martinsville, and the event was set to determine which of those title hopefuls would advance to the championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Hamlin won the pole for the Xfinity 500, giving him his sixth pole of the season and his second straight at Martinsville. Larson was scheduled to start third, putting him in the heart of the title fight from the first green flag.
NXTbets Pro | Published On: November 1, 2026
Byron wins Martinsville
William Byron won the NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 at Martinsville and earned his first victory of the 2026 season. He controlled the race from the front, led 362 of the 500 laps and then held off Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott in the closing laps for a 1-2 finish. The result gave Byron a strong finish to a race that carried playoff stakes from the start, and it also showed how much pace Hendrick Motorsports had at the front when the laps mattered most. Byron’s run kept the final stretch under control even as the field fought around him for position and playoff survival. Elliott stayed close enough to pressure his teammate late, but Byron closed the door and delivered the win. The victory also fit the larger arc of the day at Martinsville, where every lead lap, pit call and late-race move carried extra weight because the race stood between the title contenders and a trip to the championship race.
Larson stays alive
Kyle Larson did not clinch the Cup Series title a week early, but he left Martinsville still in command of the standings. Larson finished ninth and remained the series leader with 2,469 points, carrying a 67-point edge over Christopher Bell into the final race. That cushion kept him in the strongest position among the remaining title hopefuls, even after a night that did not end with a championship-clinching celebration. Larson’s race included an early setback when a strategy gamble briefly put him a lap down, but he recovered and fought back into contention. He entered Martinsville with a 73-point lead over Denny Hamlin after winning at Talladega, and he still had the best points position when the checkered flag fell. Bell finished 10th and Hamlin finished sixth, and both remained mathematically alive for the championship. The numbers made the picture clear. Larson still controlled his destiny, but he did not put the title away at Martinsville. Instead, the final race of the season will decide the championship with Larson, Bell and Hamlin still in the mix.
Martinsville sets final
Martinsville opened with a playoff field that still had room for movement. Seven drivers remained eligible for the championship entering the race, and the event was set to determine which of those title hopefuls would advance to the championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. That made the front row and the early race setup especially important, because every position carried postseason consequences. Hamlin won the pole for the Xfinity 500, giving him his sixth pole of the season and his second straight at Martinsville. Larson was scheduled to start third, putting him in the heart of the title fight from the first green flag. Those starting spots framed the race before the opening laps even settled in. Hamlin’s pole showed his speed at the track, Larson’s starting position kept him close to the front and the playoff format ensured that the race would reshape the championship picture by the end of the night. When it was over, Byron had the win, Larson still led the standings and Hamlin and Bell stayed mathematically alive heading to the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
