Race 7
By Roy J. Akers-www.skyviewsports.net
Martinsville is several Cup drivers’ favorite racetrack, and Ryan Blaney, who has 3 DNF races in a row, is in a position to do something about that. Blaney has won the last two fall races at the track and has been in the Top ten 10 of the last 12 races with most being in the Top 5. Blaney’s worst performances dating back to 2019 is 11th, and he did that twice. If Blaney was to win again, he would have to worry about Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin.
First Stage
After Joey Logano wins Stage 1 to pick up ten points, Alex Bowman finishes second, followed by AJ Allmendinger in third, Brad Keselowski in fourth, and Erik Jones rounding out the top five. These drivers stayed out of the pits following a spin late in Stage 1 by Chris Buescher. Logano earned his first Stage points since Daytona. Logano and the other drivers electing to win S1 points instead of pit, do so between the 1st and Second Stage. Josh Berry leads the most laps with 40, Logano, Bell 24, and Logano 13.
Second Stage
Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott take the field to green and Elliott gets by Bowman on lap 93 of 400. Denny Hamlin, a 5-time winner at the track, takes second, and Kyle Larson is third. Logano, after his between-Stage pit stop, is now 20th. Lap 122 brings out a caution. Burt Myers experiences mechanical issues, slowing down on the frontstretch from 37th position. Elliott still leads and led only two laps in 2025 and will easily top that today. After the 4th race caution, Eight lead changes have occurred among seven different drivers. By lap 146, driver battles now put Hamlin, Bubba Wallace and Ty Gibbs 1-2-3. Of the 38 starting drivers, 33 are still on the lead lap. As the track rubbers up in the bottom two lanes, drivers are moving around, and several are now having cooling problems.
William Byron is having major problems with his machine being too tight, meaning his speed is getting away from him. Hamlin has caught traffic one lap down with 12 to go in the Stage. Stenhouse Jr. is trying to stay on the lead lap and the #11 has his lead cut to a scant few tenths of a second. Hamlin takes the Stage to earn the 10 bonus points. Elliott is second and Wallace third.
Hamlin’s Dominance through Stage Two
On lap 189 of 400, Denny Hamlin leads the race under caution. The field has seen seven lead changes among six different drivers, with five cautions totaling 43 laps. Hamlin, who started fifth in the No. 11 Toyota, has led 63 laps and holds a 0.868-second advantage over second-place Chase Elliott.
Hamlin’s performance highlights:
- Best lap time: 20.217 seconds (93.664 mph) on lap 133
- Average running position: 4.01
- Three pit stops, with the most recent three laps ago
- 137 laps in the top five, 183 laps in the top ten
Final Stage
With pit jockeying by drivers between the Stages, Hamlin and Elliott stay out and are first and second on lap 194. The top three stay that way for 81 laps. The biggest surprise in the race is Ty Gibbs. Gibbs has had a miserable start to the 2025 season and ran most of this race inside the Top Ten. Gibbs is 34th in Cup points with 2 DNFs. Much is expected from Ty as the driver of the 54 and grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs. Hamlin builds his lead to over second-place Elliott. Shane van Gisbergen loses a wheel following a pit stop on lap 275 bringing a caution. Hamlin leads the lead lap cars to the pits keeps the lead with the field pitting. With 112 laps to go its Hamlin, Christopher Bell and Wallace with Elliott 4th.
Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain engage in a fierce battle for fifth place. Chastain, frustrated by Larson’s blocking, bumps him entering Turn 1. In Turn 3, Chastain pushes Larson high, causing Larson to drop to sixth position. On lap 297 (103 to go), Gibbs overdrives a corner and is spun around and draws a caution while running 11th. The field is down to 25 drivers on the lead lap with seven more just a lap down.
With the green flag thrown with 94 to go, Hamlin leads Wallace, Bell, and Elliott. Mischief behind the leaders brings about a caution just two laps later. Drivers are becoming increasingly frustrated as many are being bumped, banged, and spun out. Chase Briscoe clips the curb in Turn 3 while running sixth, goes sideways, and hits Joey Logano, who then spins. With less than 77 to go, Bell and Hamlin duel it out, trading the lead several times. The first six are running single file before the field starts running two-wide. With 62 laps to go, its Hamlin, Bell, Wallace, Larson, and Elliott 1-5. Hamlin slowly builds his lead to 1.5 seconds over Bell and then nearly triples it moving through lapped traffic. Its enough and Hamlin wins for the 55th time in his career.
Checkered Flag
Hamlin has won five times at Martinsville in his career before Sunday, but not since 2010. Since Cota, he has an average finish of 5.6 and it looks like he is back on track to be in contention for his first Cup title. Hamlin has won for the 55th time in his career. He held up an 11 Flag and taunted the fans with “The #11 against the World.” You held up that flag, ’11 against the world’. Q- What is that all about? DENNY HAMLIN: My buddies, my Ohio State fans that I hung out with at the end of last year, we always had the ‘Ohio State against the world’. So now it’s ’11 against the world’.
In the Mix 1- Christopher Bell
Christopher Bell has won three times this season and finished second to Hamlin. Strangely, he is only 5th in points going into Martinsville as he has one DNF and was caught up in a few wrecks. Bell appears to be back. Joe Gibbs Racing finishes 1-2 and his team has won 15 times at Martinsville. The third most ever. CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DEWALT Outdoors Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Where was the difference in what Denny had, and what you needed?
“I don’t know what he was doing early in the run – if he was struggling with something or if he was just taking care of the tires. I could keep pace with him, and I could pressure him for a little bit, and then I just died about 20 to 30 to go, maybe longer than that. I was then in hang on mode, but it was a great weekend for our team. This DEWALT Camry was really good on Saturday, and that helped a lot of our success today. Pit crew did a great job when it mattered – showed up and gained some spots on pit road.”
In the Mix 2- Bubba Wallace
Wallace finishes third on Sunday and he is 8th in driver points after Martinsville. He has earned two- top five finishes and a Stage win. He also has two DNF’s this season. How does this one feel leaving Martinsville?
“I feel like we were definitely better than the 20 (Christopher Bell), but just everybody get so stuck. When you feel like you have an advantage, you can’t really do anything with it. We need to continue to work on this package, but all-in-all – back-to-back top-fives is a good day. It’s usually around those summer months when we do that (laughter). It is nice to have a really good points day. I’m sure that’s what the text from MJ (Michael Jordan, co-owner, 23XI Racing) will say, but all-in-all, really proud of my McDonald’s Toyota team. We’ve showed up since the beginning of the season with our heads in the game. Charles (Denike, crew chief) jumping into this – I’m super proud of him to basically pick up where we left off. Bootie (Barker, former crew chief) left him in good hands. It was definitely a team effort all day. Good to come out of here with a good result in one of my favorite places.”
He said it… Joey Logano
JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – A LONG TYPICAL DAY AT MARTINSVILLE. “It seems like it’s been a typical 2025. A pretty solid car and then something happens. Overall, I feel the guys gave me a really fast Shell/Pennzoil Mustang, one that was possible to win with if we got the track position. We went for that stage win early in the race in Stage 1. I think that was the right call. We got ourselves back in the ballpark there and the long haul was pretty good. It was just kind of like a pick them off one at a time kind of thing and then Ross just sticking it in a tight spot. He did it to me on the restart before. I can’t even blame Briscoe for shipping him. I think he got himself in a bind trying to ship him. He just races like a jackass every week and I keep paying the price. I’m sick of paying the price.”
Factiod that may only interest me…
Joey Logano is the 2024 NASCAR Cup champion, and he is the first defending champion to need seven races before finishing with a Top-Ten.
There have been 154 races run at Martinsville, and NEVER have all cars finished the race. It almost happened but with 26 laps to go, Austin Cindric’s battery failed, and the Penske team did not have a spare.
Tale of the Tape
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