Byron Wins at Martinsville to End 35-Race Drought, Larson Title Waits for Homestead

William Byron won the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, November 1, 2026, leading 362 of the 500 laps in the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Byron started eighth and beat his teammate Chase Elliott by 2 seconds in the penultimate race of the NASCAR Cup Series season. NASCAR said the Virginia race was a sellout, the 13th of the season.

Byron swept the first two stages. After the final green flag pit stops, he cycled back to the lead with 74 laps to go, passing Chase Briscoe, and held it to the finish. He led more laps on Sunday than in the 34 previous races of the season combined.

The win snapped a 35-race winless streak. It was Byron's first win of the 2026 season and his first in more than a year, and his last previous victory also came at Martinsville, last fall. It is the 17th win of his Cup Series career and his fourth win at Martinsville, earning a fourth Martinsville grandfather clock, the track's traditional trophy. Hendrick finished first and second, and is the winningest team in Martinsville history with 32 victories.

Larson leaves with his lead intact

Championship leader Kyle Larson finished ninth and did not clinch the title at Martinsville. He lost only six points from his lead and heads to the finale leading Christopher Bell by 67 points, 2,469 to 2,402. Denny Hamlin sits third on 2,399 points, 70 behind Larson. Bell and Hamlin are the only other drivers still in contention. A lead of 77 points or more would have clinched the title, and Larson failed to become the first driver to clinch a Chase championship before the finale.

Larson started third, but his team kept him on track instead of pitting after 75 laps in the first stage. He ended that stage 23rd and a lap down, scored no stage points, and needed nearly 100 laps to regain the lead lap. Hamlin used the same strategy: he started on pole, led 40 laps, ended the stage 17th with no stage points, and finished sixth.

A hard day for Blaney

Behind Byron and Elliott, Ty Gibbs finished third, Josh Berry fourth and Shane van Gisbergen fifth. Hamlin was sixth, Austin Dillon seventh, Bubba Wallace eighth, Larson ninth and Bell tenth.

Ryan Blaney was eliminated from title contention on lap 253. His front end twice hit the rear of Josh Berry's No. 21 Ford and he spun between turns one and two. His crew got him back out, but 57 laps down. Austin Cindric retired with front end damage after contact with Carson Hocevar. On his team radio, as reported by USA Today, Cindric said: "NASCAR, what are we doing? Like, we are just weaponizing cars here." He declined to enter the media center for comment after being released by the infield care center.

The title will be decided at Homestead

The season ends on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at Homestead-Miami Speedway, which hosts the finale for the first time in seven years. Larson won the most recent Cup race there, on March 23, 2025, and goes in as a heavy favorite. A third Cup title would make him the third Hendrick driver with three championships, joining Jeff Gordon (four) and Jimmie Johnson (seven). Byron, out of title contention, ends his year with the drought over.