Denny Hamlin reclaimed victory at Martinsville Speedway, a track he has long excelled at, with a new crew chief leading his team.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver finally ended a frustrating decade-long drought at Martinsville, holding off teammate Christopher Bell to secure his playoff spot in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Hamlin, who hails from Chesterfield near Richmond, has now won six times at Martinsville—more than any other active driver. However, Sunday marked his first victory there since March 29, 2015, and his first win with crew chief Chris Gayle, who joined his team this season.
Behind the wheel of a Camry that reminded him of past successes, Hamlin led 274 of the final laps after overtaking Chase Elliott, thanks to significant adjustments to the car’s setup.
With his 55th career win—tying him with NASCAR legend Rusty Wallace for 11th on the all-time list—the 44-year-old also ended a 31-race winless streak dating back to last April’s race at Dover.
Hamlin credited his victory to the efforts of Chris Gayle, his engineers, and the pit crew, who adopted a fresh strategy for this race. He expressed his excitement about winning with Gayle and his deep appreciation for success at Martinsville.
