Deadspin: William Byron rules Martinsville’s Xfinity 500; Kyle Larson does not clinch Chase

Byron controls Martinsville race

Byron, a 28-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver, won for the fourth time at the half-mile track. Ty Gibbs, Josh Berry and Shane van Gisbergen followed Elliott to complete the top five.

Chevrolet secured its third consecutive Martinsville win and eighth in the past 13 starts there. Byron’s victory was his first of the 2026 season.

Title fight goes to Homestead

Larson finished ninth and will take a 67-point advantage over Bell into the season finale. Hamlin, who started on the pole and finished sixth, is the only other driver besides Larson and Bell still eligible for the title; he trails Larson by 70 points.

Briscoe finished 14th, ending his championship bid. During Stage 1, Larson’s Chevrolet was 23rd, while Hamlin and Briscoe failed to capitalize on his position. Bell earned six stage points and eight points overall on the day.

Cautions reshape the field

At the midpoint of Stage 1, most of the field came in for service, but all Chase contenders except Bell stayed out. Byron won the stage ahead of Gibbs, Ryan Preece, Bell and Berry.

A spin by Carson Hocevar left only six cars on the lead lap. Hamlin restarted 13th after his team kept him out on tires with seven laps of use; Bell was one spot behind after a pit-stop penalty, and Larson restarted a lap down in 15th.

On Lap 216, Joey Logano’s charge into Turn 1 triggered a wreck that sent Bell into Hamlin, with both Toyotas hitting the wall. The caution enabled Larson to return to the lead lap, and the three title contenders lined up in order.

Late stop seals victory

For nearly 200 laps, Hamlin and Larson ran close together, usually one position apart, while Bell was a few places ahead. Byron held a five-second lead over Elliott before making his final pit stop with about 80 laps remaining.