William Byron won at Martinsville ahead of Chase Elliott and Ty Gibbs. Kyle Larson recovered to ninth and leads Christopher Bell by 67 points, with the title still undecided before the 8 November 2026 finale at Homestead-Miami.
William Byron won the 1 November 2026 NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway, leading 362 of 500 laps. Chase Elliott finished second for a Hendrick Motorsports one-two, ahead of Ty Gibbs in third.
The race was the ninth of the 10-race Chase, the season-ending championship run. Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin remain the only drivers in title contention.
| Driver | Race finish | Championship gap |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | ninth | Leader |
| Christopher Bell | tenth | 67 points behind |
| Denny Hamlin | sixth | 70 points behind |
Byron’s victory was his 17th career win, his fourth at Martinsville and his first since winning there a year earlier. Hendrick, which also fields Larson, extended its track record to 32 victories.
The Associated Press account published by ESPN said Larson’s team kept him on track when most drivers stopped for fresh tires after 75 laps, hoping for an early caution that would slow the field. Racing instead continued without a caution until lap 130, leaving him 23rd and a lap down at the end of the first stage.
Larson needed nearly 100 laps to regain the lead lap and spent most of the race in heavy traffic. His recovery limited the reduction in his championship lead to six points.
Hamlin also stayed out rather than stopping for tires. He started on pole, the front starting position, and led 40 laps, but ended the first stage in 17th. He scored no points in either of the first two stages and said losing track position made it hard to return to the front.
Bell received a speeding penalty in the pit area and later spun after contact with Joey Logano in an incident that also involved Hamlin. Hamlin entered Martinsville second in the championship, 73 points behind Larson. He gained three points on Larson but fell behind Bell.
Bell and Hamlin drive for Joe Gibbs Racing, as does third-place finisher Gibbs.
The season is scheduled to conclude at Homestead-Miami Speedway on 8 November 2026. Larson needs 9 points to clinch and could secure the championship through points earned in the first two stages, before the race ends.
The reigning champion would earn his third career Cup Series title and a record 16th for Hendrick. He has won two of the past four Cup races at Homestead, including the most recent on 23 March 2025.
Asked about his title prospects, Bell said, “I think we know.” Hamlin said his team had not gained enough to make its chances realistic. Larson’s stated aim for the finale was to score well early, then push in the last stage.
We’d love to get a couple good first stages, then pound it in the third stage
Arsen Davtyan won Group A with 7.5 points, while Narek Mkrtchyan won Group B; the results were announced on 30 October 2026.
1 min
Yerevan beat ProDev 17–1 to stay top with a perfect record. Unisport beat Alashkert 5–1, Athletic Yerevan beat Lori United 3–2 and Team Agro beat Van 12–7. Unisport has 6 points and a game in hand; Alashkert is sixth with 3.
1 min
Armenia’s Gevorg Harutjunyan scored 5.5 points out of 9; Sargis Manukyan and Hamlet Antonyan each finished third in separate sections with 6 points out of 9.
2 min
