Hamlin, Byron Headline Martinsville Showdown in NASCAR Cook Out 400

Denny Hamlin and William Byron, two of the most successful drivers at Martinsville Speedway, will lead the field to green in Sunday's 400-lap race.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 4:36pm

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting the NASCAR Cook Out 400 race at Martinsville Speedway, with overlapping geometric shapes and planes of color representing the high-intensity action on the track.The cubist, geometric deconstruction of the intense short track battle at Martinsville Speedway captures the raw energy and competitive spirit of the NASCAR Cook Out 400.Martinsville Today

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Martinsville Speedway this Sunday for the Cook Out 400, a 400-lap race on the historic 0.526-mile short track. Denny Hamlin, a six-time winner at Martinsville, will start from the pole position, joined on the front row by William Byron, the winner of last fall's race at the Virginia track. The two drivers have combined for nine victories at Martinsville, setting up a potential showdown between the short track aces.

Why it matters

Martinsville Speedway is one of the most iconic and challenging tracks on the NASCAR schedule. The tight confines and high-intensity racing often produce thrilling finishes and intense battles for the grandfather clock trophy awarded to the winner. With Hamlin and Byron leading the field, Sunday's race has the potential to be a classic short track showdown between two of the sport's top drivers.

The details

The Cook Out 400 will be divided into three stages, with the first stage ending at Lap 80, the second stage concluding at Lap 180, and the checkered flag waving at the end of Lap 400. The race will feature NASCAR's high-horsepower, low-downforce package, which should create opportunities for drivers to make passes and move through the field over the course of long green-flag runs.

  • The race will be televised on FS1, with coverage beginning at 3:30 PM ET on Sunday, March 29, 2026.
  • Stage 1 will conclude at the end of Lap 80, Stage 2 will end at the conclusion of Lap 180, and the race will finish at the end of Lap 400.

The players

Denny Hamlin

A six-time winner at Martinsville Speedway, Hamlin will start from the pole position as he seeks his seventh grandfather clock trophy, the traditional award given to each Martinsville winner.

William Byron

The winner of last fall's race at Martinsville, Byron will start alongside Hamlin on the front row. Byron drives the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, the team with the most all-time wins (30) at the Virginia short track.

Ryan Blaney

Blaney has been one of the best drivers on long runs at Martinsville in recent years and was among the fastest in Saturday's practice session, so he'll be a driver to watch throughout the 400-lap race.

Kyle Busch

Busch is mired in a career-worst 99-race winless drought and struggled with an ill-handling car during Saturday's practice and qualifying sessions, raising questions about his ability to contend on Sunday.

Shane van Gisbergen

The New Zealand native has shown significant improvement on oval tracks this season and will start fifth on Sunday, continuing his progress on non-road course layouts.

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What they’re saying

“Sideways. Undriveable loose.”

— Kyle Busch, NASCAR Cup Series Driver

“I would love to have another clock in my collection. Yeah, it would be awesome. And my team has had historic success here, so to add to that would be awesome. We'll see what we can do.”

— Ty Gibbs, NASCAR Cup Series Driver

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

Sunday's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway has the potential to be a classic short track showdown between two of NASCAR's top drivers, Denny Hamlin and William Byron. With the high-horsepower, low-downforce package and a soft Goodyear tire, the race could see plenty of passing and position changes throughout the 400 laps, making for an exciting and unpredictable event.