Denny Hamlin Triumphs at Martinsville, Ending a Decade-Long Drought

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Denny Hamlin finally broke a decade-long winless drought at Martinsville Speedway, dominating the Cook Out 400 and securing his first victory of the 2025 season on March 30. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver, who began his career with aspirations at this track, led 274 of 400 laps and finished more than 4.5 seconds ahead of teammate Christopher Bell.

This win marked the 55th of Hamlin’s NASCAR Cup Series career and his sixth at the historic oval. His last victory at Martinsville came nearly ten years ago, on March 29, 2015.

“The car was great; it did everything I needed it to do,” Hamlin told Fox Sports post-race. “I’m just so happy to win with my new crew chief, Chris Gayle, and to get win number 55.”

Hamlin credited Gayle’s fresh approach to the race strategy contributing to the team’s performance. The shift has reinvigorated Hamlin’s prospects, especially as he aims to continue this success into the playoffs.

After his victory, Hamlin unveiled a new flag stating “11 against the world,” inspired by the Ohio State Buckeyes football team’s motto. He celebrated his achievement in front of the Martinsville crowd, emphasizing his pride and connection to the win.

In the race’s final standings, Bell finished second, with Bubba Wallace trailing close behind in third. Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson rounded out the top five, while Ross Chastain, Ryan Preece, Joey Logano, Chase Briscoe, and Todd Gilliland completed the top ten.

Logano’s seventh-place finish marked a turnaround for the reigning Cup Series champion, who secured his first top ten of the season after a rough start. Ryan Blaney‘s 11th-place finish also helped him break a streak of three consecutive did-not-finish (DNF) results.

Despite his strong performance, Wallace expressed mixed emotions about his third-place finish. “I didn’t hit the fence and give the lead away here, but I’m still just as frustrated because I don’t know what it was that we actually needed to be better,” he said, reflecting on his approach following strong results this season.

Hamlin’s return to form may also spark renewed competition among race teams. “Seven races, they’ve been bringing fast cars, and it’s fun to be able to drive them [with my team] and get the finishes that we deserve,” Wallace stated.

The next NASCAR Cup Series race will take place at Darlington Raceway on April 6, where teams will celebrate a “throwback weekend” featuring vintage paint schemes.