Who won NASCAR’s Martinsville race? Winner, full result and more explored

NASCAR Cup Series' visit to Martinsville Speedway marked the end of the short track swing for the 2023 season. The 400-lap-long NOCO 400 saw Kyle Larson visit victory lane after clinching the lead late in the race. This made the #5 hendrickcars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver to become the second repeat winner of the season, along with teammate William Byron.

JJ Yeley's crash into the outside wall of the 0.5-mile-long track meant the race was restarted on lap 46. Larson went into the pits to take on a 2-tire pitstop, which ultimately allowed the Elk Grove, California native to run down and pass Team Penske's Joey Logano for the lead. After Larson managed to pass Logano, he built a 3-second lead over the field, which he carried across the starting finish line to the very end.

Elaborating on how the #5 crew at Hendrick Motorsports managed to get the setup of the car just right, Kyle Larson said in a post-race interview:

“We had a great car. That was the best my car had been, I think, being able to get out front and manage. I never ever would have thought that I would win here at Martinsville. This place has been so tough on me. Just does not suit my driving style at all. I like to charge the center. I like to roll momentum, and that’s just not what this place is like.”

After visiting a range of short tracks over the past few weeks, NASCAR heads to the vast Talladega Superspeedway next weekend for GEICO 500.

Denny Hamlin rues over NASCAR Next Gen car's performance at Martinsville Speedway

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin managed to finish in P4 in last Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. Despite managing to bag a decent top 5 result, the #11 FedEx Toyota Camry TRD driver was not satisfied with how his car performed during the 400-lap-long NOCO 400.

He elaborated on the lack of overtaking opportunities with the Next Gen NASCAR Cup car and said:

“The package was terrible, it’s either the package or the tires. You can’t pass. Cars that I was lapping 10 laps before, we caught a caution, and I couldn’t pass them for second. It’s very difficult. Next Gen racing is all about strategy, execution on pit road."

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the expansive Talladega Superspeedway next weekend for the GEICO 500.