William Byron took the lead with 73 laps to go and held onto it throughout a two-lap extra time end Sunday to boost Hendrick Motorsports’ celebration of its 40-year anniversary of its first victory in racing with a victory within the NASCAR Cup Collection at Martinsville Speedway.

Byron, the primary of the contenders to pit below a inexperienced flag with 104 laps to go, moved to the entrance 31 laps later and was by no means threatened after getting the leap firstly of extra time. It was his third win this season, and his second on the 0.526-mile, paper-clip formed oval.

He stayed on the monitor when John Hunter Nemechek crashed in flip three with three laps to go after which held off teammates Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson after the ultimate inexperienced flag. It marked the primary 1-2-3 end for any crew in Martinsville’s lengthy historical past internet hosting inventory automotive races.

Larson rallied to complete second, Elliott third, Bubba Wallace fourth and Ryan Blaney fifth.

The race featured lengthy inexperienced flag runs, with two of the 5 cautions pre-planned on the finish of levels one and two. There have been 13 lead modifications amongst eight drivers.

The victory was the 305th for Hendrick groups and its twenty ninth at NASCAR’s smallest, oldest monitor, a document for a company at any venue. Geoff Bodine had the primary one win at Martinsville on April 29, 1984. It satisfied crew proprietor Rick Hendrick to not fold his fledgling. struggling crew.

All 4 Hendrick vehicles featured ruby crimson paint schemes, marking the anniversary.

The Hendrick group hosted greater than 1,000 present and former staff for the race, however the proprietor was not capable of attend, having lately undergone knee substitute surgical procedure.

Larson, the defending race winner and pole-sitter, led all 80 laps within the first stage. Joey Logano gambled by taking proper facet tires solely throughout pit stops after the stage and led the primary 83 laps of green-flag racing within the second stage earlier than Denny Hamlin handed him to win the stage.