Hamlin Ends a Decade-Long Drought!

^{Mar 31, 2025 | Edition #157}

👋 Dear Motorheads,

Homestead-Miami set the bar high for the season, but when Martinsville’s next on the schedule, there’s no way things are staying clean. That’s like asking The Intimidator to play it safe. And sure enough, amid all the bumping and wrecking, Denny Hamlin found his way to Victory Lane. What a race for the homeboy!

But before we get into the weekend details, a quick shoutout to Anthony Alfredo (who drives the No. 62 Chevy for Beard Motorsports)—happy birthday! Here’s hoping his part-time Cup career turns full-time soon, and we see him snag a win on one of these short tracks.

Now, back to Denny. He’s looking like a whole new man. We’re not saying this is finally his year, but at 44, he’s proving he’s still got plenty left in the tank!

 🏁 Sunday’s Race Report

The Martinsville Hero Is Back!

🏆 Denny Hamlin led 274 laps out of 400, becoming the 5th winningest driver at Martinsville Speedway.

🤏 Finishing 2nd, teammate Christopher Bell couldn’t get his fourth, however, he bested Bubba Wallace to take P2.

🫤 And the season keeps getting better for Michael Jordan and the team. With a back-to-back P3 finish, Bubba Wallace now sits in P8 in the standings.

📊 Other Notable stats from the weekend

• Denny is the winningest active driver at Martinsville. No one is even close. In P2, it's Kyle Busch with 2 wins.

• In Xfinity, Austin Hill’s win was Richard Childress Racing’s 100th victory in the Series.

• 274 laps is the most laps Denny Hamlin has led in the Gen-7 car in a single race!

Coming back to the weekend at Martinsville, it had all the makings of classic short-track racing. Everyone had a feeling it was going to be Denny Hamlin’s day. Even his ex-crew chief seemed to know what was coming. Just before the race, Chris Gabehart leaned into the #11 car and firmly said: "It’s you (today)."

And, well, he wasn’t wrong! Sure, Bell started on pole, Hamlin in P5 behind. But in the end, the homeboy dragged it with a solid 4.6 seconds ahead of the #20. And, this wasn’t just any win. It was a statement. Martinsville has always been one of Hamlin’s best tracks, but he hadn’t won there in a decade. Imagine, it was a 19-race winless streak at his turf.

And, now, with this victory, Denny has joined the likes of Dale Earnhardt Sr., so matching The Intimidator’s record at one of NASCAR’s most historic tracks is legendary. You can bet Hamlin is soaking this one in. But, the next name on the all-time wins list is Kevin Harvick with 60 victories. While catching Harvick is a whole different challenge, at 44, Hamlin isn’t showing any signs of slowing down either. He’s still in control, and still hungry.

“The ‘It’” is like the ability to control a race, run as fast as you need to. To lead the race and pull away when you want. Today we had ‘it,’” Hamlin said post his win in Martinsville. And, who can forget his popular saying from the victory lane - “I beat your favorite driver again.”

But this win wasn’t just about adding another trophy to his collection, it was different. This was NASCAR’s most hated driver making a statement, right in front of the very crowd that usually loves to boo him, and there were no boos, no hate. No classic “I beat your favorite driver” line in Victory Lane.

It all felt different. A new Denny Hamlin, standing there in a fresh, themed suit, who just had a dominant race and was now waving a flag with a bold quote on it. That charm on his face was no less than that of a champion. Here, watch for yourself.

However, we don't know if Hamlin's ever going to get that big prize, but we do hope to see some more of these wins and cheers before he joins his colleagues in the Hall of Fame.

Continue Reading: Respect Advocate Christopher Bell Sounds Off on NASCAR’s “Absolutely Embarrassing” Drama at Martinsville

📈 Trending News

Another Post-Race Tension at Martinsville

Here we go again. This time, it’s the Xfinity Series taking center stage, and boy, was it a wreck fest. Even the FOX booth couldn’t hold back their frustration.

We’re talking 10 cautions in just 130 laps—that’s almost one every 13 laps! Over half the field—21 out of 38 drivers—got caught up in the carnage. One can say it was short-track racing at its messiest. There were bent fenders, busted tempers, and the kind of racing that makes you shake your head and say, “Well, that’s just Martinsville.”

The Xfinity race was in overtime, and Sammy Smith had it. Taylor Gray was right on his bumper, but he made a clean pass and took the lead. Looked like Gray had it locked up. But then, out of nowhere, Smith sent it. Not just a bump, not just a nudge. Sammy came flying in from several car lengths back and flat-out dumped Gray. The next second, Gray spins. Smith gets loose. And before you could even process, there was a massive pile-up right at the start/finish line. An unbelievable move it was.

And through the madness, Austin Hill sneaks through and steals the win. It was pure mayhem. And that is why fans and veterans are pissed. It could have been a first Xfinity win for Taylor Gray. Moreover, it could have been a photo finish! Gray, as a result, was all furious and had a heated exchange with Sammy Smith. Watch the pit-lane faceoff.

Even FOX analysts were left disappointed. "I said the Xfinity Series was a dumpster fire, it's not. A dumpster fire is contained, and that series is not right now," Mike Joy, a day later to this, couldn’t help but express. And this might sound harsh, but Joy's not just talking about Martinsville. He’s pointing at the bigger picture

In Homestead Miami, Kyle Larson would have easily gotten the triple. But Sam Mayer couldn't keep it together on that final restart. He drove to Larson's rear and had him finish 4th. And, so, it looks like NASCAR is taking its sweet time with the penalty.

Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer let NASCAR have it on-air, joining Mike Joy in calling out the inconsistency. Harvick was straight-up disgusted, saying, “That’s not racing.” And, this situation got shades of Richmond 2024 written all over it. Remember when Austin Dillon wrecked Joey Logano on the final lap and won the race? NASCAR took his playoff berth away. But here, that’s not even in question—Smith finished 10th, not first.

For now, we don’t know what the move is. But Sammy isn’t apologetic at all. So, it could be a points deduction, a fine. We’ll have to wait till Tuesday for NASCAR’s call. But let’s just hope it’s the right one.

Continue Reading: NASCAR’s Nostradamus Warns Rookies of Looming Chaos as Uncanny Martinsville Prediction Comes True 

🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Poll 🏁

🔮 Lucky Dog’s Perspective

Joey Logano Keeps Paying the Price

Logano is clearly not having the season he hoped for. And it’s not just about the stats, one can see the frustration. Coming off a championship run, you’d expect him to be a contender every week. But seven races in, he’s got just one top-10 to his name. And that too when he’s led more laps than anyone else this season.

Coming to Martinsville, Logano was still searching for a good finish. He won Stage 1, ran up front for most of the day, and was on track for a solid top-5 finish. But then in the final laps, Chase Briscoe sent Logano spinning, ruining what could have been his best finish so far. And to make things worse, Logano isn't even blaming Briscoe, he's pointing the finger at someone else: the Melon Man.

Throughout the race, Logano and Ross Chastain had been going at it all race long—trading bumps, fighting for every inch. And then, Chastain threw a block on Briscoe. As a result, the #14 got loose, lost control, and in a split second—bam—right into Logano. Here’s the in-car camera footage.

Just like that, a top-5 finish slipped away from Logano. Instead of fighting for a strong result, he had to settle for P8. Not terrible, but nowhere near what could have been. And, it’s Chastain who is being blamed. Even in his interview after the race, Joey said Chastain a "Jackass." We know this was a bit much. But see how he was trying to control as he turned red in anger.

We know Chastain does go overboard with his antics, but he's dialed it down a notch this season. When Carson Hocevar traded paint with him at Atlanta, he did not throw a jab in the pit lane. Rather, he explained things like a big brother.

And, when he wrecked Chase Elliott in COTA, Chastain avoided any further conflict. Even when the #9 came for payback, he simply moved out. But yeah, whoever may be at fault, we get Logano's frustration.

The Penske driver got a fast car, but he's not able to take it to victory lane. And, that could be really frustrating! Well, that's kind of been the problem with all Team Penske drivers.

Ryan Blaney finished the race in P11, and Austin Cindric got a DNF. But this is a pure Penske pattern. Last season, also, they also took a long time to get their first win for the season. And then, low-key climbed up and took the championship. So, you never know.

Continue Reading: Joey Logano Makes Devastating 6-Word Admission as Next-Gen Luck Fizzles Out

🗣️ Talk of the NASCAR Town

Ty Gibbs, Too, Has a Foul Mouth

So, turns out, Joey Logano wasn’t the only one seeing red at Martinsville. Over in the pit lane, Ty Gibbs looked about ready to throw hands with Tyler Reddick. And honestly, you can’t blame him. Gibbs was having his best race of the season, running solidly in P11 and eyeing a top-10 finish. But Reddick had the same goal, and he wasn’t backing down.

Then came lap 298. Gibbs drifted a little too high in the turn, just enough to open the door. Reddick saw his shot and went for it. But as Gibbs tried to move back down, it was too late. A little contact, a little bad luck, and next thing you know, the JGR driver was spinning. And he wasn’t happy. Abused Reddick, while his spotter tried to calm him down. Here, listen to Ty fuming over the radio.

After hearing that heated in-car radio, you’d think we were in for a typical Martinsville post-race showdown. But sorry to disappoint, Ty wanted none of it.

The conversation started with a fiery “What the f—k?!” but ended just as quickly. Gibbs, clearly not interested in hearing any explanations, grabbed his drink, threw up a hand gesture, and walked off like he had somewhere better to be. Take a look.

And we get his frustration, too. Much like Logano, his season hasn't been great either. 7 races in, he's in the 31st position. And even though he's got a P13 in Martinsville, he's not satisfied. But that's kind of bound to happen. Especially when you pilot for a top team in NASCAR, and especially when your teammates are C. Bell and Hamlin.

Currently, except for Ty, all three drivers are in the top 15 in points. Two out of them have won a race. The new driver of the #19, Chase Briscoe, has two top 5s. This must put a lot of pressure on Gibbs. Additionally, there is chatter that he's pulling JGR down, and Coach Gibbs might take the big call anytime soon. So now, more than ever, Gibbs needs to get good finishes and fast!

Continue Reading: Joe Gibbs Keeps a List of the Critics as Grandson’s Career-Threatening Decline Sees an Uptick

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4. Kyle Petty Gets Candid on Fallen Son’s NASCAR Fame as He Retraces Petty Family’s Racing Legacy - Full Story

5. 23XI Co-owner Reveals the Impact of Their Lawsuit Against NASCAR - Full Story

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