CHEVROLET IN NHRA 2025 LUCAS OIL NHRA WINTERNATIONALS IN-N-OUT BURGER POMONA DRAGSTRIP POMONA, CALIFORNIA TEAM CHEVY RACE RECAP | NOTES & QUOTES MARCH 30, 2025
JACK BECKMAN RACES TO JOHN FORCE RACING’S 300TH FUNNY CAR VICTORY AND CHEVROLET’S 172ND AT POMONA
Greg Anderson Captures Chevrolet’s 404th Pro Stock Victory and His 108th Career Win Defeating KB Titan Racing Teammate Dallas Glenn in the Finals
Notes:
Jack Beckman defeated Daniel Wilkerson in the NHRA Winternationals’ final round to capture John Force Racing’s 300th Funny Car victory, his 36th-career win in his 72nd final round in Funny Car, and Chevrolet’s 172nd Wally trophy in Funny Car.
Beckman’s run of 4.015 seconds E.T., in the PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car, at 302.28 mph was good enough to get the victory after Wilkerson smoked the tires mid-run.
In a close drag race during the Pomona semifinals, Brittany Force fell to Clay Millican on her run of 3.812 seconds E.T. at 263.92 mph to Millican’s 3.750 seconds E.T. at 324.12 mph.
Despite the top qualifying effort, Austin Prock and the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Funny Car team faced early elimination in Round 1 by Blake Alexander.
The Force, Prock, and Beckman trio of John Force Racing had a successful Saturday at the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, seeing double No. 1 qualifiers by Force and Prock in Top Fuel and Funny Car, respectively, and Beckman capturing the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win.
Capturing Chevrolet’s 404th victory in Pro Stock since 1970 and resetting the track record at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Drag Strip, Greg Anderson captured his 108th career victory with his run of 6.476 seconds E.T. at 210.90 mph. Anderson defeated KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn, facing off for a fourth final round in a row. Anderson’s win Sunday is his second in a row, after capturing victory in Phoenix.
Anderson, driving the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet SS Pro Stock, captured his 134th career No. 1 qualifier and second of the 2025 season with his fastest lap of 6.490 seconds E.T. at 211.26 mph.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:
JACK BECKMAN, DRIVER OF THE PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANT CHEVROLET SS FUNNY CAR FOR JOHN FORCE RACING:
“It’s about the team, the PEAK guys. I thought maybe we could run 3.80’s every run this weekend and it didn’t happen. The track got way better, shook the tires, it hurt. I’m glad I’m loaded up on Ibuprofen because of my neck and back, but I was able to get back on it and save one for the team. For the sponsors, PEAK, the whole Cornwell team was over helping us, that’s what kind of organization JFR is. For Hendrick Cars, obviously, our Chevy SS was flying. The power’s here. This is about John Force. This is Funny Car Win No. 300 for Team John Force Racing. Nine of us got 143, the boss man (John Force) got 157. This is No. 300. This is a big deal. That is a milestone in drag racing.”
On his semifinal run and the Pomona track…
“Pomona is such an interesting track because the shutdown is so short, and the lanes have personality. They’ll push you. It’s not that you don’t stay on top of it, but Pomona you’re extra vigilant out there. We’ve got Dan Wilkerson in the final. They’ve been doing fantastic, and I know that’s a Cinderella story. That Chevy is hungry, that PEAK squad is on mean right now, for Graham Rahal Performance, Hendrick Cars, I can’t wait to strap back in.”
AUSTIN PROCK, DRIVER OF THE CORNWELL TOOLS CHEVROLET SS FUNNY CAR FOR JOHN FORCE RACING:
“Let’s be honest, it hasn’t been phenomenal. We have been working on it all weekend, and we’ve had trouble in that area. We thought we were heading in the right direction. We changed some more things this morning, and it just didn’t do the job. Frustrated in myself. I should be able to run 4.20 pedaling it like that. I missed that first pedal and that cost us the run. You win and lose as a team, but it’s frustrating for Cornwell Tools, HendrickCars.com, Chevrolet. We’ll regroup, we’ll go to the next one and try and get the job done for John Force.”
GREG ANDERSON, DRIVER OF THE HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET SS PRO STOCK FOR KB TITAN RACING:
“I think we made up for last week and I apologize for last week. That wasn’t much of a final, but that one was. That was pretty cool right there. We both did the best we possibly could do. It was just a great drag race. Thank the Lord, KB Titan has just absolutely come out of the gates smoking this year, and I hope it can last. I know, obviously, we’re not making friends out here, but that’s the name of the game. That’s what you come out to try to do. So far, so good. We’re looking good so far.”
UP NEXT:
The fourth round of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series takes place April 11-13 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada. The NHRA Four-Wide Nationals air live on Sunday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1. Coverage airs throughout the weekend with NHRA on FOX and NHRA.tv, streaming available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.
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Denny Hamlin reigned supreme for the first time in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season by clinching a dominant victory in the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, March 30.
The three-time Daytona 500 champion from Chesterfield, Virginia, led twice for a race-high 274 of 400 scheduled laps in an event where he started in fifth place and primarily raced at the front. Despite settling in ninth place due to various mixed strategies occurring prior to and at the conclusion of the first stage period, Hamlin would muscle his way back to the front and lead for the first time on Lap 126.
Over the next 200 laps, Hamlin would maintain the lead and win the second stage period in the process. Despite being mired through five restarts due to five caution periods throughout the final stage period, he used the clean air to outlast a late challenge from teammate Christopher Bell during the final restart with 75 laps remaining. For the remainder of the event, Hamlin maintained a reasonable gap from the field and navigated his way through lapped traffic to cruise to his first Cup Series victory of the 2025 campaign.
With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Saturday, March 29, Christopher Bell claimed his first Cup pole position of the 2025 season with a pole-winning lap at 96.034 mph in 19.718 seconds. Joining Bell on the front row was Chase Elliott, who clocked in his best qualifying lap at 95.951 mph in 19.735 seconds.
When the green flag waved and the event commenced, Christopher Bell launched his No. 20 DeWalt Toyota Camry XSE entry ahead of the field through the frontstretch as he proceeded to lead through the first two turns and the backstretch. As the field behind stacked up in two lanes while jostling for early spots, Bell easily led the first lap over Chase Elliott while Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin followed suit in the top five, respectively.
Over the next four laps, Bell stretched his early advantage to as high as six-tenths of a second over Elliott while Bowman, Hamlin and Larson trailed in the top five, respectively. Behind the leaders, Chris Buescher retained sixth place ahead of a heated battle for seventh place that involved Joey Logano and Bubba Wallace. In addition, William Byron fended off Tyler Reddick for ninth place and Chase Briscoe battled teammate Ty Gibbs for 11th place while Kyle Busch battled Michael McDowell for 14th place. Amid the battles, Bell continued to lead by half a second over Elliott at the Lap 10 mark.
Through the first 20 scheduled laps, Bell maintained the lead by less than half a second over Elliott while Bowman, Hamlin, Larson, Buescher, Logano, Wallace, Byron and Reddick followed suit in the top 10, respectively. Behind, Ty Gibbs, Briscoe, Josh Berry, McDowell and Kyle Busch trailed in the top 15 ahead of Ross Chastain, Austin Dillon, John Hunter Nemechek, Zane Smith and Ryan Preece while Austin Cindric, Todd Gilliland, AJ Allmendinger, Cole Custer and Daniel Suarez occupied the top 25 spots ahead of Noah Gragson, Ty Dillon, Brad Keselowski, Carson Hocevar and Justin Haley, respectively. Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney, who qualified in 32nd place, gained only a single spot as he was mired in 31st place.
Three laps later, Elliott overtook Bell exiting the backstretch to assume the lead for the first time in his No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet entry. With the lead in his possession, Elliott would proceed to lead through the Lap 30 mark. By then, his lead grew to six-tenths of a second over Bell while Bowman, Hamlin and Larson continued to trail in the top five.
On Lap 31, the event’s first caution flew due to debris in Turn 4. Under the caution period, a majority of the field led by Bell pitted for a first round of pit service while the rest led by Josh Berry and including Austin Cindric, Cole Custer, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney and rookie Riley Herbst remained on the track. Following the pit stops and amid mixed strategies, Bell exited pit road first following a two-tire pit stop. Joey Logano, who also opted for a two-tire pit stop, exited second, as Elliott exited third while on four fresh tires. Bowman, Hamlin, Larson, Wallace, Bowman, Ty Gibbs and Tyler Reddick followed suit, respectively.
When the event restarted under green on Lap 39, Berry muscled ahead with the lead from the inside lane while Cindric briefly stumbled from the outside lane. As Berry led through the first two turns and the backstretch, the field fanned out and the competitors jostled amongst one another between those who pitted and those who did not. As Herbst slowly started to drop below the leaderboard on his worn tires, front-runners Bell, Logano, Elliott, Bowman, Hamlin, Larson and Wallace were mired from sixth through 12th, respectively, while being trapped by Brad Keselowski as Berry continued to lead through the Lap 45 mark.
Shortly after, Logano made contact with Keselowski entering Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 46. This allowed Logano to move into the top five. Then, entering Turns 1 and 2, Keselowski got loose and made contact with Bell that nearly sent both up the track. Amid the contact, both continued to race straight, but both had dropped to the top-15 mark. As Logano, Bowman, Hamlin, Elliott, Larson and Wallace raced from fifth to 10th, respectively, Bell had dropped to 12th place and Keselowski was trying to retain 14th place. Meanwhile, Berry continued to lead over Cole Custer just past the Lap 50 mark.
By Lap 60, Berry extended his advantage to more than two seconds over Custer while Logano, Bowman and Cindric occupied the remaining top-five spots ahead of Elliott, Larson, Blaney, Hamlin and Wallace. Meanwhile, Bell continued to race in 12th place behind Reddick and Keselowski had dropped to 16th place behind Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch and Ty Gibbs. In addition, Byron, who endured a slow pit service during the event’s first caution period, was mired in 28th place while Riley Herbst had dropped to 36th place on his worn tires.
Ten laps later, the event’s second caution flew when Chris Buescher, who was racing in 24th place, got turned by Carson Hocevar amid contact as the former proceeded to hit the outside wall and spin through the frontstretch. By then, Berry had stabilized his lead to two seconds over a hard-charging Logano while Custer, Bowman and Elliott occupied the remaining top-five spots ahead of Larson, Hamlin, Wallace, Reddick and Austin Dillon.
During the caution period, a majority of the field led by Berry pitted their respective entries, while the rest led by Logano remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Elliott managed to exit pit road first ahead of Hamlin, Custer, Berry, Larson and Wallace. Amid the pit stops, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was sent to the rear of the field due to speeding on pit road. Cody Ware would also be penalized for an uncontrolled tire violation.
Shortly after, trouble struck for Berry as he experienced a battery issue to his No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry. With Berry stalled on the track, he was pushed back to pit road and dropped out of the lead lap category.
With the event restarting under green for a two-lap shootout to the first stage’s conclusion, Logano wasted no time rocketing his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry ahead with the lead from the inside lane. Logano would proceed to lead through the first two turns and the backstretch while Bowman fended off Keselowski and AJ Allmendinger for the runner-up spot. Behind, John Hunter Nemechek dueled with teammate Erik Jones and Ryan Preece in a tight three-wide battle for fifth place in front of Hamlin and Elliott while Logano retained the top spot during the following lap.
When the first stage period concluded on Lap 80, Logano captured his second stage victory of the 2025 Cup Series season. Bowman followed suit in second ahead of Allmendinger, Keselowski and Erik Jones while Nemechek, Preece, Elliott, Hamlin and Custer were scored in the top 10, respectively.
Under the stage break, some led by Logano and including Preece, Allmendinger, Keselowski and Erik Jones pitted their respective entries while the rest led by Bowman remained on the track. Not long after, Cindric would pit after reporting a power issue to his No. 2 Menards Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry.
The second stage period started on Lap 92 as teammates Bowman and Elliott occupied the front row. At the start, both Hendrick Motorsports teammates dueled for a full lap in front of Hamlin, Nemchek, Larson and Custer. With Elliott using the outside lane to lead the following lap, he then managed to clear Bowman entering the backstretch to have both lanes to his control. Elliott would proceed to lead to the Laps 95 and 100 marks while Hamlin muscled his No. 11 Progressive Toyota Camry XSE entry up to second place. Hamlin would proceed to reel in Elliott for the lead while Larson, Bowman and Wallace followed suit in the top five, respectively.
Through the Lap 110 mark, Elliott retained the lead by six-tenths of a second over Hamlin while Larson, Wallace and Ty Gibbs were racing in the top five ahead of Bowman, Custer, Bell, Chase Briscoe and Reddick, respectively. Behind Ross Chastain, McDowell, Blaney, Gilliland and Gragson trailed in the top 15 ahead of Suarez, Haley, Logano, Ty Dillon, and Byron, while Elliott stabilized his lead to six-tenths of a second over Hamlin by Lap 115.
On Lap 121, the caution flew due to Burt Myers falling off the pace through the frontstretch as Myers would end up stalling his No. 50 C3/Team AmeriVet Chevrolet entry just in front of the pit road exit zone and past the first two turns. By then, Elliott had extended his advantage to more than a second over Hamlin while Larson, Wallace, and Ty Gibbs were in the top five, respectively.
During the latest caution period, a majority of the leaders led by Elliott pitted their respective entries while the rest led by Hamlin remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Stenhouse was penalized for speeding on pit road while Bowman returned to pit road to have a potential loose wheel addressed.
As the event restarted under green on Lap 131, Hamlin fended off Wallace from the outside lane to lead through the first two turns and the backstretch. Hamlin would proceed to lead the following lap over Wallace while Ty Gibbs, Suarez and Custer trailed in the top five. With the top-four competitors racing in a single-file line, the rest of the field behind fanned out to two- and three-stacked lanes as the competitors jostled amongst one another between those who previously pitted and those who did not. Amid the bumps and battles ensuing within the field, Hamlin led past the Lap 135 mark.
Towards the Lap 140 mark, Hamlin’s advantage grew to eight-tenths of a second over Wallace. Behind, Ty Gibbs, Briscoe and Suarez continued to race in the top five ahead of Chastain, Bell, Elliott, Larson and Byron while Blaney, Logano, Reddick, Noah Gragson, Ty Dillon, McDowell, Erik Jones, Hocevar, Zane Smith and Haley followed suit in the top 20, respectively.
Ten laps later, Hamlin continued to extend his lead as he led by more than a second over Wallace. As Gibbs, Briscoe and Chastain retained their respective spots in the top five, Elliott carved his way into sixth place and Blaney navigated his way into ninth place behind Suarez. Meanwhile, Larson was strapped in 10th place ahead of teammate Byron while Logano was back in 13th place behind Reddick.
Another 10 laps later, Hamlin, who was approaching lapped traffic, stabilized his advantage to more than a second over Wallace while Elliott, Gibbs and Briscoe were in the top five. Behind, Chastain, Bell, Blaney, Larson and Reddick occupied top-10 spots in front of Suarez, Logano, Byron, Gragson and Zane Smith as Hamlin’s lead stood to one-and-a-half seconds by Lap 170.
When the second stage period concluded on Lap 180, Hamlin cruised to his second Cup stage victory of the 2025 season. Elliott, who overtook Wallace for the runner-up spot five laps earlier, followed suit in second ahead of Wallace, Ty Gibbs and Briscoe while Blaney, Chastain, Bell, Larson and Reddick were scored in the top 10, respectively.
During the stage break, the lead lap field led by Hamlin pitted for service. Following the pit stops, Hamlin exited pit road first following a swift pit service from his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team. Elliott, Wallace, Briscoe and Bell exited in the top five while Blaney, Larson, Logano, Chastain and Ty Gibbs followed suit in the top 10, respectively.
With 207 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as Hamlin and Elliott occupied the front row. At the start, Hamlin muscled his No. 11 Progressive Toyota Camry XSE entry ahead of Elliott exiting the frontstretch and he would proceed to lead through the first two turns and the backstretch. With both lanes under his control, Hamlin led the following lap while Wallace tried to challenge Elliott for the runner-up spot. Behind, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Bell and Briscoe battled for fourth place in front of Blaney and Larson. With Elliott fending off Wallace for the runner-up spot and Bell muscling away from Briscoe with fourth place, Blaney and Larson would challenge Briscoe for fifth place. Soon after, Ty Gibbs would squeeze Logano into the backstretch’s outside wall for ninth place, but both proceeded to duel without drawing a caution as Hamlin led the halfway mark on Lap 200.
With 200 laps remaining, the caution returned when Riley Herbst, who was mired in a tight three-wide battle with Cindric and Allmendinger towards the mid-pack region, got hit in the left-rear area by Cindric that sent Herbst’s No. 35 Lucy’s Toyota Camry XSE entry spinning and hitting the outside wall backwards in Turn 1.
The start of the next restart period, with 193 laps remaining,g featured Hamlin jumping ahead and retaining the lead from the inside lane while Wallace and Elliott dueled for the runner-up spot. Elliott and Wallace would continue to battle dead even for the runner-up spot behind Hamlin over the following lap before Elliott muscled ahead of Wallace with 191 laps remaining. Behind, Bell trailed in fourth place while Blaney was in fifth place ahead of Larson, Chastain, Briscoe, Gibbs and Logano.
Down to the final 175 laps of the event, Hamlin was out in front by more than a second over Elliott while third-place Wallace trailed by two seconds. Bell, Blaney, Larson, Chastain, Briscoe, Ty Gibbs and Logano continued to race in the top 10, respectively, while Byron, Suarez, Zane Smith, McDowell, Reddick, Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Gilliland, Keselowski and Kyle Busch were mired in the top 20, respectively.
Fifteen laps later, Hamlin, who was approaching lapped traffic, maintained the lead by nine-tenths of a second over Elliott while third-place Wallace continued to trail by two seconds. Meanwhile, Bell and Blaney, both of whom were in the top five, trailed by more than three seconds, while top-10 competitors Larson, Chastain, Briscoe, Ty Gibbs and Logano trailed by within four and six seconds, respectively.
Another 10 laps later, Elliott, who started to reel in on Hamlin for the lead while trying to navigate his No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet entry through different lines and zones, only trailed Hamlin by half a second. Despite Hamlin getting mired in lapped traffic, he managed to retain the top spot over Elliott. By then, third-place Wallace trailed the lead by nearly three seconds as both Bell and Blaney remained in the top five ahead of Larson. While Reddick and McDowell fiercely dueled for 14th place in front of Austin Dillon, Hamlin slightly grew his lead back to seven-tenths of a second over Elliott with 140 laps remaining.
Then, with 134 laps remaining, Hendrick Motorsports’ Byron and Bowman pitted their respective Chevrolet entries. Keselowski would then pit his No. 6 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry with 129 laps remaining while Hamlin continued to lead ahead of Elliott. The caution would then fly with 126 laps remaining when rookie Shane van Gisbergen spun his No. 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet entry through Turns 3 and 4. As van Gisbergen drove away from his wreckage scene, the right-rear wheel, which had caused van Gisbergen to spin, rolled off the car, and the driver would serve a two-lap penalty in his pit stall.
During the latest caution period, the entire lead lap field, led by Hamlin, pitted for service. Following the pit stops, Hamlin exited first while Bell exited second ahead of Wallace, Elliott and Larson. Chastain, Blaney, Logano, Briscoe and Ty Gibbs would follow suit in the top 10. Amid the pit stops, John Hunter Nemechek was penalized for speeding on pit road, while Carson Hocevar was also penalized for pitting outside of his pit box.
With the event restarting under green with 114 laps remaining, Hamlin rocketed ahead with the lead from the inside lane while Bell dueled with Wallace for the runner-up spot. As Hamlin led the following lap over his Toyota teammates Bell and Wallace, Elliott dueled with teammate Larson for fourth place while Chastain, Briscoe, Blaney, Logano and Ty Gibbs were mired in the top 10. With Elliott muscling ahead with fourth place, Chastain would then bump and duel with Larson for fifth place as the former would move Larson up the track to claim the spot. With Briscoe challenging Larson for sixth place, the leader Hamlin cruised ahead with 110 laps remaining.
Down to the final 103 laps of the event, the caution returned when Reddick made contact with Ty Gibbs, sending the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE entry spinning in the bottom of Turn 2. As Gibbs spun sideways, Reddick and the Dillon brothers weaved left along with the rest of the field to avoid him before Gibbs was then hit in the left side by Zane Smith’s No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry. During the caution period, some, including Ty Dillon, Zane Smith, Erik Jones, Suarez, Byron and Gibbs pitted. The rest, led by Hamlin, remained on the track.
The next restart, with 94 laps remaining, only lasted two laps before the caution returned when Buescher and Gragson made contact that resulted in Gragson spinning below the track in Turn 2 while Buescher briefly got airborne amid his contact with Gragson. In front of the incident, Preece got Larson sideways entering the backstretch. At the time of the contact, Larson was in ninth place while Hamlin had retained the lead.
The next restart with 85 laps remaining only lasted a lap under green flag conditions before Briscoe, who ran into the rear of Chastain as Chastain threw a block on Briscoe for fifth place entering the backstretch, got sideways after he hopped the curb, slipped up the track and clipped Logano that sent Logano spinning through Turns 3 and 4. At the time of the caution, Hamlin fended off a second challenge from Wallace to retain the lead while Bell followed suit in third.
As the event restarted with 75 laps remaining, teammates Hamlin and Bell dueled for the lead for a full lap as Bell managed to lead the following lap by a hair from the outside lane. As Wallace closely pursued both in his No. 23 McDonald’s Toyota Camry XSE entry, Hamlin would use the inside lane to lead the next lap by a fender and he would muscle ahead of Bell through the backstretch. With Hamlin out in front and both lanes under his control with 72 laps remaining, Bell retained second ahead of Wallace while Larson, Elliott, Chastain, Preece, Briscoe, McDowell, and Gilliland pursued in the top 10.
Down to the final 60 laps of the event, Hamlin was leading by two-tenths of a second over his hard-charging teammate Bell while Wallace, Elliott and Larson pursued in the top five. As Chastain, Preece, Briscoe, Gilliland and Blaney followed suit in the top 10, the following names that included McDowell, Ty Gibbs, Reddick, Ty Dillon, Kyle Busch, Zane Smith, Hocevar, Byron, Logano and Austin Dillon trailed in the top 20, respectively.
Ten laps later, Hamlin maintained the lead by two-tenths of a second over teammate Bell while third-place Wallace trailed by only seven-tenths of a second. Over the next 10 laps, Hamlin would slightly grow his lead up to half a second over teammate Bell while both Wallace and Elliott trailed by a second. Meanwhile, fifth-place Larson trailed by more than two seconds and sixth-place Chastain trailed by more than three seconds while Hamlin, who started to catch the tail end of the field, retained the lead by eight-tenths of a second over Bell with 35 laps remaining.
Down to the final 25 laps of the event, Hamlin continued to lead by seven-tenths of a second over Bell while Wallace, Elliott and Larson pursued in the top five. Chastain, Preece, Briscoe, Gilliland and Blaney would continue to trail in the top-10 mark as Hamlin grew his lead to more than a second over Bell with 20 laps remaining.
With less than 15 laps remaining and the leaders mired in traffic, Hamlin would extend his lead to nearly two seconds over teammate Bell as Wallace started to close in on the latter for the runner-up spot. Elliott would also reel in both Bell and Wallace for the runner-up spot as Hamlin’s lead grew to nearly three seconds with 10 laps remaining.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Hamlin, who grew his lead to over four seconds over the previous nine laps, remained in the lead over Bell, Wallace and Elliott. Despite being mired in more lapped traffic, Hamlin would steadily cruise his way around the Martinsville circuit for a final time before he cycled back to the frontstretch and claimed his first checkered flag of the 2025 Cup Series season.
With the victory, Hamlin, who nearly performed a full circuit celebratory burnout while driving the opposite direction of his home track, notched his 55th career win in NASCAR’s premier series. As a result, the victory placed him in a tie with NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace for 11th place on the series’ all-time wins list.
In addition, Hamlin, who became the fifth competitor to win through the first seven events of the 2025 Cup campaign, racked up his sixth victory at Martinsville, his first at the track since March 2015 and his first in the Cup circuit since he won at Dover Motor Speedway in April 2024. The victory was also his first with his new full-time crew chief Chris Gayle and with his new primary sponsor, Progressive Insurance.
As a result of winning for a 19th season in the Cup Series division, Hamlin recorded the fourth victory of the year for both Joe Gibbs Racing and the Toyota nameplate.
Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“[Crew chief] Chris Gayle, all the engineers, the pit crew, everybody on that [pit] wall just decided that they were going to come here with a different approach than what we’ve been over the last few years, and it was just amazing,” Hamlin said on the frontstretch on FS1. “The car was great. It did everything I needed it to do. Just so happy to win with Chris and get 55 [wins]. It’s awesome. [Gayle]’s been such a soldier to come in here to this No. 11 team and learn our style and then over the last few weeks, just putting his final touches on it. It’s really been a great mesh. Our relationship’s getting better. Man, really happy to get a win with him and obviously back here in Martinsville where I spent so many years racing Late Models and whatnot. Gosh, I love winning here.”
As Hamlin celebrated on the frontstretch, Bell, Wallace and Elliott capped off strong runs by finishing second through fourth, respectively. Despite being left disappointed in not catching Hamlin in the closing laps, the trio of Bell, Wallace and Elliott were left pleased with their results as they look ahead towards their season-long goals of contending for more victories.
“We were back and forth on balance a little bit,” Bell, who led 25 laps, said. “I asked to be freer throughout the race and that last run, I just went a little bit too loose and lost my drive-off. It was a great weekend for Joe Gibbs Racing, obviously. Showed a lot of pace. All four cars were really good. Really happy to get back up front. The last two weeks have been rough for this No. 20 team.
“Really happy for Denny. He’s the Martinsville master, so second to him is not that bad…Hopefully, we can come back better in the fall and be able to have a nice, solid day like we did today. Everyone executed really well. Thank you to my pit crew. They did a great job. The car was amazing in qualifying, [I] got us that number one pit stall, which was a big part of our success today as well. We did the details right and came home second.”
“A good day, nonetheless,” Wallace, who notched his second consecutive third-place result, added. “Trying to scratch my head on what I could have done different. My restarts were terrible and it’s one of my best traits. Need to go back and study that. What a great day. Continuing to rebound from the start of our season. Super proud of our team. The car was fast all weekend. I let second get away, but I don’t think I had anything for Denny. It would have been nice to try, but a top-three [finish] for Toyota, so a great day.”
“I thought our car was really good, honestly,” said Elliott, who led 42 laps and recorded his second fourth-place result in 2025, [I] needed control of the race. He added, “I really needed to get to Denny there at the end of that second stage and try to get control. I knew the second half [of the race], everybody was going to be better and closer. Just that little bit of being able to control this thing from that point forward means a lot. Unfortunately, I didn’t do a great job getting to him. I was trying and just came up a few car lengths short and it just puts you in a tough spot trying to play catchup and whatnot, but it was a solid day. We need more than solid, so we’ll keep trucking.”
Kyle Larson, who won the spring Martinsville event in 2023, came home in fifth place while Ross Chastain, Ryan Preece, Joey Logano, Chase Briscoe and Todd Gilliland completed the final top-10 spots.
Notably, Ryan Blaney, Michael McDowell, Ty Gibbs, Tyler Reddick and Ty Dillon finished in the top 15 while Kyle Busch, teammate Austin Dillon, Carson Hocevar, Daniel Suarez, William Byron, Erik Jones, Chris Buescher, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Noah Gragson, rookie Riley Herbst, Josh Berry and rookie Shane van Gisbergen ended up 17th, 18th, 19th, 21st, 22nd, 24th, 25th, 27th, 28th, 30th, 32nd, 33rd and 35th, respectively. In addition, Casey Mears and Burt Myers ended up 36th and 37th, respectively, while Austin Cindric, who was the lone competitor to retire due to an electrical issue, settled in 38th place.
*Following the event’s post-race inspection, Erik Jones was disqualified due to his No. 43 Dollar Tree/Legacy Motor Club Toyota Camry XSE entry failing to meet the minimum weight requirement. As a result, he was demoted to the tail end of the final running order in 38th place.
There were nine lead changes for six different leaders. The race featured 10 cautions for 86 laps. In addition, 22 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.
Following the seventh event of the 2025 Cup Series season, William Byron leads the regular-season standings by 17 points over teammate Kyle Larson, 33 over teammate Chase Elliott, 35 over Christopher Bell, 36 over teammate Alex Bowman and 42 over Denny Hamlin.
Race Results:
1. Denny Hamlin, 274 laps led, Stage 2 winner 2. Christopher Bell, 25 laps led 3. Bubba Wallace 4. Chase Elliott, 42 laps led 5. Kyle Larson 6. Ross Chastain 7. Ryan Preece 8. Joey Logano, 13 laps led, Stage 1 winner 9. Chase Briscoe 10. Todd Gilliland 11. Ryan Blaney 12. Michael McDowell 13. Ty Gibbs 14. Tyler Reddick 15. Ty Dillon 16. Zane Smith 17. Kyle Busch 18. Austin Dillon 19. Carson Hocevar 20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 21. Daniel Suarez 22. William Byron 23. AJ Allmendinger, one lap down 24. Chris Buescher, one lap down 25. John Hunter Nemechek, one lap down 26. Brad Keselowski, one lap down 27. Alex Bowman, one lap down, six laps led 28. Justin Haley, two laps down 29. Noah Gragson, three laps down 30. Cody Ware, four laps down 31. Riley Herbst, four laps down 32. Josh Berry, four laps down, 40 laps led 33. Cole Custer, six laps down 34. Shane van Gisbergen, six laps down 35. Casey Mears, 11 laps down 36. Burt Myers, 12 laps down 37. Austin Cindric – OUT, Electrical 38. Erik Jones – Disqualified
Next on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season is Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, for the Goodyear 400 and NASCAR’s annual Throwback Weekend. The event is scheduled to occur next Sunday, April 6, and air at 3 p.m. ET on FS1.
Top-20 Result for Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet Team at Martinsville Speedway
Finish: 18th Start: 18th Points: 27th
“Our No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet started solidly today. We got our car a little better at each stage end and raced our way into the top-15. We had a good pace, and our pit crew picked up positions on every stop. When we came in for the last stop of the race and put on four tires, the handle of our car completely changed and got tight. We’re not sure what caused it, but we will go back to the shop and return better for the next short track race. I’m proud of the effort from my Richard Childress Racing team. We had a top-10 car, I feel like, just missed it at the end.” -Austin Dillon
Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet Team Capture 17th-Place Finish at Martinsville Speedway
Finish: 17th Start: 12th Points: 16th
“Certainly wasn’t the result we were looking for with our Lucas Oil Chevrolet. We fought with being tight in the center and wrecking loose on exit. The guys stayed after it all day and it actually drove pretty well towards the end. We just couldn’t gain any track position to be able to do something with it.” -Kyle Busch
RIDGEWAY, Va. (March 30, 2025) – The NASCAR Cup Series visited Martinsville Speedway for the first time this season. The No. 42 Family Dollar Toyota driven by John Hunter Nemechek rolled off in 16th while teammate Erik Jones in the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota started in the 31st postion. It was Denny Hamlin who was victorious at “The Paperclip”.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK NO. 42 FAMILY DOLLAR TOYOTA CAMRY XSE RACE RECAP:
START: 16TH | FINISH: 26TH | POINTS: 19TH John Hunter Nemechek rolled off from the 16th position for the Cook Out 400, marking his best career starting spot at Martinsville Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series. With the tight, paperclip-shaped track making it easy for leaders to catch the tail of the field, maintaining track position was going to be critical.
On lap 35, the first caution flag slowed the pace. Nemechek radioed to his crew, reporting that his No. 42 Family Dollar Toyota was tight through the center of the corners and loose on exit. He worked on adjusting his driving style to improve the car’s handling.
During the caution, Nemechek pitted for four fresh tires and fuel. However, as he attempted to leave the pit stall, the car wouldn’t go. The team quickly discovered that first gear wasn’t engaging, costing Nemechek valuable track position. After the issue, he cycled out near the back of the field in 35th, erasing the gains made in qualifying.
Before the restart, crew chief Travis Mack came over the radio with a steadying message: “Keep our composure here. We’re going to work through it. We’ll be thrown a lot of stuff. Deep breath.”
With under 10 laps remaining in the first stage, the second yellow was thrown for a spinning No. 17. The No. 42 Family Dollar team elected to stay out and restart in seventh for the short sprint to the end of Stage 1. The gamble paid off with a sixth place Stage 1 finish, giving the team their first stage points of the year.
Mack made the call to keep Nemechek on track during the stage break, opting not to pit. This strategy lined up the No. 42 Toyota in third for the restart. Although they were on older tires than the rest of the field, the team believed the track position gain was worth the risk.
However, the tire disadvantage became evident as the run progressed. Nemechek gradually lost spots to the cars on fresher rubber, eventually settling into 29th by the time the next caution flew. During the ensuing pit stop, the team bolted on four fresh tires, added fuel, and made an air-pressure adjustment.
After the stop, Mack came over the radio to talk through the strategy: “We tried it early, we know what we need. We need to be at a tire advantage, not a disadvantage. Keep our head in it.”
With 10 laps remaining in the stage, the leader was rapidly closing in on the rear of the field. Despite the pressure, Nemechek stayed focused and managed to remain on the lead lap, finishing 32nd in Stage 2.
Nemechek still stuck in the back of the field, the North Carolina native asked for quiet so he could focus as the leader was barreling down on the rear of the field. With a 159-laps remaining, the No. 11 entry got past Nemechek to put him a lap down in 34th position.
A slew of yellows afforded the No. 42 Family Dollar team to get the free pass with 83 laps remaining in the race however, a long green-flag run saw Nemechek go down a lap down before the end of the 400 lap race. Nemechek and the No. 42 Family Dollar Tree team finished the race in 26th, one lap down.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTABLE: “Not a very good day for us. First gear blew up trying to leave the box when I was running 18th. We got our lap back and salvaged a 26th place finish. We will move on to Darlington.”
ERIK JONES NO. 43 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE RACE RECAP: START: 31ST | FINISH: 24TH | POINTS: 21ST
Erik Jones started the 400-lap event at Martinsville from the 31st staring position. Jones said the No. 43 Dollar Tree Camry was loose before the first caution on Lap 30. The team pitted for four tires and fuel. He restarted in 32nd with 42 to go on Stage 1. With 15 laps left in Stage 1, Jones said the handling of the No. 43 had gone to the tight side. A caution with less than ten to go in the stage provided an opportunity to stay on track while others pitted, and Jones finished the finished the stage fifth. After pitting at the caution on Lap 86, Jones restarted 32nd to begin Stage 2. He moved to 26th before a Lap 121 caution flag flew. The team adjusted the car during a pit stop as Jones said the handling was better, but he was still very tight. The team restarted on Lap 131 from 23rd and clawed his way to 18th with 40 to go in Stage 2. As the rubber buildup continued on the half-mile track, Jones said the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota wouldn’t handle, and he finished 26th in Stage 2.
During the stage break, the No.43 crew gained five spots on pit road during their four tire stop, sending Jones back out on track in 21st.
As the final stage played out, Jones ran as high as 20th before slipping back to 25th as the leader was closing in with 150 to go.
On Lap 266 the leader passed the No. 43 putting Jones down a lap as the car had lost all grip. A caution flew shortly after, and Jones got the free pass putting him back on the lead lap. The team pitted for four tires, air adjustments and fuel.
With 114 to go and rain threatening, Jones restarted 22nd. He worked his way up to 19th and held on through multiple cautions and a tight car to prevail 24th, one lap shy of the leader.
ERIK JONES QUOTABLE: “We got some stage points and worked hard but overall, I just got so tight when the track rubbered up, I just couldn’t do anything with it there at the end. Looking forward to Darlington.”
NEXT UP: The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the track “Too Tough to Tame”, Darlington Raceway for the Goodyear 400 on Sunday, April 6. The race will broadcast on Fox Sports 1, MAX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: (LEGACY MC) is a premier auto racing organization co-owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Jimmie Johnson and Knighthead Capital Management, LLC. Drawing from a rich tradition of success, LEGACY MC is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of motorsport and setting new standards of excellence. The CLUB competes under the Toyota Gazoo Racing banner in the NASCAR Cup Series with the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE piloted by Erik Jones and the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE driven by John Hunter Nemechek. Johnson also races on a limited basis in the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE. With NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Richard Petty, “The King”, serving as CLUB Ambassador, LEGACY MC blends timeless racing traditions with a new forward-thinking vision. As an inclusive community for motorsport enthusiasts, LEGACY MC honors both its storied past and the promising future of its members, always striving for victory and championship glory at the pinnacle of NASCAR competition.
1. Kyle Larson: Larson tops the Power Rankings after finishing fifth at Martinsville.
“My No. 5 Hendrick Chevy will have the Terry Labonte throwback paint scheme from the early 2000’s at Darlington,” Larson said. “It was basically the Frosted Flakes paint scheme minus Tony the Tiger. Which kind of defeats the purpose of having the paint scheme. So, while it could have been great, it was merely okay.'”
2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin dominated at Martinsville, winning Stage 2 and leading 274 laps to win the Cook Out 400, his first triumph of the year.
“I can’t think of a better place to end a losing streak,” Hamlin said. “Other than Phoenix in November.”
3. Christopher Bell: Bell started on the pole at Martinsville and finished second, unable to challenge the power of Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin.
“I’ve always wanted to add another Martinsville grandfather clock trophy to my collection,” Bell said. “But Hamlin’s car was unbeatable. Any other day, I would have won that race. So, it was just a case of bad ‘timing.'”
4. Chase Elliott: Elliott took fourth in the Cook Out 400.
“Casey Mears was actually racing at Martinsville,” Elliott said. “‘So what?,’ you might ask. And that would be a valid question. But I guess Casey Mears is worth mentioning, and that is probably all he’s worth.”
5. William Byron: Byron struggled at Martinsville and finished 22nd.
“Once again,” Byron said, “my No. 24 car featured Liberty University sponsorship. That’s good for business, and Liberty knows people will see their logo. Liberty’s motto could very well be “Liberty University: We Like It When You’re Watching.'”
6. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished 11th in the Cook Out 400.
“‘I’m just happy I completed a full race without an engine failure,'” Blaney said, “is a phrase I’m going to say for the rest of the year when I complete a race. For no other reason than to drive a point home to my engine department.”
7. Alex Bowman: Bowman came home 28th at Martinsville, posting his worst finish of the season.
“Sure I’m disappointed,” Bowman said, “but not too disappointed to talk about Martinsville’s famous hot dogs. You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten one of those. Ironically, you’ve almost died if you’ve eaten a Martinsville hot dog.”
8. Bubba Wallace: Wallace was strong all day at Martinsville and finished third, posting his second straight third-place finish.
“How about the finish to that Xfinity Series race?” Wallace said. “Sammy Smith just blatantly plowed right through Taylor Gray and wrecked Gray and himself. If we learned one thing from it, it’s that Gray is ready to be a Cup series driver, because like them, he had plenty of reasons to punch somebody, but like them, chose not to.”
9. Tyler Reddick: Reddick finished 14th at Martinsville.
“Kyle Busch recently raced head-to-head against his son Brexton for the first time in competition,” Reddick said. “That was at Millbridge Speedway in Salisbury, North Carolina. I’m sure Kyle didn’t have to imagine what Brexton was feeling. He would know, because Kyle was a young punk once.”
10. Joey Logano: Logano won Stage 1 and finished eighth at Martinsville, recording his first top 10 of the season.
“Sure,” Logano said, “I’m off to a slow start this season. But in NASCAR’s playoff format, it really matters if you get hot at the right time. Actually, it really only matters if you get hot one time, preferably at the last race of the season.”
It’s the middle of the night. Your car won’t start. You’re stuck on the side of the road, with nothing but the dim glow of your hazard lights and the unsettling silence around you.
What now?
Here’s what really happens during an emergency tow at 3 a.m. — no sugar-coating, no drama, just the straight-up truth of how it works, what to expect, and how to get through it without making things worse.
First Things First: Stay Put and Stay Safe
Before you even call a company for 24 hour towing Newcastle, your safety is priority number one. If you’re on a busy road or freeway, do your best to move your vehicle off to the shoulder or a quiet side street. Can’t move it? Turn on your hazard lights, stay inside the car with doors locked, and avoid standing outside, especially near traffic.
Nighttime emergencies can feel extra intense because of how isolated it is. But the key here is not to panic. Take a few minutes to gather yourself before making the call.
Making the Call: Who You Ring Matters
When you need help fast, it can be tempting to just search “tow truck near me” and call the first number that pops up. But not all towing services are created equal.
Ideally, you’ll already have roadside assistance or a trusted towing contact saved in your phone. If not, go for a licensed operator with 24/7 support. And be clear when explaining your situation—where you are, what the issue is (dead battery, flat tyre, engine trouble), and whether you’re in a dangerous spot.
They’ll give you an estimated arrival time, which can be anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour, depending on your location. After that, you wait.
What the Tow Driver’s Doing While You Wait
On their end, the driver’s not just hopping in the truck and heading over. They’re:
Checking the job details and your location
Loading any tools or gear they might need
Navigating to your car, which can take longer at night
Watching for traffic conditions or road closures nearby
If they’re part of a larger dispatch team, they might be juggling multiple calls at once, so getting a realistic ETA can sometimes be tricky. But most drivers aim to arrive as quickly as they safely can.
What Happens When the Truck Shows Up
You’ll know the tow truck is near before you even see it; those flashing lights are hard to miss in the dark. Once they arrive, the driver will usually do a quick check-in:
Confirm your name and vehicle
Ask what’s happened and if you’ve already tried anything
Assess where the vehicle is and how easy it’ll be to hook up
They’ll then either reverse the truck into position or pull up in front, depending on the tow setup. At this hour, things move faster than during the day. There’s less traffic, but also less visibility, so most drivers aim to load the vehicle as efficiently as possible without cutting corners.
If You’re Riding with the Driver
Some towing services allow you to ride with the driver, others don’t. If they do, the cab will usually have room for one or two people max.
You’ll need to buckle up and stay seated during the drive, which might feel odd at 3 a.m., especially if you’re still frazzled from the breakdown. The driver might chat with you, or they might stay quiet. Either way, it’s usually a fairly calm ride.
Make sure you have your drop-off location ready. Whether it’s your home, a mechanic, or a holding yard, you’ll need to be clear on where the vehicle’s going. Some tows include a certain number of kilometres in the base price—any further and you’ll likely be charged extra.
Payment and Paperwork (Yes, Even at 3 A.M.)
Once the car’s delivered, there’s usually a quick rundown of paperwork or digital forms. Even if it’s the middle of the night, most drivers will still need you to:
Sign off on the job completion
Confirm the address and vehicle details
Settle any payments not covered by roadside assistance
Keep a record of what you’re given. That might include a printed slip, a photo of the job sheet, or just a digital receipt sent by text or email. You might be half-asleep, but having that info can save you hassle later, especially if you need to claim it through insurance.
You’re Home (or Somewhere Safe)… Now What?
Once you’re out of the situation, the reality sets in: your car’s still broken, and it’s probably not getting looked at until morning. But you’ve done the hard part.
Here’s what to do next:
Get some rest – You’ll need a clear head to sort things out in daylight
Call your mechanic first thing – Let them know the car’s on its way (or already there)
Follow up with your insurer – If the breakdown is part of a claim, get that moving early
Think about a roadside membership – If this was a one-off tow without cover, it might be worth setting something up
That quiet 3 a.m. ride in a tow truck might not be something you want to repeat, but at least now you know how it all works—and what to expect if it ever happens again.
Not All Emergencies Are Created Equal
There’s a big difference between a flat tyre on a quiet suburban street and breaking down on a freeway during a storm. But regardless of where or how it happens, the process of an emergency tow follows the same rough steps.
Being prepared—both mentally and practically—can make a huge difference. Save a few numbers in your phone. Know where you’d want your car taken. And most of all, stay calm when the worst happens.
Because while a 3 a.m. breakdown is never ideal, it’s not the end of the world. It’s just a late-night detour with a lift from someone who knows exactly what they’re doing.
NASCAR CUP SERIES MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT MARCH 30, 2025
Elliott Leads Chevrolet with Top-Five Finish at Martinsville Speedway
TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS: POS. DRIVER 4th – Chase Elliott 5th – Kyle Larson 6th – Ross Chastain
Proving to be a contender throughout the day, it was Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet team that led Chevrolet to the checkered flag at Martinsville Speedway – turning in a fourth-place result in the Cook Out 400. The result marks Elliott’s 13th top-10 finish in NASCAR’s top division at Martinsville Speedway – his most top-10 finishes among the series’ active tracks. The fourth-place finish matches Elliott’s season-best result with seven points-paying races complete.
Elliott led Chevrolet to three top-six finishes at the conclusion of the 400-lap race, with the Dawsonville, Georgia, native leading his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kyle Larson, and the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet team in fifth, and Ross Chastain and the No. 1 Choice Privileges Chevrolet team in sixth.
It was a disappointing day for the NASCAR Cup Series’ points leader, William Byron, and the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet team. Running in the top-10 early in the race, the team was faced with an issue on the right-front during the first pit stop of the day. Continuing to fight all day long, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native will leave Martinsville Speedway with a 22nd-place finish but has maintained the points lead for the sixth consecutive week.
Chevrolet’s all-time NASCAR Cup Series statistics at Martinsville Speedway:
Wins: 61 Poles: 56 Top-Fives: 282 Top-10s: 535
Chevrolet’s season statistics with seven NASCAR Cup Series races complete:
Wins: 2 Poles: 3 Top-Fives: 15 Top 10s: 32
UP NEXT: The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Darlington Raceway with the Goodyear 400 on Sunday, April 6, at 3 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Post-Race Driver Quotes:
“It was a good day for our Choice Privileges Chevrolet. Phil made good adjustments throughout the race and got the handling much better on the car as we went. We’ll take a sixth-place finish and go on to one of my favorite tracks next week at Darlington.”
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 5th
What more did you need to contend for the win?
“I think just track position. We maybe could have called the second stage a little bit different.. maybe potentially the first stage, too. But yeah, I don’t know. I think maybe if I could have gotten to the lead, I would have stayed in the top two or three. I feel like everyone’s cars are really equal. The No. 11 (Denny Hamlin), I’m sure his car is equal, as well, but he’s just a really good short-track racer. He can keep the tires on it and get through track position really well.”
Did you feel like, if you could have gotten out front, that it would have helped your cause?
“Yeah, for sure. Track position is so important. It’s so hard to pass here. I don’t know if I would have looked as good as Denny (Hamlin), but I feel like I was equal to my teammate, the No. 9 (Chase Elliott). He looked strong, and I feel like we would have been too.”
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 4th
You said yesterday that you had to get your game together in qualifying to help you out throughout the weekend. You really had an impressive run today.
“Yeah, it was better, for sure. We got a little behind there. I wish I could have gotten Denny (Hamlin) in the second stage. We really, really needed control there. When you get into the second-half of these races, it just gets so hard to make ground up. You saw that with Christopher (Bell) pressuring Denny. It just means a lot to have control, and unfortunately I couldn’t get that back for us. But overall, it was a really good effort by this No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet team. We had a really good Chevy today, but we just need a little bit more.”
You had a good points day, as well. You led 42 laps, and you had only led two laps up to this point. Does it feel good to just be back on the horse again?
“Yeah, we’ll see how the next couple of weeks go. But it was definitely nice to have a good day here today.”
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 15th
“I’m really happy with our performance today. Our Mark III Camaro was solid in practice and we built off that. We had a decent qualifying run, just the result didn’t really show the potential we had in the car. I think as a team we were just really patient and focused on executing and not taking ourselves out of the race. We knew we had a decent enough car to get back up there and Andrew (Dickeson, crew chief) made a good call giving us an advantage there at the end on tires to battle back to the top 15. I’m just proud of our effort to bounce back. We worked really hard last week and the result didn’t show. This week to have a really good effort and to get the result this week was really good, so happy all around.”
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 12th
“It was a solid day at Martinsville Speedway for the No. 71 Rockingham Speedway Chevrolet team. Not a great day, but a solid day. We fought really hard and made good adjustments. We just needed a little bit more firing off there at the end. Our long run speed was decent.
But all-in-all, happy we had good execution this weekend. We had good pit stops. My guys were great today on pit road. We kind of ran in that top-12 to 15 all day. We qualified 15th and finished 12th. It was just kind of a working day. Not the best day but not the worst. We’ll keep building here at Spire Motorsports.”
About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.
Toyota sweeps the top-three positions in the final running order
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (March 30, 2025) – Denny Hamlin dominated the Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. The Virginia-native won the second stage and lead 274 of 400 laps to score his first win of the season. It is Hamlin’s sixth Martinsville Cup Series victory and 55th of his Cup Series career.
Christopher Bell (second), who won his first Martinsville Speedway pole on Saturday, and Bubba Wallace (third) completed a sweep of the top-three finishers for Toyota. This is the 15th time that Toyota has swept the podium positions in a NASCAR Cup Series race and the first time since July 2023 at Pocono Raceway.
Toyota Post-Race Recap NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Martinsville Speedway Race 7 of 36 – 210.4 miles, 400 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, DENNY HAMLIN 2nd, CHRISTOPHER BELL 3rd, BUBBA WALLACE 4th, Chase Elliott* 5th, Kyle Larson* 9th, CHASE BRISCOE 13th, TY GIBBS 14th, TYLER REDDICK 24th, ERIK JONES 26th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK 32nd, RILEY HERBST *non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Progressive Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 1st
How rewarding is this?
“It is great. It is a historic race track – I’ve been so frustrated not getting a win here, but being the next best in line, but man, we have really turned the corner. Whatever setup we’ve got here, whenever we come back in the fall, we will be contenders, but this whole Progressive Toyota team did a phenomenal job all week preparing and all practice to give me this race winning car.”
CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DEWALT Outdoors Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 2nd
Where was the difference in what Denny had, and what you needed?
“I don’t know what he was doing early in the run – if he was struggling with something or if he was just taking care of the tires. I could keep pace with him, and I could pressure him for a little bit, and then I just died about 20 to 30 to go, maybe longer than that. I was then in hang on mode, but it was a great weekend for our team. This DEWALT Camry was really good on Saturday, and that helped a lot of our success today. Pit crew did a great job when it mattered – showed up and gained some spots on pit road. We have some really good notes and scored some really good points. I remember coming here in the fall last year talking about how many points we needed, and we just haven’t scored points at Martinsville, so it was nice to do that today.”
BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 McDonald’s Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd
How does this one feel leaving Martinsville?
“I feel like we were definitely better than the 20 (Christopher Bell), but just everybody get so stuck. When you feel like you have an advantage, you can’t really do anything with it. We need to continue to work on this package, but all-in-all – back-to-back top-fives is a good day. It’s usually around those summer months when we do that (laughter). It is nice to have a really good points day. I’m sure that’s what the text from MJ (Michael Jordan, co-owner, 23XI Racing) will say, but all-in-all, really proud of my McDonald’s Toyota team. We’ve showed up since the beginning of the season with our heads in the game. Charles (Denike, crew chief) jumping into this – I’m super proud of him to basically pick up where we left off. Bootie (Barker, former crew chief) left him in good hands. It was definitely a team effort all day. Good to come out of here with a good result in one of my favorite places.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 31 electrified options.
RICK WARE RACING Cook Out 400 Date: March 30, 2025 Event: Cook Out 400 (Round 7 of 36) Series: NASCAR Cup Series Location: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (.526-mile oval) Format: 400 laps, broken into three stages (80 laps/100 laps/220 laps) Race Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) Stage 1 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford) Stage 2 Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
RWR Finish:
● Cody Ware (Started 36th, Finished 31st / Running, completed 396 of 400 laps)
RWR Points:
● Cody Ware (37th with 33 points)
Race Notes:
● With less than 90 laps remaining, rubber buildup underneath the left-front wheel well of Ware’s No. 51 Arby’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse caused a fire that burned two spark plug wires, remaking his V8 into a V6. ● Denny Hamlin won the Cook Out 400 to score his 55th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his sixth at Martinsville. His margin of victory over second-place Christopher Bell was 4.617 seconds. ● There were 10 caution periods for a total of 86 laps. ● Only 22 of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap. ● William Byron remains the championship leader after Martinsville with a 17-point advantage over second-place Kyle Larson.
Sound Bites:
“Super frustrating. That’s definitely the best car we’ve ever had at a place like Martinsville, so pretty devastated. It was another really rough weekend for us, and I know it’s cliché, but the result didn’t show the speed we had today. All we can do is get to Darlington, where Billy (Plourde, crew chief) and I have had some pretty good runs in the past. We’ve just got to stay positive, look forward, and know that we still brought a fast racecar to the track this weekend. That’s something we can build on.” – Cody Ware, driver of the No. 51 Arby’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Goodyear 400 on Sunday, April 6 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. The race begins at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
POMONA, Calif. (March 30, 2025) – Shawn Langdon advanced the farthest of Team Toyota in Sunday afternoon’s NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip, making the semifinals in Top Fuel. Langdon, who won the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, had two solid runs to begin eliminations, including a 3.668 elapsed time in round one, before falling to Tony Stewart in the semifinals. Langdon’s effort on Sunday helped him extend his Top Fuel points lead heading to Las Vegas in two weeks.
Doug Kalitta was the other Toyota Top Fuel Dragster to advance out of the first round, running a career-best speed in round one of 338.34 mph.
The Toyota GR Supra Funny Cars of Ron Capps, J.R. Todd and Bobby Bode were eliminated in round one on Sunday.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action in two weeks at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Four-Wide Nationals.
Toyota Post-Race Recap NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip NHRA Winternationals Race 3 of 20
TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS
Name
Car
Final Result
Round-by-Round
Shawn Langdon
Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster
Semifinals
W (3.668) v. I. Zetterstrom (3.806) W (3.691) v. J. Hart (11.965) L (3.835) v. T. Stewart (3.723)
Doug Kalitta
Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster
Second Round
W (3.660) v. S. Palmer (3.852) L (4.456) v. T. Stewart (3.702)
Steve Torrence
CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster
First Round
L (Red light violation) v. J. Salinas (3.716)
Justin Ashley
SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster
First Round
L (4.536) v. J. Hart (3.675)
Antron Brown
Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster
First Round
L (5.253) v. T. Stewart (3.713)
TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS
Name
Car
Final Result
Round-by-Round
J.R. Todd
DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car
First Round
L (4.621) v. D. Wilkerson (4. 165)
Ron Capps
NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car
First Round
L (4.989) v. S. Hyde (3.886)
Bobby Bode
DC Motorsports Toyota GR Supra Funny Car
First Round
L (3.883) v. P. Lee (3.842)
*= Non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
SHAWN LANGDON, Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports
TF Final Result: Semifinals
How would you assess your day today at Pomona?
“We had high expectations of winning today, but obviously, all in all, it was a great weekend for Kalitta Air, DAYCO, Revchem, SealMaster and Toyota. We made it to the semifinals, had back-to-back Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge wins and Doug (Kalitta) won the Callout (Top Fuel All-Star Callout). Team Kalitta leaves Pomona first and second in (the) points, so we have no complaints. We had a little bit of misfortune there in the semifinals dropping the cylinder at the step, but we’ll get that fixed and head to (Las) Vegas. It’s a great time to be at Kalitta Motorsports, and we’re ready to go to Las Vegas.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 31 electrified options.