The checkered flag has officially flown in Richmond.
As the final stage started, second stage winner Martin Truex Jr. appeared to be in a league of his own. A difficult pit stop during the stage break mired Josh Berry back in traffic in the 7th position with Kyle Larson emerging as Truex’s chief rival. For this stage, as opposed to the second, all teams seemed to be on the same strategy by splitting the final 170 laps evenly into thirds. Just shy of lap 300, the first cycle of green flag pit stops began.
After cycling through, the first set of green flag pit stops had Martin Truex Jr. again as the race leader followed by Larson. Benefitting the most from a lightning-fast pit stop was Denny Hamlin who found himself in 3rd. Suffering again was Josh Berry who, with a 15-second pit stop found himself even further back in 13th when things cycled through.
From there, the race ran pretty cleanly. During the second and final cycle of green flag pit stops of the final stage, Kyle Larson was able to beat Truex Jr. off pit road, putting him in position to lead. However, Larson was not able to hold off the dominant Martin Truex Jr. as the 19 rocketed by, retaking the lead.
With 2-laps to go, the caution flag flew for a spinning Kyle Larson. Larson, who was running 4th at the time, got loose and tagged from behind by Bubba Wallace. Denny Hamlin would win the race off pit road. Once the race restarted, Hamlin would hold off his teammate Martin Truex Jr. to score his 5th career win at Richmond Raceway.
Joey Logano was through to second and Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Larson were beatin’ and bangin’ down the back stretch. Coming to the line, Larson would crowd Truex into the fence, scoring third. Truex then dumped Larson in turn 1 after the flag and then proceeded to beat the rear bumper of his teammate and race winner, Denny Hamlin.
Denny Hamlin was not, by any means, the dominant car here tonight. However, he was able to use pit strategy and win the race off pit road which eventually won him the race. This is Hamlin’s 5th career victory at his home track.
A key storyline for the end of this race was the incident between Larson and Truex on the last lap and after the race. What started it all was his teammate Denny Hamlin using him up on the restart. Truex claimed that Hamlin jumped the start, though NASCAR deemed it clean. After contact with Hamlin, Truex was passed by Logano and then Larson got to his inside. Upset, Truex doored Larson, and, coming to the checkered, Larson ran him up into the wall to end the race.
You can watch a replay of the post-race incident here:
Jamie Little caught up with a very frustrated Martin Truex Jr. in the clip below.
During the first round of green flag pit stops in the final stage, Christopher Bell, who stayed out to lead a few laps, was found speeding on pit exit. He was forced to do a pass-through penalty, relegating him to the first car 1-lap down.
The No. 5 pit crew was lightening fast all night! Their speed along with the advantage of having the first pit stall was able to get Larson out front ahead of Truex. Unfortunately, the lead change didn’t last.
As the laps were winding down and it appeared that Martin Truex Jr. was in the catbird seat, a caution flew as Kyle Larson went around. What caused the incident was that Larson got loose and checked up. He was then tagged from behind by Bubba Wallace in the 23. This incident sent us into overtime.
Fortunately for Larson, he still managed to come off pit road 4th.
@MrPissant urges NASCAR to review the restart. He claims that Hamlin jumped the start.
Peggy Long has a short and simple explanation for what happened: Denny Hamlin won this race on pit road. Point taken.
Perry is sympathetic to Truex. They, too, question if Hamlin jumped the start.
Yes, @Daverlix, I know…it’s just short track racin’.
Thus ends round 7 of 36 for the NASCAR Cup Series! What did you think of this race, Daily Downforce readers? Did you find it exciting, frustrating, or boring? What did you think of Denny Hamlin sneaking in to win this one? What do you make of the last lap and post-race contact between Larson and Truex? Let us know on all of our social media accounts. Also, be sure to keep it right here at DailyDownforce.com for all the latest news and discussions in the world of NASCAR! We’re not done short trackin’ yet. Martinsville, here we come!
Where do all the drivers stand after the first official points race in the standings table?
After winning the opening points race of the season at Daytona by leading one lap, Tyler Reddick made it to the top of the standings. Under the new rules, he managed to pull up 58 points. He pocketed 55 for the win and added three more by finishing Stage 2 in P8. He may have squeezed out at least one more had he landed inside the top 10 in Stage 1, but after getting swept into a Lap 5 crash, Reddick limped the Stage 1 in P20, giving him no extra points.
Rounding out the top 10 are Brad Keselowski with 39 points in sixth despite a P5 finish, followed by his driver, Chris Buescher, in seventh with 39, Bubba Wallace in eighth with 37, Carson Hocevar in ninth with 36, and Ryan Blaney in 10th with 36.
Atlanta could be a springboard for Elliott, who owns an average finish of 11.4 across 14 starts there, with two wins, including one in last year’s fall race, plus three top fives and nine top 10s. The track could also pull Kyle Busch back into contention. Having already shown his speed at Daytona by winning the pole, he may potentially pull it off at the 1.54-mile track. The RCR driver sits P14 in the standings, but with an average finish of 8.8 at Atlanta since 2023 across six starts, the place might finally snap his 94-race drought.
Then again, Connor Zilisch has only one start at the track and came home P11 last year when he made his third Cup start there, making Atlanta a stage where he could stamp his mark.
Ryan Blaney will also have a better chance than anyone else to climb through a win or even points alone at Atlanta. The No. 12 Team Penske driver has one win there from 2021, but consistency has been his strong suit, with seven top fives and nine top 10s in 15 starts. And that puts him in a position to move the needle when the field rumbles into Atlanta.
Join the discussion on Discord or X, and remember to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more updates.
The Daytona 500 and Speedweeks may be over, but that doesn’t mean the chaos will cool off for the stars of NASCAR’s three National Series, as they roll into Hampton, Georgia, to the high banks of EchoPark Speedway for one of the schedule’s most unique race weekends.
Note: This article will be updated as more information about the weekend comes out.
One race weekend is in the books, and a 36-week march back to Florida is underway for the three NASCAR National Series. Whether you are going to be at the track or home, what does the forecast look like for the race weekend in Hampton, Georgia?
Before the Races (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM)
During the Truck Race (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM)
During the OAP Series Race (5:00 PM – 8:00 PM)
After the Race (8:00 PM – 11:00 PM)
Before the Race (11:00 AM – 3:00 PM)
During the Race (3:00 PM – 7:00 PM)
After the Race (7:00 PM – 10:00 PM)
NASCAR got lucky at EchoPark in 2025, and, as a matter of fact, everywhere else, but that doesn’t mean weather hasn’t affected the track’s races in the past with spot showers and major showers taking on race weekends. Take the summer of 2023, when the race took on a large rain shower that resulted in the race ending after just 185 laps, with race winner William Byron the leader at the time of caution.
Note: This article will be updated with a more accurate and detailed forecast as the race weekend nears.
