Denny Hamlin dominated much of Sunday's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway, but it was Chase Elliott who went off strategy to seize the initiative and outlast the competition, capturing his first victory of the season. The Hendrick Motorsports driver started the race in 10th place and didn't reach the lead until the final stage, pushing his worn tires to the limit. When a debris caution brought him back onto the same schedule as the leaders, Elliott took full advantage of the level playing field. He beat Hamlin on the final restart and led the last 69 laps, clinching his first win of 2026.
Sunday's race wrapped up the early stretch of the 2026 season, and now teams get a one-week break to evaluate their performance and make key adjustments before the action resumes at Bristol Motor Speedway in two weeks. Toyota appears to hold the early edge, but Elliott's win on Sunday proves they're not unbeatable. Many drivers are still chasing their first win of the season, while others need to regroup and steer their campaigns in the right direction. The upcoming week off will be a crucial breather, giving teams the chance to set themselves up for a successful summer ahead.
To keep up with all your favorite drivers and get updates throughout the season, head to RotoWire's latest NASCAR news or follow @RotoWireNASCAR on X.
NASCAR Power Rankings After Martinsville
1. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing No. 45
Last Week: 1
Reddick's red-hot start to the
Denny Hamlin dominated much of Sunday's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway, but it was Chase Elliott who went off strategy to seize the initiative and outlast the competition, capturing his first victory of the season. The Hendrick Motorsports driver started the race in 10th place and didn't reach the lead until the final stage, pushing his worn tires to the limit. When a debris caution brought him back onto the same schedule as the leaders, Elliott took full advantage of the level playing field. He beat Hamlin on the final restart and led the last 69 laps, clinching his first win of 2026.
Sunday's race wrapped up the early stretch of the 2026 season, and now teams get a one-week break to evaluate their performance and make key adjustments before the action resumes at Bristol Motor Speedway in two weeks. Toyota appears to hold the early edge, but Elliott's win on Sunday proves they're not unbeatable. Many drivers are still chasing their first win of the season, while others need to regroup and steer their campaigns in the right direction. The upcoming week off will be a crucial breather, giving teams the chance to set themselves up for a successful summer ahead.
To keep up with all your favorite drivers and get updates throughout the season, head to RotoWire's latest NASCAR news or follow @RotoWireNASCAR on X.
NASCAR Power Rankings After Martinsville
1. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing No. 45
Last Week: 1
Reddick's red-hot start to the 2026 season wasn't enough to overcome his Martinsville struggles, but his 15th-place finish included stage points in both segments after starting inside the top 10. The track has never been favorable for Reddick, but Sunday's performance was enough to keep him atop the championship standings. This respectable outing should also help maintain the team's confidence and momentum heading into the week off. That momentum is crucial, as every team will be working hard to catch them when action returns at Bristol. Reddick's record at that track isn't much better than at Martinsville, either. It will become more challenging to maintain his lead as the year goes on, but minimizing damage at tough tracks like these will boost his championship hopes.
2. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske No. 12
Last Week: 2
It was another productive week for Blaney and his No. 12 Team Penske Ford. The former champion qualified 12th for Sunday's race but quickly moved forward once the green flag dropped. Blaney earned stage points in both segments and secured a solid sixth-place finish, helping him maintain second place in the championship standings. Sunday's top-10 result marked his fifth of the season - a feat matched by only two other drivers so far. This strong finish should keep the team's confidence high as they head to Bristol, one of their best tracks. Blaney is a two-time winner there and has not finished lower than 11th at the track in an impressive 15-race streak. He finished second last spring, leading 177 laps that afternoon.
3. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11
Last Week: 4
Sunday was a dominant day for Hamlin at Martinsville, but a lack of pace in the final laps meant he missed out on the win. Despite that, Hamlin started from pole and led 292 of 400 laps, winning both stages before Chase Elliott's alternate strategy put the No. 9 on level terms with Hamlin. Even without the race win, Hamlin earned the most points on the day and moved up one spot in the championship standings to third. He has been one of, if not the best, short-track drivers in recent seasons, and Sunday's effort showed that strength has not abandoned him. After a week's break, another short track is on tap at Bristol Motor Speedway. That's a track Hamlin has won at four times and finished in the top five in four of the last five visits.
4. Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports No. 9
Last Week: 5
Elliott secured his first win of 2026 and his second victory at Martinsville Speedway thanks to an alternate pit strategy that paid off when a timely caution helped him solidify his position as a contender. From that point on, Elliott stayed near the front and took the lead for the final time on the last restart, holding off Denny Hamlin over the final 69 laps to clinch the win. Sunday's victory moved Elliott up one spot in the championship standings, with a week's break ahead before returning to action. He and his team will appreciate the opportunity to review what worked well at Martinsville and apply those lessons to their approach at Bristol. Although Elliott didn't finish better than 15th in either race at Bristol last season, he has earned five top-five finishes and nine top-10s in 17 starts there.
5. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports No. 5
Last Week: 6
Kyle Larson continued his steady climb up the championship standings with a top-10 performance at Martinsville. Although the defending series champion started outside the top 10, he spent much of the afternoon racing within that group. By earning stage points in both segments and securing a ninth-place finish, Larson made the most of the day, even if a win remained out of reach. He continues to pursue his first victory of the year and may be resolving some of the inconsistencies that affected him last season. With four top-10 finishes in the first seven races, he is just one behind the series leaders at this point. Looking ahead to Bristol, Larson's top-10 streak appears likely to grow. He hasn't finished lower than ninth at Bristol since the spring of 2022, positioning him well to keep climbing in the standings.
6. William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports No. 24
Last Week: 7
Although the No. 24 team didn't dominate Martinsville like they did last spring, Byron's front-row start and fifth-place finish on Sunday were strong enough to move him up in the championship standings. He stayed inside the top five from the start to the finish, earning a solid amount of points. Sunday's result also marked Byron's fourth consecutive top-10 finish. While a win in 2026 has yet to come, the season is still young, and Byron is consistently running in the top 10, which is a good sign for future victories. If the team maintains this pace, they'll be in a strong position when racing returns to Bristol. Byron has never won at Bristol, but he has finished in the top 10 five times out of 13 attempts, including a remarkable sixth-place finish last spring after starting 26th.
7. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20
Last Week: 8
Although Bell was quiet at Martinsville, he turned in a strong performance that further cemented his place among the top 10 in the early-season championship standings. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver opened 2026 with consecutive finishes outside the top 20, but he rebounded with four top-10 finishes in the last five races, putting him comfortably inside the top 10 in points and just 10 points behind teammate Ty Gibbs. Bell's momentum is moving in the right direction, and the upcoming race at Bristol looks poised to continue that climb. He placed in the top 10 at Bristol in both races last season and finished as the runner-up after starting on pole in the fall of 2025. For Bell and the No. 20 team, only minor tweaks stand between them and Victory Lane, and this off week could be the perfect opportunity to make those refinements.
8. Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing No. 23
Last Week: 3
After a disappointing race at Darlington, Wallace headed to Martinsville needing to prove his early-season success wasn't just a fluke. He started 15th and showed glimpses of breaking into the top 10 early on, but in the final stage, Wallace triggered the biggest incident of the day with heavy contact to Carson Hocevar's rear bumper. The collision caused a massive pileup and ended Wallace's day prematurely, which was precisely the outcome he needed to avoid. Instead of regaining his form, Wallace goes into the week off with back-to-back finishes outside the top 30 and an eight-position drop in the standings. This week's break will be crucial for the No. 23 team to regroup and return to Bristol with the same positive approach that led to five consecutive finishes of 11th or better to start the season.
9. Joey Logano, Team Penske No. 22
Last Week: 10
Unlike Wallace, Logano delivered exactly the finish he was hoping for at Martinsville. The Team Penske driver started the weekend strong with a top-10 qualifying effort, which he then converted into a top-five finish with stage points on Sunday. This performance ended the No. 22's five-race slump, where he hadn't finished better than 15th, and moved Logano up four spots in the championship standings to 12th. Even better news for the multi-time champion is that Bristol is next on the schedule after a week's break. Logano has excelled at that track, maintaining a streak of top-10 finishes on the concrete dating back to 2019. Pure speed hasn't been the issue for this team so far in 2026, but at Martinsville, they may have found the missing piece of race execution that they were lacking.
10. Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54
Last Week: N/A
Ty Gibbs firmly placed himself in the spotlight after an impressive streak of five straight finishes of sixth or better. Even more noteworthy is that Sunday's fourth-place result marked his first top-five at Martinsville since joining the series. From qualifying, it was clear Gibbs had a car capable of contending for the win, landing a spot on the second row. He delivered a flawless race on Sunday, picking up stage points in both segments and holding a nearly unchallenged position in the top five the entire distance. That performance boosted Gibbs a valuable five spots in the championship standings. Fantasy players should feel confident about his prospects in the upcoming races as well. If Gibbs maintains this level of consistency, race wins are likely on the horizon.
Knocking on the Door
Chris Buescher, RFK Racing No. 17
Last Week: 9
Sunday's trip to Martinsville was expected to be a tough one for Buescher. The short track has never been one of Buescher's best, but there were hopes that RFK Racing's recent strength would help overcome the challenge. Instead, Buescher got more of the same in Sunday's race, finishing 19th after a largely quiet day and last among the RFK teammates. The result also dropped him three spots in the standings, putting Buescher in a four-way tie. With three top-10 finishes from the first seven races, Buescher is just starting to see some daylight between himself and the series leaders,w hich is a gap he hopes won't keep growing. A true test of potential comes next time out, too. Buescher is a former Bristol winner, with four finishes of 11th or better in the last six races. The next race could be a chance to reverse the damage done last week.
Austin Cindric, Team Penske No. 2
Last Week: N/A
Eighth place at Martinsville extended Cindric's promising start to 2026 and moved him closer to the cutline in the championship standings. The Team Penske driver qualified sixth for the race and scored stage points on his way to what was his second top finish heading into the coming week off. Many were looking for Cindric to take a step forward in competitiveness this year, and so far, he and the team are showing they have found improvement. Using this short break to assess what more can be done and what other steps they can take could set the stage for continuing that trajectory into the summer. With no top-10 finishes from his six Bristol series starts, the next race should serve as a good barometer to measure the team's progress.
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing No. 97
Last Week: N/A
SVG's progress on ovals was evident again Sunday at Martinsville. The Trackhouse Racing driver scored an impressive fifth-place starting spot in qualifying, demonstrating the raw speed he can deliver at these types of tracks. Van Gisbergen then converted that strong starting position into stage points in both segments, showing he and the team can sustain their pace under race conditions. In the end, his 11th-place finish marked his fourth top-15 result on an oval this season, which is a clear improvement from 2025, when he was mostly outside the top 20 on these tracks. Early in the year, with just one road course completed, SVG is already in the hunt for the Chase and still has the rest of the season to continue improving.
