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   nascar cup series

NASCAR cup series

   www.nascar.com

photos courtesy of nsascar

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.

Denny Hamlin wins pole in potential must-win race at Martinsville

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

 

Oct. 31, 2026

 

By Holly Cain

NASCAR Wire Service

 

MARTINSVILLE, VA. – Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin claimed the Busch Light Pole Position for Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) – giving the championship contender a single-season, career-high six poles and at least the green flag advantage on the field with two races remaining to determine the NASCAR Cup Series title.

 

Hamlin’s No. 11 JGR Toyota turned in a lap of 98.492 mph around the historic .526-mile oval nestled among the Southern Virginia Fall foliage Saturday afternoon just bettering his JGR teammate, Ty Gibbs in the No. 45 JGR Toyota by a slight 049-second.

 

Five of Hamlin’s last six race victories have come from pole position and his work Saturday puts him in front of the seven drivers still mathematically title-eligible.

 

Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson, who leads the standings by 73 points over Hamlin, will roll off third in the No. 5 Hendrick Chevrolet. Team Penske Ford teammates Austin Cindric and championship-eligible Joey Logano round out the top-five qualifiers.

 

“It always makes strategy easier when you’ve qualified up front,’’ said the 45-year-old Virginian, who now has six career poles at his home state track and 54 in his decorated career.

 

“I felt very good about it,’’ Hamlin said of the fast lap. “I knew coming off Turn four it was enough and it’s a really good feeling.’’

 

Hamlin has six victories at Martinsville – most among active drivers. His last came in the spring, 2025 race. He started from pole position and finished runner-up to Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott this Spring.

 

“That was a great lap, truthfully hit all the marks I wanted to hit and car did all the things I needed it to do on that first lap,’’ Hamlin continued. “Really great job by the race team, great adjustments there and we’ll see what we’ve got tomorrow.

 

“We’re going to give it all we’ve got and all we’ve got is all we’ve got. I wish I had a little bit more, but we just need to control our own destiny tomorrow and that’s getting the best day we can and let all the chips fall from there.’’

 

Larson won at Martinsville in 2023 and is on a streak of eight consecutive top-10 finishes here - including runner-up showings in 2022 and 2024.

 

“It was solid - I was hopeful for the lap time to show a little faster,’’ Larson said of his qualifying work. “Happy to start on the first couple rows and hopefully we can stay in the hunt all day.

 

“I think everybody else is convinced that we’re going to lock it up here this weekend but to me, I don’t look at it that way,’’ he said of the title fight. “Obviously Denny’s starting ahead of me and he’s really, really good here, and was a point away from a max points day earlier this year.

 

“I’m more looking at how to keep it up front to leave myself a buffer for next week. We’ll see how the race plays out but that’s kind of my mindset. But Denny’s definitely a much better short track racer than me. So just trying to stay in the hunt.

 

Roush Fenway Keselowski driver Ryan Preece was sixth fastest followed by  Hendrick teammates Alex Bowman, defending race winner William Byron and this Spring’s Martinsville winner Chase Elliott. Wood Brothers’ driver Josh Berry rounds out the top-10.

 

Hamlin’s JGR teammates Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell round out the top four in the championship standings and will start 11th and 14th on the grid. They are 79 (Briscoe) and 74 (Bell) points off Larson’s pace.

 

 

--30—

 

nascar reviews & NOTEBOOKS

www.nascar.com

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.

  

 

   nascar cup series

NASCAR Cup Series schedule 2026

(All times Eastern)

DateRaceTrackTime
Feb. 1Cook Out Clash at Bowman GrayBowman Gray Stadium8 p.m.
Feb. 12Duel 1 at DaytonaDaytona International Speedway7 p.m.
Feb. 12Duel 2 at DaytonaDaytona International Speedway8:45 p.m.
Feb. 15Daytona 500Daytona International Speedway2:30 p.m.
Feb. 22Autotrader 400EchoPark Speedway3 p.m.
March 1DuraMax Grand PrixCircuit of the Americas3:30 p.m.
March 8Straight Talk Wireless 500Phoenix Raceway3:30 p.m.
March 15Pennzoil 400Las Vegas Motor Speedway4 p.m.
March 22Goodyear 400Darlington Raceway3 p.m.
March 29Cook Out 400Martinsville Speedway3:30 p.m.
April 12Food City 500Bristol Motor Speedway3 p.m.
April 19AdventHealth 400Kansas Speedway2 p.m.
April 26Jack Link's 500Talladega Superspeedway3 p.m.
May 3Wurth 400Texas Motor Speedway3:30 p.m.
May 10Go Bowling at the GlenWatkins Glen International3 p.m.
May 17All-Star RaceDover Motor Speedway3 p.m.
May 24Coca-Cola 600Charlotte Motor Speedway6 p.m.
May 31Cracker Barrel 400Nashville Superspeedway 7 p.m.
June 7FireKeepers Casino 400Michigan International Speedway3 p.m.
June 14Cup Series race at PoconoPocono Raceway3 p.m.
June 21Anduril 250Naval Base Coronado4 p.m.
June 28Toyota/Save Mart 350Sonoma Raceway3:30 p.m.
July 5Cup Series race at ChicagolandChicagoland Speedway6 p.m.
July 12Quaker State 400EchoPark Speedway7 p.m.
July 19Window World 400North Wilkesboro Speedway7 p.m.
July 26Brickyard 400Indianapolis Motor Speedway2 p.m.
Aug. 9Iowa Corn 350Iowa Speedway3:30 p.m.
Aug. 15Cook Out 400Richmond Raceway7 p.m.
Aug. 23Cup Series race at New HampshireNew Hampshire Motor Speedway3 p.m.
Aug. 29Coke Zero Sugar 400Daytona International Speedway7:30 p.m.

NASCAR Cup Series playoff race schedule 2026

(All times Eastern)

DateRaceTrackTime
Sept. 6Southern 500Darlington Raceway5 p.m.
Sept. 13Enjoy Illinois 300World Wide Technology Raceway3 p.m.
Sept. 19Bass Pro Shops Night RaceBristol Motor Speedway7:30 p.m.
Sept. 27Hollywood Casino 400Kansas Speedway3 p.m.
Oct. 4South Point 400Las Vegas Motor Speedway5:30 p.m.
Oct. 11Bank of America ROVAL 400Charlotte Road Course3 p.m.
Oct. 18Freeway Insurance 500Phoenix Raceway3 p.m.
Oct. 25Yellawood 500Talladega Superspeedway2 p.m.
Nov. 1Xfinity 500Martinsville Speedway2 p.m.
Nov. 8Cup Series Championship RaceHomestead-Miami Speedway3 p.m.

2027 NASCAR CUP SERIES SCHEDULE

Date

Event / Racetrack

Saturday, February 13

Wheatley Vodka Clash (Daytona International Speedway)

Sunday, February 21

DAYTONA 500

Sunday, February 28

EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta)

Sunday, March 7

Circuit of the Americas (Austin)

Sunday, March 14

Phoenix Raceway

Sunday, March 21

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Sunday, March 28

OFF WEEK

Sunday, April 4

Darlington Raceway

Sunday, April 11

Bristol Motor Speedway

Sunday, April 18

Martinsville Speedway

Sunday, April 25

Talladega Superspeedway

Sunday, May 2

Texas Motor Speedway

Sunday, May 9

Kansas Speedway

Sunday, May 16

Dover Motor Speedway

Sunday, May 23

NASCAR All-Star Race (North Wilkesboro Speedway)

Sunday, May 30

Charlotte Motor Speedway

Sunday, June 6

Nashville Superspeedway

Sunday, June 13

Pocono Raceway

Sunday, June 20

Michigan International Speedway

Sunday, June 27

Chicagoland Speedway

Sunday, July 4

Iowa Speedway

Sunday, July 11

Sonoma Raceway

Sunday, July 18

EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta)

Sunday, July 25

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Sunday, August 1

San Diego (Naval Base Coronado)

Sunday, August 8

OFF WEEK

Saturday, August 14

Bristol Motor Speedway

Sunday, August 22

World Wide Technology Raceway (St. Louis)

Saturday, August 28

Daytona International Speedway

Sunday, September 5

Darlington Raceway

Saturday, September 11

Richmond Raceway

Sunday, September 19

Watkins Glen International

Sunday, September 26

New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Sunday, October 3

Kansas Speedway

Sunday, October 10

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Sunday, October 17

Charlotte Motor Speedway

Sunday, October 24

Phoenix Raceway

Sunday, October 31

Talladega Superspeedway

Sunday, November 7

Martinsville Speedway

Sunday, November 14

NASCAR Championship (Homestead-Miami Speedway)

 

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