Denny Hamlin Falls Off as William Byron Sweeps Martinsville Amidst HMS’ Dominant 1-2-3 Finish

40 years ago, Geoff Bodine secured Hendrick Motorsports’ insurmountable legacy with their first win at Martinsville. Fast forward to the 2024 Cook Out 400, and NASCAR’s winningest team was all set to break another stellar record: becoming the first team in history to finish 1-2-3 in Martinsville. However, nothing comes easy in NASCAR, and a last-minute caution triggered by John Hunter Nemechek sent shivers down Jeff Gordon and the team’s spines as they waited in anticipation for the yellow-white-checkered finish.

With William Byron running in first, followed by Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson, all eyes were on HMS on the restart as the teams opted to stay out to maintain track position. At the same time, Denny Hamlin was told to do the exact opposite – pitting for fresh rubber against the majority. Fortunately, six cars behind the HMS drivers remained on track, leaving Hamlin far behind on the restart.

Hendrick Motorsports proves why they’re the winningest NASCAR team

Soon enough, William Byron gunned down the main straight on the restart, followed by Chase Elliott and Larson. Whilst the #9 and #5 Chevrolet fought against each other and held up the pack, Byron’s #24 led away to bring home one of NASCAR’s most dominant finishes for a team.

The podium at Martinsville marks the first time a team has finished 1-2-3 there. Talk about a dream result on the 40th Anniversary of HMS for Rick Hendrick!

At the end of the Cook Out 400, Jeff Gordon finally got to breathe a sigh of relief. He shared with Fox Sports 1, “Mr. and Mrs. Hendrick, I know how bummed they were to not be here but how excited they are that all of our folks are here to see this happen. I mean, you can’t script this like this. I knew we had good race cars when we showed up here yesterday, but the race, the way it played out, to get that green flag pit stop was it. Our cars were just so good on the short runs, we just needed to get that track position.”

The last restart was something the Vice President of HMS was least expecting. Fortunately, the HMS crews nailed the call to stay out on track and essentially snatched away any chances for Denny Hamlin to ruin the 1-2-3 finish. Gordon added, “I just was so hoping we could get the 1-2-3, and these guys, these three guys as well as Bowman, they just drove their butts off. But how about that #24 car? Every time we have a day or an opportunity or a moment, he steps up. We got #300 and this is gonna be a huge one for him and the whole organization.”

With the adrenaline still gushing through William Byron’s veins, the driver of the #24 was grateful that Chase Elliott raced him fairly to the very end. Avoiding the Truex Jr and Hamlin tussle, HMS once again proved why they are one step ahead of the competition.

Byron shared with Fox, “I just want to thank Chase for racing me clean there, it could get really physical at the end, but he gave me a shot, which is expected but we all finished it off. So just so proud of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports, grew up a big Hendrick Motorsports fan, and to be here for the 40th anniversary and all that goes into just this organization – all the people, it’s all about the people. Just wanna thank Mr Hendrick, Linda, and everyone involved.”

As the checkered flag fell on the half-mile track, William Byron brought home the Grandfather Clock with Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott locking out the HMS podium, respectively. With another historical record in the HMS books, this weekend at Martinsville could not have ended with a better result for NASCAR’s winningest team.