So, William Byron finally did it. The Hendrick Motorsports driver put an end to a year-long drought by securing his first win since last year’s fall race at Martinsville Speedway, delivering a massive day for his team in southern Virginia. Meanwhile, teammate Kyle Larson inched one step closer to taking home his third Bill France Cup.
Here’s the thing about how the Xfinity 500 shook up the standings before the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Denny Hamlin started strong by winning the pole Saturday in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, but a fateful decision during the opening stage completely unraveled his afternoon. While many teams split the 130-lap opening stage and pitted on Lap 65 — just like Martinsville Chase race winner William Byron did — Hamlin and Larson both stayed out on track.
That strategy proved to be a disaster. Hamlin lost the lead to Ryan Preece on Lap 84, and as drivers on fresh Goodyear tires flew past, the No. 11 Toyota faded down the running order to 17th by the end of Stage 1. Larson dropped like a rock too, finishing Stage 23rd and one lap down. Neither driver scored stage points in the first two segments. Title rival Christopher Bell managed to earn eight stage points across the first two stages, but he wasn't immune to drama either, picking up a pit-road speeding penalty in Stage 2.
Chaos truly erupted on Lap 216 when contact from Joey Logano sent Bell spinning into his JGR teammate Denny Hamlin entering Turn 1, triggering a caution that actually helped Larson claw his way back onto the lead lap. Despite a subpar machine for the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Larson salvaged a ninth-place finish. Hamlin recovered to sixth, and Bell crossed the line 10th. When the dust settled, Larson gained 28 points at Martinsville, while Hamlin gained only three to sit at minus-70, and Bell picked up seven to land at minus-67 heading into the season finale.
That meant four more drivers were officially eliminated from championship contention at "The Paperclip," joining a long list of drivers already out of the running. Chase Briscoe managed a quiet 14th-place finish in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, losing five points to Larson and falling 84 points back. Joey Logano saw his race derail due to late-race issues on pit road, resulting in an 18th-place finish that cost the No. 22 Team Penske driver three points to the leader. Ryan Blaney’s title hopes evaporated entirely after contact with the rear of Josh Berry with eight laps remaining in Stage 2, leaving the No. 12 driver 35th and losing 26 points to Larson. Briscoe, Logano, Reddick, and Blaney now join Ty Gibbs, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Austin Cindric, Carson Hocevar, Bubba Wallace, Ryan Preece, Daniel Suárez, and Chris Buescher on the outside looking in.
Now, all eyes turn to the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Larson sits in a remarkably comfortable position, needing to score just nine points to lock up the title regardless of what anyone else does. If he fails to score stage points, a 28th-place finish in South Florida is all it takes to claim the championship. For Bell and Hamlin, the path ahead is brutally narrow. One of the Joe Gibbs Racing drivers will need to score maximum points while hoping for an early nightmare from the No. 5 team before the sun sets on the season.
