TC Daily Pit Stop: Denny Hamlin Takes Dominant Martinsville Win; Logano Takes First Top-10 Despite Ross Chastain 'Racing Like a Jackass'
TC Daily Pit Stop: Monday, March 31st, 2025
Denny Hamlin Ends Martinsville Dry Spell With Dominant Performance
Denny Hamlin took care of two dry spells on one dominant afternoon at Martinsville Speedway. The driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota led 274 laps on his path to victory in Sunday’s Cook Out 400.
With the win, Hamlin snapped a 31-race winless drought in NASCAR Cup Series competition, and he took his first win at the Virginia short track since the 2015 season. Over the final 75-lap green flag run of the race, Hamlin pulled away from Christopher Bell to win by a margin of 4.617 seconds.
The win is the 55th of Hamlin’s career, which ties him with Rusty Wallace for 11th on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins list, and the Grandfather Clock trophy that Hamlin took home on Sunday joins his other five Martinsville clocks.
RACE RECAP
RACE RESULTS
POINTS: Driver | Owner | Rookie | Manufacturer
(VIDEO) Cup Series Martinsville Post-Race: Gibbs, Reddick Talk it Out; Mears Reflects on 1st Start in 6 Years
Ty Gibbs was frustrated by a late-race incident, where he was spun by Tyler Reddick in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. After finishing 13th, Gibbs hashed out his differences with Reddick (14th) in a chat on pit road following the race.
Joey Logano Earns First Top-10 of Season Despite Chastain ‘Racing Like A Jackass’
Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano has been one of the fastest car in virtually every race during the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, but prior to Sunday’s Cook Out 400 at Martinsville, he had yet to record a top-10 finish.
Despite a late-race run-in, which sent him spinning, Logano was able to rally back to finish the race in eighth. However, he was in no mood to smile after climbing from his car as he was incensed by how he was raced by Ross Chastain.
“He [Ross Chastain] just races like a jackass every week and I keep paying the price, and I’m sick of paying the price,” Logano added.
When asked if the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion had anything to say to Chastain about the way he was being raced, Logano chuckled and said, “Not at the moment, not anything good. That’s twice in the last three weeks, though, that’s the deal.”
Logano’s spin, which came by way of contact from Chase Briscoe was caused by Chastain throwing a block on Briscoe, which sent the driver of the No. 19 car into the inside curbing, and into the side of Logano’s car.
READ MORE
Other NASCAR Headlines:
Erik Jones Disqualified From 24th for Failing to Meet Minimum Weight
Mears Thankful for Opportunity After First Cup Start in Six Years
NASCAR Power Rankings: Many Drivers on the Move After Martinsville
2025 NASCAR Season Resources:
Schedules: NASCAR Cup | NASCAR Xfinity | NASCAR Trucks
Driver Points: NASCAR Cup | NASCAR Xfinity | NASCAR Trucks
Owner Points: NASCAR Cup | NASCAR Xfinity | NASCAR Trucks
Rookie Standings: NASCAR Cup | NASCAR Xfinity | NASCAR Trucks
Manufacturer Standings: NASCAR Cup | NASCAR Xfinity | NASCAR Trucks
2025 Driver/Team Charts: NASCAR Cup | NASCAR Xfinity | NASCAR Trucks