Cook Out 400
It was a Hendrick Motorsports weekend at Martinsville Speedway from start to finish. To start, HMS was celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first win for the organization. With that, they had approximately 1,500 Hendrick employees in attendance for Sunday’s race. Those there were able to see Kyle Larson start from the pole position and see a 1-2-3 HMS finish.
Rich MARvelous Move of the Race
The HMS driver who finished P1 not only won the race, he won the Rich MARvelous Move of the Race as well.
However, it wasn’t the win that won the move, but what led to the win that caught our attention.
On Lap 297, William Byron came to the pits from P5 under green. Crew chief Rudy Fugle opted to bring his driver in a lap earlier than other drivers at the front of the field, and it certainly played out in his favor.
Once the field cycled through their stops, Byron was in the lead. Eventually, he cruised to a 3.1-second lead over teammate, Chase Elliott.
The win was in sight for Byron when John Hunter Nemechek had a brake rotor explode on Lap 399. However, in a late-race restart, Byron went on to hold off Elliott, Kyle Larson, and Ryan Blaney, securing the win and allowing the multitude of Hendrick employees to join the No. 24 team in Victory Lane.
Shout Out
We wanted to give a special shoutout to the FOX broadcast booth. Those at the track did not get the chance to hear it, but Mike Joy gave a history lesson to the viewers on the first Martinsville Clock trophy.
While many who have been around the sport for awhile know about this unique way of celebrating Martinsville winners, it is always great to get the back story in the ears of newer fans, considering the historic nature of the trophy.
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Thank you to Rich Mar Florist for sponsoring the Rich MARvelous Move of the Race. Give them a follow on social media (Facebook, Instagram, X) to stay up-to-date with all the Team Rich Mar NASCAR happenings. Be sure to check out their website for all your floral needs.
I thought Mike’s history lesson added a lot to the race. Also Harvick circling which ones he had.
Oh, that’s neat!! I was at the track, so I missed it. I only heard about it thanks to someone on the PPN team. I’m going to have to catch a replay to see/hear it!