On October 26, 2025, at Martinsville Speedway, William Byron’s win helped secure the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 along with Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, and Kyle Larson.
William Byron’s show of force, with him leading 304 laps and winning both stages, not only declared his dominance and tactical acumen but also was a significant turnaround from his previous playoff struggles.
However, things didn’t go well for every one of them. Denny Hamlin’s engine gave up on lap 335 when he was running second; thus, it was the third Toyota powerplant issue during the race after the retirements of Chase Briscoe and Riley Herbst caused by the early incidents.
Later on, Hamlin said that the failure looked throttle-related and was a quality issue that was out of his control. He kept his cool and said that he still believed in the championship finale in Phoenix.
What Happened at Martinsville?
Martinsville, October 26, 2025. William Byron won the race, but Hamlin’s day went sideways fast. He was running strong, closing in on Ryan Blaney, when his car just died.
“I felt like the car was coming to us,” Hamlin said. “We were in a good spot there. We just started to close back in on (Ryan) Blaney. We got the track position we needed. I didn’t feel anything; it was running, and then it was just no noises, no sounds, no indication. I decelerated into Turn 1, and it just shut off. That was it.”
That moment changed everything. His car lost power, and he finished 35th. “We’ll work on it I guess, and try to get them next week,” he said. “I’m obviously concerned (about the mechanical problems), but there’s obviously nothing I can do about it. We’ll live with it, and hopefully we’ll get back next week, and we are just going to have to see how it goes.”
Even after all that, Hamlin sounded calm. “I’m confident in the speed that we’ll have next week,” he said. “I’m really confident in what this team is going to bring next week, and we’ll bring our best. Hopefully it lasts.”
Denny Hamlin: “No Noises. No Sounds. Just Silence.”
Hamlin explained what it felt like in the moment. “Everything was fine and then it just lost power in Turn 1 and that was it,” he said. “No noises or anything, but just silence because it wasn’t running.”
He’s been around long enough to know these things happen. There’s no panic, no blame — just focus on what’s next. That’s classic Denny Hamlin: take the hit, reset, and move on.
A Good Experiment for NASCAR
Even with a rough finish, Hamlin noticed something good at Martinsville. NASCAR tried out new left-side tires, and he liked them.
“I thought that the left side tire was a good change,” he said. “It certainly makes you manage it, but also, more cars have been on the track, and the track is starting to get rubber. It hasn’t worn as much as I would have expected, and the lap time fall-off was not quite as much. But a good experiment, I think, can put on good races.”
That’s Hamlin, always thinking about how to make racing better, even on a bad day.
As he heads into the Championship 4, Hamlin’s not dwelling on Martinsville. One race doesn’t define a season. He’s focused on speed, teamwork, and another shot at the title.
Sometimes, the car quits on you. But Hamlin? He never quits.
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