William Byron earns his second win in an overtime restart at Martinsville Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series on Saturday night.
A Saturday night showdown at Martinsville Speedway is what racing is all about. A 400-lap race full of pushing and shoving with drivers trying to make it to victory lane. No team leaves with a clean racecar nor a good attitude unless it’s the team winning the grandfather clock at the end of the night.
Chase Elliott Leads the Field to the Green Flag
Chase Elliott won the pole on Friday night, and he was the obvious favorite when the green flag dropped on Saturday. Elliott jumped out to an early lead, and for the first two stages, he did not have any issues. The first two stages ran caution-free with no lead changes. Chase Elliott was quiet on the radio as his car looked unbeatable early in the race. He went on to win both stage one and stage two.
William Byron Leads the Last Stage
Heading into the final stage, William Byron cycled into the lead, and it was his turn to lay down some rubber in the top spot. Byron led nearly 100 laps before having to come down pit road. He was able to cycle back into the lead with a debris caution coming out shortly afterward.
Byron was able to hold his lead during the caution as his team decided not to pit. The race continued with William Byron unchallenged for the lead.
When it looked as though it was over, David Gilliland lost a tire, and the caution came out pushing the race into overtime.
William Byron Earns his Second Win of 2022 in an Overtime Restart at Martinsville
William Byron was able to hold off Joey Logano on through the first turn, but Logano wanted that lead. Logano tried to reach Byron’s bumper but just did not have enough. William Byron held off the late charge and wins at Martinsville Speedway.
William Byron becomes the first driver of 2022 to win two races this season. It is a great feeling to have two wins so far in the early part of the season. With so many different race winners this season, winning a second race can separate one team from another team if it came down to a tiebreaker. This win also helps out Byron’s standings in the points incredibly.
The NASCAR Cup Series Point Standings
Chase Elliott is still in the driver’s seat in the regular-season standings but not by much. He leads Ryan Blaney by a mere three points. William Byron is just twelve points behind with Joey Logano sitting 27 points back.
Denny Hamlin has a Hill to Climb in Point Standings
A lot of drivers are in great shape after eight races, but there is one driver laying back that has some work to do. Denny Hamlin is in 21st place in the regular-season point standings. Despite having one win, and an assured spot in the playoffs, he has not been on top of his game as in years past. His lone win is his only top-five and top-ten finish so far on the year. It will be a challenge for him to turn it around, especially with the difficulty of the upcoming races.