Denny Hamlin’s impressive record at Martinsville is set to stand unchallenged in NASCAR until at least 2026. Currently, Hamlin is the only active full-time NASCAR NextGen driver with five wins at the track. His closest rival, Martin Truex Jr., holds three Martinsville wins but has announced plans to retire at the end of the 2024 season. After Truex, Brad Keselowski follows with two wins, making it unlikely for anyone to reach Hamlin’s record in the near future. This leaves the 43-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) driver’s achievement secure for the foreseeable future.
Hamlin began competing at Martinsville in 2005, claiming his first victory in 2008. He went on to dominate the track with three consecutive wins from 2009 to 2010. His last win on this short track came in 2015, where he overcame a P15 start to finish in first place.
Truex, Hamlin’s teammate at JGR, started racing at Martinsville a year later, in 2006. Although it took time to break through, Truex finally captured his first Martinsville win in 2019, adding two more wins in 2020 and 2021 while driving the #19 Chevy Camaro. Despite his skill at Martinsville, Truex has yet to capture a win in the recent NASCAR NextGen era, as has Hamlin. With Truex’s retirement looming, even if he secures wins in 2025, he would only be considered a part-time driver, meaning Hamlin’s record remains safe for now. Meanwhile, even if Keselowski wins three consecutive races at Martinsville, he would only be able to tie Hamlin’s record, and that wouldn’t occur before the 2026 season.
The Martinsville Speedway event also plays a crucial role in determining which drivers advance to the Championship 4 round at Phoenix Raceway. With six drivers competing for a place, every point counts. Following the Homestead-Miami race, Tyler Reddick from 23XI Racing joined Joey Logano in advancing. Denny Hamlin’s JGR teammate Christopher Bell currently sits in third place with a 29-point advantage above the cutline, positioning him strongly to advance. Meanwhile, Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron is fourth, narrowly ahead by just seven points.
Hamlin, along with Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, and Chase Elliott, faces a tough battle in Martinsville. Larson is only 15 points below the cutline, followed by Hamlin, who needs 26 points to advance or a win to secure his place. Although Hamlin’s history of five wins at Martinsville makes him a strong contender, he’s only achieved three top-five finishes there since his last win in 2015.
