Byron, Hendrick Motorsports dominate on Hendrick’s 40th anniversary

Rick Hendrick and his team, Hendrick Motorsports, seem to have found their former glory this season. This notion was once again reinforced when the Chevy team finished one-two-three at Martinsville Speedway, a feat that has never been accomplished in the over 150 Cup races held there.

The race saw a scarcity of cautions and all but one Hendrick car saw their moment in the spotlight during the race. In the beginning, it looked like it would once again be Kyle Larson’s day as he led the first portion of the race from the pole.

However, he somewhat faded as the race went on and gave way to teammates William Byron and Chase Elliott to duke it out for the win. While Byron looked as if he was about to cruise to another victory, a late caution brought out by John Hunter Nemechek set up another nail-biter at the famed half-mile.

On the restart, Elliott didn’t shy away from using the old chrome horn on his teammate and almost had him. But Elliott took the wrong line going into turn one and allowed Byron to cut back under him and sneak away with his third win of the season.

This win for Hendrick was even more impactful as all four Hendrick cars donned maroon-red paint schemes to celebrate the legendary team’s 40th anniversary. Martinsville was seemingly the perfect place for this win, as the team’s dominance here is one that has gone unrivaled for years.

This weekend, however, the challenge these drivers face gets bigger, one could even say “Texas-sized”. The Cup series rolls into Texas Motor Speedway this coming Sunday for the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400.

The mile-and-a-half speedway is also no stranger to Hendrick's dominance, and fans should expect nothing less from them this weekend. The most recent winner of this race, Byron, has been on a roll this season and will undoubtedly be one of the favorites this weekend.

Rewind two years ago back to 2021, and you’ll see a clean sweep from Larson in the two races held there that year. But what team can pose a threat to Hendrick’s dominance? To answer that, look no further than the 23XI camp.

Both drivers on this Toyota team have found great success in the Lone Star State, with driver Tyler Reddick winning the event back in 2022 and Bubba Wallace placing third in the race last year.

When it comes to battling for the lead, or even trying to move up closer to the lead, the drivers will face a tremendous task in passing. This track is notorious for being a one-groove race track, meaning it will be difficult to pass in the turns.

To pass here, drivers will need to get a good run out of the exit of the turn and draft up behind the car in front. This will make strategy and pit stops of utmost importance in the race as this will be the best way to gain positions, without them having to waste their tires trying to pass on the track.

This weekend all eyes will surely be on Hendrick as they try to tighten their metaphorical grip on the Cup Series as they duel it out in Texas. The race is set to start at 3:30 EST on FS1.

Ethan Ellis is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email ece5133@psu.edu.