Fresh off his second win of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season last weekend at Richmond Raceway, Chesterfield, Virginia’s Denny Hamlin leads a very-high performing Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) organization to Martinsville Speedway for the Cook Out 400 on Sunday, April 7 at 3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, the eighth race of this year’s schedule.
Two of the four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have won already this season – Christopher Bell (Phoenix) and Denny Hamlin (Bristol and Richmond).
All four JGR drivers are inside the top-six in the NASCAR Cup Series driver point standings, with Martin Truex Jr. holding the standings lead, followed by Hamlin in third, Ty Gibbs in fourth and Bell in sixth – the only four car team with all four drivers inside the top-10.
Also, through seven races this season four drivers are tied for the most top-five finishes with five each, and three of them are Joe Gibbs Racing drivers – Bell, Gibbs and Truex. The only other driver with five top fives this season is Chris Buescher with RFK Racing.
Plus, through seven races this season five drivers have led 100 laps or more, and four of them are from the Joe Gibbs Racing contingent – Truex (352 laps led), Hamlin (292), Gibbs (195) and Bell (119). The fifth is Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson, who has the most laps led this season with 368.
Joe Gibbs Racing has racked-up 14 NASCAR Cup Series victories at Martinsville Speedway, third-most all-time behind Hendrick Motorsports (28 wins) and Petty Enterprises (19 wins). Christopher Bell is the most recent JGR driver to win at Martinsville with his victory in the 2022 Playoff race. Hamlin leads all active drivers this weekend in wins at Martinsville with five victories (2008, 2009, 2010 sweep, 2015).
Hendrick Motorsports to celebrate organization’s 40th anniversary at Martinsville
Founded by NASCAR Hall of Fame owner Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports is the winningest team in NASCAR Cup Series history with all-time records of 304 points-paying race victories and 14 championships. The organization holds almost every major statistical record at NASCAR’s top level, including pole positions, top-10 finishes, top fives and laps led.
“When I think back on our story, I have a hard time believing it myself,” Hendrick said. “In 1984, we had five employees, 5,000 square feet of rented space and a lot of desire to make it work. I dreamed of one day winning a race, but I never imagined it would grow into what it is now. Every bit of success we’ve had is due to the contributions of our people and the incredible support we’ve received over 40 years. We’re here because of the commitment, the passion and the sacrifices made by so many. It’s been an incredible ride, and we’re just getting started.”
In the eighth race of the 1984 season at Martinsville Speedway, driver Geoff Bodine recorded Hendrick Motorsports’ first Cup Series win, which kept owner Hendrick from shutting down the fledgling team. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of that key victory, this week Hendrick Motorsports will run four ruby red paint schemes in the Cook Out 400 on April 7 (3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Martinsville – the eighth race of 2024:
- Kyle Larson’s No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
- Chase Elliott’s No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
- William Byron’s No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
- Alex Bowman’s No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
In addition, the celebration will also include Rick Hendrick serving as the honorary pace car driver for the Cup race, and Geoff Bodine and nine-time Martinsville Speedway winner Jeff Gordon as the event’s Grand Marshals.
Hendrick Motorsports has fielded only Chevrolet race cars in the Cup Series since it was established and has 28 Cup-level victories among nine drivers at Martinsville – Jeff Gordon (nine), Jimmie Johnson (nine), Darrell Waltrip (four), Geoff Bodine (one), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (one), Chase Elliott (one), Alex Bowman (one), William Byron (one) and Kyle Larson (one), which is the all-time record for team wins at a single track.
Been a decade since a driver has won from the pole at Martinsville
Despite being considered the most proficient starting position in the NASCAR Cup Series field at Martinsville Speedway, a driver has not won from the pole or first starting position in over a decade, the last competitor to accomplish the feat was NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson on April 7, 2013.
The pole or first starting position has accounted for 21 wins (14.38%) at Martinsville Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series. And a total of 16 different drivers have won a Cup race from the pole or first starting at Martinsville Speedway, led by Jimmie Johnson with three victories (2008, 2012, 2013).
Joe Gibs Racing’s Denny Hamlin is the only active driver to win a race at Martinsville from the pole (2010).
In total, 63 drivers have won the pole at Martinsville Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series. This weekend, seven of the 63 will be entered in the Cook Out 400.
