NASCAR results: Kyle Larson wins at Martinsville, continuing Hendrick Motorsports dominance of 'The Paperclip'
Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson took the lead with 30 laps to go and never looked back to win the NOCO 400 on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. Larson's teammate Chase Elliott, returning from a broken left (braking, clutch) leg, finished 10th.
Pole-sitter Ryan Preece dominated much of the early running and appeared poised to challenge for his first career Cup Series win, but a mid-race pit-lane speeding incident dropped him to the back of the field where he struggled to recover places, eventually finishing 15th.
NOCO 400 results
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Zane Smith (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Anthony Alfredo (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
JJ Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
NOCO 400 TV/streaming schedule
All times Eastern
Saturday, April 15
4:30 - 5:15 p.m.: Practice (FS2, MRN, SiriusXM)
5:15 - 6:30 p.m.: Qualifying (FS2, MRN, SiriusXM)
Sunday, April 16
11 a.m. - noon: Pre-race show (FS1)
Noon - 3 p.m.: NOCO 400 (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM)
NOCO 400 details
Track: Martinsville Raceway (0.526-mile paperclip oval)
Length: 400 laps for 210.40 miles
Banking: 12 degrees in the turns, none on straightaways
Last year’s winner: William Byron
NOCO 400 starting grid
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Anthony Alfredo (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Zane Smith (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
JJ Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Chase Elliott returns for Martinsville
Hendrick Motorsports driver and 2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott will return to pilot his No. 9 Chevrolet after missing the past five races due to a fractured left tibia. Elliott injured his leg while snowboarding in Colorado during the week between races in Fontana, California, and Phoenix in March. Xfinity Series competitor Josh Berry substituted for Elliott on ovals — including a second-place finish at Richmond two weeks ago — while IMSA driver Jordan Taylor piloted the car at the Circuit of the Americas road course.
Cody Ware suspended indefinitely
After missing last week's Bristol dirt race due to what his team called "a personal matter," Cody Ware, the regular driver of the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford, was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR. Ware was arrested Monday in North Carolina on felony assault charges. The 27-year-old is charged with felony assault by strangulation and a misdemeanor count of assault on a female.
Top drivers and best bets for the NOCO 400
Nine former Martinsville winners are racing this weekend — one-quarter of the 36-car field — and that parity is reflected in the odds at BetMGM. Eight drivers representing the three biggest teams and all three manufacturers enter the weekend with 10-to-1 or better odds for victory.
Best odds to win
• William Byron +650
• Christopher Bell +700
• Chase Elliott +700
• Denny Hamlin +700
• Kyle Larson +750
• Martin Truex Jr. +900
• Ryan Blaney +1000
• Joey Logano +1000
Beyond those drivers, Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg suggests you can find good midtier value in veteran Kyle Busch (+1200), with his 21 career top-10 finishes at Martinsville, and Brad Keselowski (+2500), who has a career average finish of 12th at the paperclip.
NOCO 400 entries list
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
JJ Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Zane Smith (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Anthony Alfredo (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
NOCO 400 weather
The forecast for southern central Virginia calls for a slight chance of rain Saturday — when the Cup cars qualify and the Xfinity cars race — and thunderstorms Sunday, so anticipate some delays or shuffling of the on-track schedule. If it does rain — particularly between qualifying and the race — it should produce some exciting racing, as the track won’t be as “rubbered in,” putting things more in the drivers’ hands than on the equipment.