NASCAR veteran Denny Hamlin secured his 49th career pole position Saturday at Martinsville Speedway, earning the front-row starting spot for Sunday’s Cook Out 400 race scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver piloted his No. 11 Toyota around the half-mile track at 98.241 mph during qualifying, besting Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron in the No. 24 Chevrolet by a narrow margin of .056 seconds. The two drivers will lead the field when racing begins Sunday, with Hamlin seeking his second win this season while Byron aims to deliver Chevrolet’s first victory of 2026.
“I knew it was possible simply from where my car was in practice,” Hamlin commented after securing his fifth pole award at the Virginia short track. “Any time you’ve got fast lap speed in practice here that’s in the top 12, you’re close enough there that qualifying trim doesn’t change your car that much.”
“You’ve got enough speed to where you nail it and do a good enough job as a driver you’ve got a chance at the pole, so I knew it was very possible but truthfully, I approached the lap to get in the top eight. I think I’d go faster if I went and did it again right now, but I think I’ll go on and stand on my time,” he continued with a grin.
This latest pole achievement places Hamlin in a tie with Bobby Isaac for 10th place on the all-time Cup Series pole winners list, a milestone that appeared to catch the driver off guard. When informed of the accomplishment, Hamlin immediately responded competitively, asking “Who has the next most on the list?” Ryan Newman holds the next spot with 51 pole awards.
“I never really go into any weekend thinking about qualifying on pole, it’s really kind of a sidebar to how my Saturday goes,” Hamlin explained. “It’s pretty awesome, and really, with age, the hardest part is actually still having a fast time. It’s one thing to be able to manage races and use your experience to your advantage. But usually, the first thing to go is your raw speed and we’re still knocking off poles, which is really good.”
Wood Brothers Racing’s Josh Berry claimed the third starting position in his No. 21 Ford, while Hamlin’s teammate Ty Gibbs qualified fourth in the No. 54 Toyota to complete the second row.
Trackhouse Racing driver Shane van Gisbergen delivered a strong oval qualifying performance, earning fifth place in the No. 97 Chevrolet.
The remainder of the top ten starting lineup features Austin Cindric, Carson Hocevar, championship points leader Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano, and Chase Elliott.
