Hamlin & Bell Need Miami Miracle After Martinsville Letdown

Denny Hamlin (11) and Christopher Bell (20) battle at Martinsville Speedway. (Christian Wilson/SWN photo)

By Justin Glenn, SWN Staff Writer

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (Nov. 1, 2026) – The NASCAR Cup Series postseason is headed toward another year where Joe Gibbs Racing comes up empty in its championship hopes. 

A 73-point deficit was a steep hill to climb, but Kyle Larson gave Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin their chances early at Martinsville Speedway during Sunday’s Xfinity 500.

Instead, the organization wasn’t able to close the gap and now needs a miracle from one of Bell or Hamlin at Florida’s Homestead-Miami Speedway to claim the Bill France Cup for the first time since 2019. 

Bell finished 10th, after early promise in strategy by pitting for tires midway through stage one, and Hamlin came home sixth, despite leading 40 laps in the first segment before staying out long on older tires proved to be the wrong call.

The veteran racers cut only six points into Larson’s lead, as Bell is seeded second, 67 back with one week remaining. Hamlin is 70 points adrift of Larson in third place, and the point leader could mathematically clinch the title during stage one of the Homestead finale.

“We didn’t capitalize on Larson not getting any stage points. The first stage was the killer that set us back,” said Hamlin. “At the end of the first stage, we [also] had to restart last because we had to wave around. It was just a lot of unfortunate timing. 

“This weekend, it was about everything to gain, nothing to lose. We didn't gain enough to make it realistic.” 

On Saturday Hamlin qualified on pole and strategy placed Bell up front after starting 14th. Hamlin paced the field until pit strategy for tires came into effect. Both teams elected different plans.

Hamlin’s crew chief Chris Gayle chose to run the entire 130-lap segment without pitting for new tires, while Bell’s crew chief Adam Stevens was the first to call for tires on lap 63. 

The aggressive call bit Hamlin, as aging tires dropped him to the end of the lead lap. Bell’s early tire call put him in contention to take control of the race. Everyone expected Larson to be strong all day. However, Larson’s team elected the same strategy as Hamlin and fell a lap down, providing the first seemingly positive break for his title rivals. 

JGR knew the only way to catch Larson was to have maximum 10-point stages and a win that provided a 20-point bonus. In stage one, Bell finished fourth and earned six, but Hamlin was shutout in 17th and Larson was a lap down.

The bigger picture was that the duo and teammate Chase Briscoe were all within 75 points of the title lead coming in. 

Stage two’s tire cycle would change everything. Hamlin and Bell swapped strategies, as Hamlin came 63 laps into the tire run, avoiding making the same strategy mistake early. It put him a lap down, but it positioned him to control the race if the cycle completed.

Bell was up to third as one of six cars yet to pit at that point. The caution fell on lap 198, turning pit calls upside down.

Larson was still a lap down, but Bell – who had yet to stop – needed to complete his service before leader and eventual winner William Byron, cycled around. Bell made his stop under caution, but he suffered a speeding penalty, ruining an advantage that would’ve restarted him seventh on fresh tires.

Under the stoppage, Larson became the first car a lap down, meaning he needed just one more caution to rebound from a bad strategy call. Bell’s penalty and Hamlin’s early pit call placed them in the hornet’s nest mid-pack on the tight .526-mile track. It placed them in jeopardy for contact. 

Joey Logano delivered that blow on lap 213. Bell tried to close the door entering turn one, Logano then pushed him into Hamlin, spinning both. It provided the break Larson needed, giving him his lap back. The advantage was now over.

Larson gained no stage points, but his running position being within striking range of Bell and Hamlin kept his healthy buffer in place. 

“It came down to stage one with us running the no-stop strategy,” said Hamlin of where his day unraveled. “Lost all of our track position. When we got to the back, then you got all those incidents. Then obviously [Logano] got into [Bell], then got into us. It's racing, I guess.

“Once we lost our track position [and] the strategy, it's hard to drive back to the front. Nobody else did,” Hamlin added. “We got some decent damage too.” 

At one point in stage one, the duo was within 35 points of Larson, which had that held would’ve set up a much more compelling showdown at Homestead-Miami. 

Bell and Hamlin are the only drivers mathematically alive, but would need max points, a win, and Larson to have severe trouble to spoil the Californian’s claim to a third Bill France Cup.

“[I tricked myself] into thinking I was better than I was. [Crew chief Adam Stevens] did a great strategy call in stage one,” said Bell, who collected his 10th Martinsville top 10. “Then in the long run I fell off. Tenth is probably about where we stacked up. It is what it is.” 

By default the fight isn’t over, but Larson controls his own destiny, needing just eight stage points or a 28th-place finish with no stage points to clinch the Cup crown.

Martinsville also set the stage for another disappointing end to a season for Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin has chased a championship for 21 years. He will turn 46 on Nov. 18 and made it clear he plans to retire from full-time racing following the 2027 season. 

Bell, 32, is projected to finish top five in the standings for a fifth straight year, but also has yet to taste the ultimate glory of a season crown. JGR hasn’t won the Cup title since the late Kyle Busch won his final championship seven years ago. 

NASCAR will make its return to Homestead for the first time in 20 months. At the South Florida 1.5-mile oval, Bell finished 29th in March 2025, but won the 2023 race there. Hamlin has three Miami wins, with his last in 2020. He was fifth in the Cup Series’ last stop. 

“I feel confident to go there and contend,” said Hamlin. “I'd love to get another win before the end of the year. I thought it was going to come today.”

Coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race from Homestead-Miami is slated for Sunday, Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.