Andrew Ravens · MotorBiscuit Wed, November 4, 2026 at 9:20 PM UTC · 3 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Richard Petty called Denny Hamlin 's Martinsville race "really disappointing" after the polesitter finished sixth and gained only three points on Kyle Larson .
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver had a chance to cut into Larson's lead from the pole, and Petty thought that was the day he would make his move. He gave his verdict on the Petty Racing Recap .
"I figured if Denny was ever going to show anything, it was going to be at Martinsville," Petty said.
"When he started on pole, I said, 'Okay, they've got their stuff together, and the 5 car is going to be hard-pressed to gain any points on it,'" he added.
Petty's verdict was short. "That was really disappointing," he said.
Hamlin and Larson both stayed out in Stage 1 while much of the field pitted under green. They lost track position, no caution came before the end of the stage, and neither driver scored Stage 1 points .
Steve Letarte, a former Cup crew chief, and Jamie McMurray, a former Daytona 500 winner, both now work in motorsports television. They broke down the call on NASCAR's Inside the Race . Letarte pointed to race winner William Byron , who pitted and took control.
"The most successful, the pitting group, William Byron pitted, drove up, won the first stage, never looked back, controlled the race, the rest," Letarte said.
"The other side, the 11 of Denny Hamlin, got passed by the 60, and then that 11 car fell off the cliff. So now, wrong strategy with a car that was not good on that long run," he added.
McMurray said the long run is usually a strength for Hamlin's team.
"The thing that has played into the 11's advantage a lot of times is that they're exceptional in the long run," McMurray said. He added that "at a place like Martinsville, where it's this little small racetrack, when you lose drive or rear grip, you're just out to lunch and you can get lapped and lose track position so fast."
Hamlin also spun with teammate Christopher Bell after contact from Joey Logano on Lap 216. He recovered to finish sixth, three spots ahead of Larson.
Hamlin called his title chances unrealistic after the race. He is third in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, 70 points behind Larson, with only Homestead-Miami Speedway left.
Petty said Larson does not need much on Sunday. "All he's got to do is have a good start and he can stop halfway through the race and still win a championship," he said.
Petty won a record 200 Cup races and seven championships, tied for the most. He said he is now more interested in whether Hamlin or Bell finishes second in the standings.
Source: Sports
0 Comments