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Dillon, RCR heading in right direction with strong Martinsville showing

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emailBy Kelly Crandall | April 10, 2022 1:36 AM ET

Austin Dillon owned that the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team didn’t have a better shot at winning Saturday night at Martinsville Speedway.

Dillon, who ran second at the time of the final caution, restarted third in overtime, taking the inside lane behind leader William Byron. Dillon knew what he wanted to do going into Turn 1 but a mistake on the restart negated those plans.

“I was supposed to stay with Byron through the gears (and) I didn’t,” Dillon said. “I had to worry about the No. 45 [Kurt Busch]. I was spinning the tires too much so I was kind of defensive through there. I picked up the gas in the middle of Turns 1 and 2, and I was able to get back in (line), but at that point, Joey [Logano] was already tucked in line.

“I was hoping they would get together and I would have a run. I got to Joey’s back bumper off of (Turn) 4 but I gapped myself too much and wasn’t able to take advantage of that forward drive we had saved throughout that last run. I felt like we had a little bit left if I was able to get through the gears and I wasn’t able to.”

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Byron fends off Logano in overtime Martinsville finish

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Dillon had a strong car through the long runs — a fortunate characteristic in his Chevrolet considering there were only two natural cautions. He also credited the work put in at the simulator and “wracking our brains” in meetings to try and figure out how to get more speed out of his cars.

“It sucks (to be) so close to having a shot at winning,” Dillon said. “I had it played out in my mind to get through the gears, get to Turn 1, and shove him up the track, and I minimized mistakes all night but I didn’t do a very good job on that last restart.”

Dillon started 23rd and seemed to refute the notion it was hard to pass.

“I had no problem passing; I came from 23rd a couple of different times coming to the front,” he said. “Yeah, it was difficult, but there was a ton of grip in the track. It’s freezing, the track’s fast; fast lap times. You’re averaging lap times close to qualifying there at the end when we were out front.

“When it gets hot and slick, it’ll be a whole other race and I’m actually looking forward to that because that’s where our car was probably going to be good — if it got hot.”

Dillon and company hope to be on a hot streak. Martinsville was his third consecutive top-10 finish.

“RCR and ECR — we’ve been pretty strong all year long and definitely gives us direction,” said Dillon. “We had a couple of unfortunate weeks getting wrecked at Phoenix and Atlanta so this feels really good to right the ship, but we’re here for one thing and that’s wins. Points (racing) is just so difficult to get your way in (to the playoffs). It feels good, like I said, but I wish I would have clutched it (on the restart). I like to think of myself as getting it done when I get those opportunities and I didn’t do it tonight. That will be on my mind.

“We’ve been — twice now this year; Fontana and here — second and in position to win and didn’t take advantage. That’s a big thing for us. Over the years at the Cup level, I haven’t had but…on average three, maybe four opportunities a year to do this (run up front). I think we’re (heading) in the right direction.”

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Byron fends off Logano in overtime Martinsville finish

John Harrelson / Motorsport Images
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emailBy Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service | April 10, 2022 12:36 AM ET

The first night race for the NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway was a cakewalk for Hendrick Motorsports—until a late caution sent the race to overtime, that is.

William Byron survived a final restart and a mistake on the white-flag lap to win Saturday night’s Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 at the .526-mile short track.
The No. 22 tried, but it wasn't enough! @WilliamByron captures his second grandfather clock of the weekend! pic.twitter.com/ZSMcxbxlbv

— NASCAR (@NASCAR)

Byron led 212 of the 403 laps. Teammate and pole winner Chase Elliott led the first 185 — as Hendrick Motorsports surpassed 10,000 laps led at Martinsville, becoming the first Cup organization to hit that prodigious number at a single track.

At the end of the two-lap overtime, Byron crossed the finish line .303s ahead of runner-up Joey Logano who couldn’t get close enough to Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet in the final corner to make a move for the win. "make a move for the win" means he couldn't stuff him into the wall and get around him.

Byron, who also won Thursday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, is the first driver to win two events this season. Saturday night’s Cup victory was his first at Martinsville and the fourth of his career.

With his parents on his pit box for the entire race, Byron dedicated the win to his mother.

“When that last caution came out (for Todd Gilliland’s brush with the Turn 4 wall on lap 393), I thought everyone behind us would pit,” Byron said. “Luckily we stayed out — we were aggressive. We felt like we could refire on the tires and be OK.

“You’ve got one of the most aggressive guys behind you with Logano. I chattered the tires in (Turns) 3 and 4 (on the white-flag lap) and left the bottom open, but I was able to kind of block my exit to get a good drive off (the corner).

“This one’s for my mom. This same weekend last year she had kind of a mini-stroke and was diagnosed with brain cancer. It means a lot to have her here, and it’s been a crazy year, but she’s doing great, and thanks, everybody, for the support. I kind of felt like she was riding in there with me. It’s cool to have her here, and I’m definitely going to enjoy this one.”

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Dillon, RCR heading in right direction with strong Martinsville showing

"You've got to punt them a little harder with this car" - Logano

Shifting adds another Next Gen challenge at Martinsville

Logano had mixed emotions after the race. The strong second-place run was gratifying, but it was second place, not first, and it extended his winless streak to 37 races.

“That final restart there; had a front row,” Logano said. “That’s what you can ask for. Got cleared to second and Willy kind of messed up off of (Turn) 4 and let me get to him and he did a really good job of brake-checking. He did what he was supposed to do and kind of got me all stuffed up behind him and I couldn’t accelerate off the corner and be as close as I needed to be down into (Turn) 3 to execute the ole bump-and-run.

“Couldn’t get quite to him, but his corner entry was really strong, too, which I think allowed him to get in there pretty strong. Overall, the Shell-Pennzoil Mustang had a solid run. Just hate being that close to winning and not making it happen. But big points today and it just stings. Second just sucks sometimes, that’s all.”

Austin Dillon ran a strong third behind Logano, with Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain claiming the fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Aric Almirola, Chase Briscoe and Elliott completed the top 10. Elliott leads the series standings by three points over second-place Blaney. Byron is third, 12 points back.

Elliott won the first two stages. Byron won the race off pit road under caution at the second stage break and remained out front for 118 laps until he came to pit road during a cycle of green-flag stops midway through the final stage.

Blaney held the top spot for five laps before making his final stop and Byron regained the lead when Blaney came to pit road on lap 308.

After completion of the green-flag cycle, NASCAR called the third caution of the race when Denny Hamlin’s ill-handling
pig stopped on pit road. Byron retained control of the race after the subsequent lap 325 restart, with Austin Dillon moving past Joey Logano into the second position.

That was the last yellow flag until the final caution on lap 393. The four cautions total — with two for stage breaks — were the fewest in a Cup race at Martinsville since 1997. Then again, Saturday night’s race was shortened from 500 to 400 laps but those darn hillbillies can't count. We are going to autograph those extra tires and sell them on ebay for gas money.