A look at the NASCAR qualifying results for the 2026 Cook Out 400 NASCAR Cup Series race today at Martinsville Speedway.
Martinsville Speedway puts a spotlight on track position like few other tracks on the NASCAR calendar. The tight, flat layout makes passing difficult, placing added importance on the NASCAR qualifying results and early race execution.
Of course, even the best-laid plans can unravel in a hurry. Late-race restarts at Martinsville often play out like bar fights in a phone booth, where space disappears quickly and tempers can flare in an instant. That said, the more time a driver spends near the front of the field, the less likely they are to get caught up in the chaos.
The following shares the official starting grid for Sunday’s race, along with Martinsville Speedway track details and key observations from NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying. If you are playing some fantasy today, make sure you check out our NASCAR fantasy picks for the Cook Out 400!
NASCAR Qualifying Results at Martinsville Speedway
2026 Cook Out 400 Race Info
Date: Sunday, March 29, 2026
Start Time: 3:30 p.m. EST
Track: Martinsville Speedway — Ridgeway, VA
Coverage: FS1
Pole Sitter: Denny Hamlin
Defending Champion: Denny Hamlin
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Cook Out 400 Race Breakdown
Distance: 210.4 miles
Laps: 400
Lap Length: 0.526 miles
Stages: Three (80 laps, 100 laps, 220 laps)
Surface: Asphalt (straights and higher lanes of turns); Concrete (lower lanes of turns)
Turns: 4
Banking: Turns 12°; Frontstretch and Backstretch — 0°
Official Cook Out 400 Starting Lineup
The top drivers and teams tend to dictate terms at Martinsville. Thus, it was no surprise to see last year’s Cook Out 400 winner qualifying on the pole for the 2026 edition. With a qualifying speed of 98.241 mph, Denny Hamlin earned the right to lead the field to the green on Sunday.
While this marks Hamlin’s first Pole Award of the year, it is the 49th of his career and also his fifth at this track. His qualifying lap time of 19.275 seconds beat out three-time Martinsville winner, William Byron, by 0.056 seconds.
Unlike last week’s NASCAR qualifying results, which featured the first three rows with pairs of teammates, there is a mixed bag of teams and manufacturers that will be starting up front. In total, seven race teams have at least one driver starting in the top ten on the grid.
The table below shares the complete Cook Out 400 starting lineup and NASCAR qualifying results for Sunday afternoon’s race.
| POS | Driver | Number | Team | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 2 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 3 | Josh Berry | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford |
| 4 | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 5 | Shane van Gisbergen | 97 | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 6 | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 7 | Carson Hocevar | 77 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 8 | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 9 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 10 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 11 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 12 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske | Ford |
| 13 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 14 | Zane Smith | 38 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 15 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 16 | Chris Buescher | 17 | RFK Racing | Ford |
| 17 | Ryan Preece | 60 | RFK Racing | Ford |
| 18 | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 19 | Erik Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota |
| 20 | Michael McDowell | 71 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 21 | Justin Allgaier | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 22 | Daniel Suarez | 7 | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 23 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | RFK Racing | Ford |
| 24 | Cole Custer | 41 | Haas Factory Team | Chevrolet |
| 25 | Connor Zilisch | 88 | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 26 | Riley Herbst | 35 | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 27 | Chase Briscoe | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 28 | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
| 29 | Todd Gilliland | 34 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 30 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 31 | Noah Gragson | 4 | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 32 | John Hunter Nemechek | 42 | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota |
| 33 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | HYAK Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 34 | Kyle Busch | 8 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 35 | Cody Ware | 51 | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet |
| 36 | Ty Dillon | 10 | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
| 37 | Austin Hill | 33 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
NASCAR Cook Out 400 Practice and Qualifying Notes
- The front row of Denny Hamlin and William Byron represents the two race winners at Martinsville last year.
- This marks William Byron’s fourth top-10 start through the first seven races of the 2026 season.
- The top-10 in the NASCAR qualifying results reflect balance across the three manufacturers. Chevrolet earned four of the top ten spots, while Toyota and Ford each have three.
- Bubba Wallace was the fastest car in practice with a single-lap speed of 96.195 mph. He was followed by Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin, giving Toyota the top three practice speeds.
- Chase Elliott posted the best ten-lap average speed in practice at 95.393 mph.
- Richard Childress Racing’s early-season struggles continued in qualifying. Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch and Austin Hill will all be starting 30th or worse on the Cook Out 400 grid.
