NASCAR results: Kyle Larson wins at Martinsville, continuing Hendrick Motorsports dominance of 'The Paperclip'

Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson took the lead with 30 laps to go and never looked back to win the NOCO 400 on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. Larson's teammate Chase Elliott, returning from a broken left (braking, clutch) leg, finished 10th.

Pole-sitter Ryan Preece dominated much of the early running and appeared poised to challenge for his first career Cup Series win, but a mid-race pit-lane speeding incident dropped him to the back of the field where he struggled to recover places, eventually finishing 15th.

NOCO 400 results

1. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

2. Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford

3. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

4. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

5. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

6. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

7. Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford

8. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

9. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

10. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

11. Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

12. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

13. Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

14. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

15. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

16. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

17. Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

18. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

19. Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford

20. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

21. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

22. Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota

23. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

24. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

25. Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford

26. Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

27. A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

28. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

29. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

30. Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

31. Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

32. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

33. Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford

34. Zane Smith (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford

35. Anthony Alfredo (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford

36. JJ Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

NOCO 400 TV/streaming schedule

All times Eastern

Saturday, April 15
4:30 - 5:15 p.m.: Practice (FS2, MRN, SiriusXM)
5:15 - 6:30 p.m.: Qualifying (FS2, MRN, SiriusXM)

Sunday, April 16
11 a.m. - noon: Pre-race show (FS1)
Noon - 3 p.m.: NOCO 400 (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM)

NOCO 400 details

Track: Martinsville Raceway (0.526-mile paperclip oval)
Length: 400 laps for 210.40 miles
Banking: 12 degrees in the turns, none on straightaways
Last year’s winner: William Byron

NOCO 400 starting grid

1. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

2. Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

3. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

4. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

5. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

6. Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota

7. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

8. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

9. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

10. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

11. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

12. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

13. Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford

14. A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

15. Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford

16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

17. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

18. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

19. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

20. Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford

21. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

22. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

23. Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

24. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

25. Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford

26. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

27. Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

28. Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

29. Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

30. Anthony Alfredo (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford

31. Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford

32. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

33. Zane Smith (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford

34. Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

35. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

36. JJ Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

Chase Elliott returns for Martinsville

Hendrick Motorsports driver and 2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott will return to pilot his No. 9 Chevrolet after missing the past five races due to a fractured left tibia. Elliott injured his leg while snowboarding in Colorado during the week between races in Fontana, California, and Phoenix in March. Xfinity Series competitor Josh Berry substituted for Elliott on ovals — including a second-place finish at Richmond two weeks ago — while IMSA driver Jordan Taylor piloted the car at the Circuit of the Americas road course.

Cody Ware suspended indefinitely

After missing last week's Bristol dirt race due to what his team called "a personal matter," Cody Ware, the regular driver of the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford, was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR. Ware was arrested Monday in North Carolina on felony assault charges. The 27-year-old is charged with felony assault by strangulation and a misdemeanor count of assault on a female.

Top drivers and best bets for the NOCO 400

Nine former Martinsville winners are racing this weekend — one-quarter of the 36-car field — and that parity is reflected in the odds at BetMGM. Eight drivers representing the three biggest teams and all three manufacturers enter the weekend with 10-to-1 or better odds for victory.

Best odds to win
• William Byron +650
• Christopher Bell +700
• Chase Elliott +700
• Denny Hamlin +700
• Kyle Larson +750
• Martin Truex Jr. +900
• Ryan Blaney +1000
• Joey Logano +1000

Beyond those drivers, Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg suggests you can find good midtier value in veteran Kyle Busch (+1200), with his 21 career top-10 finishes at Martinsville, and Brad Keselowski (+2500), who has a career average finish of 12th at the paperclip.

NOCO 400 entries list

Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
JJ Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Zane Smith (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Anthony Alfredo (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

NOCO 400 weather

The forecast for southern central Virginia calls for a slight chance of rain Saturday — when the Cup cars qualify and the Xfinity cars race — and thunderstorms Sunday, so anticipate some delays or shuffling of the on-track schedule. If it does rain — particularly between qualifying and the race — it should produce some exciting racing, as the track won’t be as “rubbered in,” putting things more in the drivers’ hands than on the equipment.