Running recap: Byron wins Stage 1 at Martinsville; Larson falls a lap down

Stage 1 recap: William Byron wins opening stage

William Byron won Stage 1 of Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series Chase race at Martinsville Speedway, leading the last six laps (live on NBC, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The Xfinity 500 marks the ninth of 10 races in The Chase presented by Mobil 1. Ty Gibbs, Ryan Preece, Christopher Bell and Josh Berry completed the top five. Alex Bowman, Austin Cindric, Ross Chastain, Tyler Reddick and Chase Elliott rounded out the top 10 and points earners. RELATED: Live leaderboard | At-track photos: Martinsville Hamlin led the first two laps from the pole, but he missed a shift on Lap 3 entering Turn 3, letting his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Gibbs wrap the bottom and take the lead. Gibbs led the next 43 circuits in the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, but as the leaders hit lapped traffic, Hamlin snatched the top spot back on Lap 45 with a pass in Turns 1 and 2. Ryan Preece seized the second spot from Gibbs soon after. Green-flag pit stops began on Lap 62 with Bell coming in for service from 11th. Ryan Blaney pitted at Lap 65, with fellow Chase drivers Elliott, Reddick, Byron and a handful of others following suit. Connor Zilisch was hit with a speeding penalty, forcing an additional trip to pit road in his No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet. MORE: Full Stage 1 results | Watch Byron clinch Stage 1 win Ty Gibbs was the only driver among the leaders to pit, electing for four tires on Lap 76 while Hamlin, Preece and series leader Kyle Larson stayed on track, remaining intent on making it to the first stage break on the same sets of Goodyear Eagles. Hamlin and Preece navigated lapped traffic in reverse as cars on fresher tires passed them to regain their laps. On Lap 84, Hamlin got stuck behind lapped cars on the top lane, allowing Preece to dart to the bottom and take his first lead of the afternoon. Preece extended his lead to over seven seconds over Hamlin, but the first cars who pitted had tracked the No. 11 Toyota down. Byron launched into second, with Gibbs passing Hamlin moments later for third. Logano, who was on the same strategy as Hamlin, passed him for fourth, and Hamlin eventually plummeted deep outside the top 10 along with Larson and Chase Briscoe. Byron passed Preece with six laps to go to claim the segment victory. In the closing moments of the frame, Byron lapped his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Larson; the No. 5 driver was not in the free-pass position to start Stage 2. Larson entered Sunday's race 73 points ahead of Hamlin for the series lead and remains in a position to potentially clinch the championship following Sunday's race. The first 130 laps were completed caution-free. This story will be updated.