Denny Hamlin set a new record at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday by securing the pole position for the NASCAR Cup Series race, marking his sixth career pole this season. At 45 years old, Hamlin became the oldest driver to claim a pole at Martinsville, posting a lap speed of 98.492 mph on the 0.526-mile oval track in Virginia. Hamlin edged out his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs, who qualified second with a speed of 98.241 mph. Kyle Larson, another title contender, qualified third at 98.114 mph as he seeks to maintain momentum in the NASCAR Chase for the Championship.
Larson, who has been under scrutiny for a potential early playoff clinch, emphasized that he does not expect to secure the championship before the final race scheduled for next weekend. Behind Larson, other Chase competitors Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe qualified 14th and 11th, respectively.
In other NASCAR news, Brad Keselowski has been granted permission to explore other racing opportunities for the 2027 season. Alongside this development, Keselowski announced plans to divest his 20 percent ownership stake in Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing.
Turning to Formula One, Lewis Hamilton delivered a significant performance at the Mexico City Grand Prix qualifying session, capturing pole position for Ferrari. This marked Hamilton’s first pole since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, ending a 1,197-day drought. The Mercedes driver will start ahead of championship rival George Russell, who qualified second, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in third.
Kimi Antonelli, Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate, qualified initially in fifth but was promoted to fourth due to a grid penalty imposed on Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. At 20 years old, Antonelli is poised to potentially become Italy’s first F1 World Champion since 1953, needing just a ninth-place finish in the race to secure the title. He currently leads the championship by 123 points over Russell, his closest challenger.
In a late decision, Haas announced that Ryo Hirakawa will make his Formula One race debut, replacing veteran driver Esteban Ocon on the team’s roster. Meanwhile, Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar was handed a formal warning by F1 officials following an incident where he pushed a fan in the paddock area before a practice session. The governing body has taken disciplinary action but has not imposed further penalties at this time.