William Byron made sure Hendrick Motorsports had something to celebrate at Martinsville Speedway, but the opening stage of Sunday’s Xfinity 500 was considerably less enjoyable for his teammate Kyle Larson. Byron worked his way to the front and took the Stage 1 victory after passing Ryan Preece with six laps remaining. Larson, meanwhile, found himself a lap down after a strategy decision left the No. 5 Chevrolet on track while much of the field headed to pit road.

It was a strange contrast for two drivers sharing the same garage. Byron was celebrating 10 valuable stage points, while Larson was already trying to figure out how to recover lost track position before the race had even reached its halfway point. The opening run went green for 130 laps, giving teams plenty of time to decide on tires and fuel. Denny Hamlin initially controlled the race after starting from the pole, but a missed shift on Lap 3 allowed Ty Gibbs to take over. Gibbs eventually led 43 laps before Hamlin moved back into the top spot.

Then came the pit-stop sequence. Several drivers came to pit road for fresh tires, while others stayed out and hoped for a caution that would change the order. Larson was among those who remained on track. Unfortunately for the No. 5 team, the yellow flag they needed never appeared. Preece led after the stops, but Byron closed in quickly. The No. 24 Chevrolet had the speed to make up the difference, and Byron eventually got around Preece to secure the stage win. Gibbs finished second, with Preece third. Christopher Bell and Josh Berry completed the top five.

For Larson, there was little to celebrate. He finished the opening stage 23rd and a lap behind the leaders. The team had expected the strategy to work differently, and crew chief Cliff Daniels acknowledged the frustration over the radio.Larson entered Martinsville holding a 73-point advantage over Hamlin. Although Hamlin also missed out on stage points, Bell’s fourth-place finish gave another championship contender an opportunity to gain ground.

Plenty of racing remains, but Larson had a problem to solve before he could think about collecting points. Getting back on the lead lap became the immediate priority, while Byron had already given Hendrick Motorsports a stage victory. The damage to his track position also meant Larson would have to work through traffic rather than dictate the pace from the front. However, with so much racing still ahead, the No. 5 team still had time to find a way back into contention.

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