Three Hendrick Motorsports drivers are racing for the last two spots in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 and this weekend’s showdown at Martinsville Speedway is the cutoff for championship dreams. For William Byron, seven points above the cutoff, and Kyle Larson, seven points below the cutoff, getting into the Championship 4 is possible on points but for Chase Elliott, 43 points below, it’s likely a win and you are in situation.
“I try hard not to overthink the situation,” Elliott said. “To be candid, we’ve been in this spot before, so it’s not like this is the first time I’ve been through this or had to experience this. Having done that before and been in this spot, I think that it gives you a little bit of a sense of peace and just kind of knowing how to handle it and knowing that your team can get it done.”
Elliott, of course, speaks from experience after winning Martinsville in 2020 to advance to the Championship 4 and then capturing the title at Phoenix Raceway that season. The 2020 Cup Series champion is the only driver to finish inside the Top 10 in all six short track races this season and he has one career win at Martinsville, with six Top 5 and 11 Top 10 finishes in 18 starts. He also has the fifth-best average finish (12.67) at Martinsville Speedway among active Cup Drivers with at least two starts. Long story short, Elliott knows how to race at Paperclip.
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Kyle Larson’s position is far more advantageous than his teammate Elliott, with Larson being seven points below the cutoff line to make the Championship 4 in Phoenix Raceway.
“We’ve got a win and a couple second-place finishes I think at Martinsville since I joined Hendrick Motorsports,” Larson said. “It’s not always been a great track for me, but I think that Hendrick Motorsports has a great package for the track and it has definitely helped me. Hopefully, we can battle for stage wins and the victory on Sunday.”
In 19 career races at Martinsville, Larson has one race victory, five Top 5 and seven Top 10 finishes with a career average finish of 16.7. With just seven points to make up and qualify for the Championship 4, Larson can make it on points, but it will take some help from Christopher Bell or his teammate, William Byron, to make it to the final round.
William Byron, on the other hand, is in the catbird seat among Hendrick Motorsports drivers and sits with a seven-point cushion above the cutoff line. Byron has two career Cup Series wins at Martinsville, including one this season, five Top 5 and seven Top finishes overall.
“It’s a place that I know everyone at Hendrick Motorsports puts a lot of emphasis on being competitive at,” Byron said. “I know last fall isn’t what we wanted and I’m hopeful that when we go back this time in the fall we’re really competitive. We know what the mission is for the weekend and it’s our job to execute and make it happen.”
There are many permutations on what could happen to the Hendrick Motorsports after Martinsville, with the possibility of zero to a pair of Hendrick cars making the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway on November 10. And that’s the beauty of racing; you never know what will happen until the flag drops.