With only 1 race left before NASCAR’s Championship 4 is set, drama awaits in Martinsville

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — The upcoming weekend at Martinsville is filled with endless possibilities as six drivers compete for the final two spots in NASCAR’s Championship 4.

The scenarios are perplexing and numerous. If certain drivers achieve certain results, or if certain drivers fail to achieve specific outcomes, anything can happen.

However, Denny Hamlin suggests a simpler mindset for success.

“Try to win it,” Hamlin confidently stated.

NASCAR’s season is approaching its climax, and predicting what will occur during the 500 laps on Martinsville’s tight oval is challenging. Of the six drivers—Hamlin, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, Martin Truex Jr., and Chris Buescher—only two will earn an opportunity to compete against Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell in Phoenix on November 5 for the Cup Series title.

If any of the six contenders win at Martinsville, they guarantee themselves a shot at the title. Any other outcome will require calculations and complex analysis.

“It’s gratifying to have arrived in this position and to exit in this position,” said Blaney, reflecting on his second-place finish at Homestead-Miami on Sunday. He climbed from seventh to fourth in the playoff standings. “I’m proud of our efforts, and we need to perform well again in Martinsville.”

Larson secured his place in the final by winning at Las Vegas, while Bell earned his spot by winning at Homestead. Byron currently has the highest advantage among the remaining six contenders, as he sits 30 points clear of the fourth-place cutoff. Blaney has a 10-point cushion above fifth place.

The rest of the contenders must either win—leading to an automatic qualification for Phoenix—or receive assistance. Reddick is 10 points behind Blaney, while both Truex and Hamlin trail by 17 points. Buescher is 43 points behind the leader.

“Getting into the Final Four is challenging, I can tell you that,” remarked Joe Gibbs, the owner of three playoff cars—Bell, Truex, and Hamlin. “Nothing is guaranteed… but we have a chance.”

Bell understands the thoughts that will consume the six hopefuls this week. Last year, he won at Martinsville to secure his spot in Phoenix. This year, he triumphed a week earlier.

“The outlook for the race is completely different… Those guys have much more at stake than I do going into Martinsville, so their mentality differs greatly from mine. It’s important to be aware of that,” Bell explained.

Homestead once again demonstrated that predicting the future in motorsports can be a futile exercise.

At one point during the race on Sunday, Bell, about to go a lap down, believed his car was one of the slowest. Winning was far from his thoughts until the final 10 laps. He qualified 13th, finished ninth in the first stage, 22nd in the second stage, and, on top of that, Homestead is not a track he particularly likes.

But he defied the odds and emerged victorious. A caution flag in the third stage provided him with an opportunity, and he seized it completely.

“It was a whirlwind,” Bell admitted. “That’s for sure.”

Larson’s day at Homestead ended when he attempted to avoid Blaney and instead collided with the barrels of sand protecting the pit road. Dirt erupted into the air, and Larson’s race literally vanished into a cloud of dust.

“I’m sorry,” Larson quickly apologized, taking responsibility for the incident, over the radio. “I didn’t anticipate him decelerating that much.”

Soon after, two of the JGR cars encountered their own misfortunes. Hamlin suffered a steering failure and crashed into the wall, while Truex experienced an engine issue, triggering smoke from his car.

Truex, who started from the pole, had a day that mirrored his season’s struggles. He openly expressed his frustration on the radio and finished in 30th place. Although he won three times earlier in 2023, he has only achieved one top-10 finish in his last nine starts.

“It demonstrates the difficulty of our sport given that those two cars were leading for a period of time,” explained Gibbs. “And it also highlights that in sports, particularly in our sport, the 20 (Bell) serves as an example of never giving up and persevering.”

Hamlin has achieved success at Martinsville before. However, now below the top-four cut line, he needs to find success once again this weekend.

“I strive to win every week,” Hamlin declared. “I won’t approach it any differently. I’ll simply aim to win.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing