By David Morgan, Associate Editor
Seven drivers. Three transfer spots into the Championship 4. One race.
The Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs all comes down to Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, a half-mile bullring in southern Virginia where bent sheet metal and hurt feelings are all but inevitable.
A mainstay on the schedule since 1949, the historic track, which is also the smallest on the circuit, will test both man and machine over 500 grueling laps.
The track has basically one groove, meaning the only way to pass will be the move we all know and love – the bump and run. To be successful at Martinsville, drivers have to have a special skill set that will let them be able to navigate the treacherous track and avoid trouble that is almost certain to happen around them at some point during the race.
Add in the Next Gen car’s struggles on short tracks this season and track position will be the name of the game on Sunday.
Of the eight Playoff drivers, only Joey Logano comes into Martinsville without a worry, having won at Las Vegas to lock himself into the championship race next weekend in Phoenix.
Among the remaining drivers still vying for the championship, Ross Chastain is in the best position at Martinsville, sitting 19 points above the cut-off line. Barring disaster, the double-digit points buffer that he holds should be enough to see him through.
Regular season champion Chase Elliott carries an 11-point advantage into the weekend, which is a decent buffer, but if this season has taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected.
The same cannot be said for the drivers situated from fourth to eighth in points, with a fierce battle ahead to see which of those drivers will be moving on and which ones will be on the outside looking in when the checkered flag falls.
Single digits separate the drivers currently fourth and fifth in points, with William Byron currently holding the fourth and final transfer spot with a five-point advantage over Denny Hamlin.
From sixth on back, a win will likely be the only means of transferring through to the season finale still holding a chance to battle for the championship.
Ryan Blaney runs sixth, 18 points back, with Christopher Bell 33 points in arears and Chase Briscoe bringing up the tail end with a 44-point deficit to overcome.
By the Numbers
What: Xfinity 500, NASCAR Cup Series Race No. 35 of 36
Where: Martinsville Speedway –…
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