Will Anyone Win Their Way Into Championship 4?

Will anyone in the three NASCAR series win their way into the Championship 4?

Mark Kristl: In the NASCAR Cup Series race, it is largely dependent on qualifying because passing at Martinsville Speedway in the Next Gen is tough. William Byron has two wins, including the most recent one, and he has finished better than he qualified nine times in his 13 starts there. He’d be my best bet to win there. Even though there is usually drama in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Martinsville, with Aric Almirola in the field, good luck to his competitors. And for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, it’ll come down to Corey Heim and Christian Eckes.

Joy Tomlinson: Anyone in Cup could sneak out a win at Martinsville, as all of them have won there before. Ryan Blaney has had one of the best average finishes there since 2019 and won this race last year. Denny Hamlin has five wins at The Paperclip, but his last one came in 2015. To me, Blaney has the better chance to snag a victory and win his way in. As far as Xfinity, Justin Allgaier or Sam Mayer look to be the ones who have a better chance of winning their way in. Allgaier beat Sheldon Creed in a fierce battle last season, while Mayer finished second earlier this year to Almirola. However, in this case, Almirola will likely perform similarly to his run in the spring, leaving the final two spots for drivers to point their way in. In Trucks, Eckes dominated in April, and Ty Majeski has a good average at Martinsville. One of these drivers appears most likely to claim the victory and move on to the Championship 4.

Anthony Damcott: In the Cup Series, someone will win their way into the Championship 4. The big question is who, as any of the six drivers not locked in has found success at Martinsville. If they haven’t won, they’ve led lots of laps and run up front. Hamlin hasn’t won at this track (largely considered his home track along with Richmond Raceway) since 2015, so what better time to get another grandfather clock than now? It’s perfectly possible that Allgaier will repeat as fall Martinsville winner. He’s a favorite at almost any racetrack and could easily be the one to watch. In the Truck Series, it’s hard to go against Eckes. He won the spring race and is one of the favorites for the championship. He’s a safe pick.

Andrew Stoddard: We will see the win-and-in scenario play out in Cup and Xfinity. In both cases, it will come courtesy of a Chevrolet driver. In the Xfinity…