By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service
Christopher Bell/Kyle Larson matchup is a primary focus at Martinsville
For years, those following the careers of Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell have anticipated a head-to-head matchup between the two drivers—on asphalt.
With two berths in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 Race on the line, it’s a given that the two stars will pay close attention to each other in Sunday’s high-stakes Xfinity 500 (2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Bell comes to Martinsville 37 points above the current elimination line for the Championship 4. Larson is one point behind Bell.
If those margins seem comfortable, think again. If one of the four drivers below the cut line—William Byron, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney or Chase Elliott—happens to win on Sunday, only one spot will be available on points.
All four drivers on the outside are former Martinsville winners. Both Elliott in 2020 and Blaney in 2023 won at Martinsville to qualify for the Championship 4 and went on to win the Cup title.
For practical purposes, to ensure a run for a possible championship Nov. 2 at Phoenix Raceway, either Bell or Larson simply must score more points than the other at the historic 0.526-mile short track.
And thus continues a rivalry that dates to heated competition on dirt tracks more than a decade ago. Bell won three straight Chili Bowl Nationals midget titles, for example, before Larson claimed his first in 2020.
“I think the 20 (Bell) is the most important car for us on the track—and probably vice-versa,” Larson said on Wednesday during a Zoom conference with reporters. “If either one of us outscores the other, we’re guaranteed a spot in the final four, regardless of who else wins.
“But you don’t want to spend too much focus on him either, but I think the majority of it revolves around Bell.”
Though there are far-fetched scenarios that could eliminate Bell and Larson on points, the drivers below the line are looking at their prospects realistically.
Byron is 36 points behind Larson, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate. Logano, the defending series champion, is 38 points back.
“It’s all or nothing,” a disappointed Logano said after finishing 16th last Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. “Stage points aren’t going to matter. Nothing’s going to matter. We’re too far back. We’ve just got to go win.”
After spinning in the final 400 yards and finishing 25th at Talladega, Byron feels the same.
“It’s not ideal, but we know what we have to do this weekend,” he said. “The only option is to win. The last two weeks, not having a better finish for how well we were running is what hurts.
“All focus is on Martinsville and how we can run up front all day. The fall there hasn’t been the strongest for us, but I do think we’ve made a lot of strides on that package.”
Blaney trails Larson by 47 points, with Elliott 62 points behind in an absolute must-win situation.
Blaney has won the last two Playoff races at Martinsville. Elliott hasn’t triumphed there since his championship season in 2020.
JR Motorsports teammates in close battle for final NASCAR Xfinity Playoff berth
Two JR Motorsports drivers—prolific rookie Connor Zilisch and defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier—already have qualified for the Championship 4 Race on points.
Two other JRM drivers are locked in a close battle for the final Championship 4 berth as the series moves to Martinsville Speedway for Saturday’s IAA & Ritchie Bros. 250 (7:30 p.m. ET on CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Carson Kvapil arrives at the legendary 0.526-mile short track 11 points above the current elimination line, leading teammate Sammy Smith by that margin entering the event that will set the field for the Nov. 1 title race at Phoenix Raceway.
If past performance is an accurate indicator, Smith has an edge in the elimination race. In six starts at Martinsville, the driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet has scored five top 10s, including two runner-up finishes and a third.
“Heading into Martinsville under the cut line is not where we envisioned ourselves, but we’ve been strong here in the past, and this No. 8 Pilot team is hungry to advance to the Champ 4,” Smith said.
“Just like Talladega last week (where Smith finished ninth), anything can happen on these short tracks, so we just need to be smart and keep our nose clean. If we can do that, I see no reason why we won’t be right where we need to be at the end of the race.”
In two Martinsville starts (the last two spring races), Kvapil has finished fourth and 20th.
Auguring what could be an all-Chevrolet Championship 4, Jesse Love of Richard Childress Racing is 40 points above the elimination line and likely to advance.
Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver Brandon Jones, a 2022 winner at the paper-clip-shaped track, has the best chance to break the Chevrolet monopoly. Jones is 20 points below the cut line, but he has posted five top 10s and two poles in 10 Martinsville starts.
Interestingly, with Aric Almirola winning at Las Vegas and Austin Hill taking the checkered flag at Talladega, the field for the owners’ championship already has been set. Those two drivers will compete against Zilisch and Allgaier for the owners’ title.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series features frantic race for Playoff berths
With one notable exception, the elimination race in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series features the closest competition among the three national touring series.
With three spots left in the Championship 4, five drivers are within 15 points of each other entering Friday night’s Slim Jim 200 at Martinsville Speedway (6 p.m. ET on FS1, NRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
With a record 10 victories this season, Corey Heim is guaranteed a spot in the Championship 4, but second-place Rajah Caruth is only 14 points above the current elimination line.
Sixth-place Layne Riggs is only 15 points behind Caruth. Between them, Tyler Ankrum is eight points above the line; Kaden Honeycutt is five points to the good; and defending series champion Ty Majeski trails Honeycutt by five points.
Caruth finished ninth last Friday at Talladega to preserve his position above the cut line, and he’s determined to concentrate on the task at hand.
“Similar to Talladega, we have to treat it like a normal race,” said Caruth, whose best finish in four Martinsville starts was seventh in the 2024 spring race. “Obviously, the stakes are higher, but you can’t psych yourself out of it. I think my mind-set in the Round of 8 has been good to keep it calm and focus on the big picture.
“Anything can happen and take you out of the game. If you can keep yourself in it and not self-sabotage your day, you will have the opportunity to capitalize on other’s misfortunes and gain points wherever you can find them.
“We are in a good spot, and I know there are six other drivers that would love to be in the position we are right now. Those 14 points can vanish quickly, so we have to be ready to go off the truck to preserve that point cushion.”
