Ryan Blaney secured a spot in the NASCAR championship race after clinching victory at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday. This win allows the Team Penske driver another opportunity to compete for his title in the upcoming decisive race. Blaney managed to leap past Chase Elliott with just 15 laps remaining, achieving his second straight win at the Virginia circuit. He now joins his Penske teammate Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing in the championship showdown, awaiting clarification from NASCAR concerning either Christopher Bell from Joe Gibbs Racing or William Byron from Hendrick Motorsports for the final slot.
Blaney expressed his excitement about having another chance at the championship. “To have another shot at the championship is really special,” he stated, adding, “Try to go back-to-back next week. I’ve got nothing left. Oh my God, I’m tired.” Just the week prior, he narrowly missed an automatic qualification for the finale when Reddick overtook him on the final turn at Homestead-Miami Speedway. With this victory, team owner Roger Penske now has two chances to secure a third title for the year, having already won championships in both IMSA and the World Endurance Championship.
In a tense moment towards the end of the race, Bell overtook Byron, utilizing the wall similar to a move made by Ross Chastain two years prior, which had since been banned by NASCAR. This last-minute maneuver left both drivers tied in points for the final championship spot, thus putting NASCAR in the position of having to determine a tie-breaker. The two drivers remained outside their cars, anxiously awaiting the ruling from NASCAR.
“This is weird,” Bell remarked about the situation, while Byron noted, “There’s a rule against it. I don’t see how they can call it any different.” A potential ruling in favor of Bell could severely impact Hendrick Motorsports, which started the round of eight with three competitors for the four spots in the finals. However, Byron, Elliott, and Kyle Larson ultimately faced elimination. Finishing positions included Elliott in second, Larson in third, while Austin Cindric, a Penske driver, came in fourth and was ineligible for a championship slot. Denny Hamlin took fifth place and was also eliminated, while Byron finished sixth.
As the lineup for the finale is finalized, it includes two Ford drivers, at least one Toyota, and potentially a Chevrolet, depending on NASCAR’s forthcoming decision regarding Byron and Bell.
Martin Truex Jr., who will retire from full-time NASCAR racing after next week’s race, began his last outing in a Joe Gibbs Racing car from the pole position. He led for the initial 42 laps in his Toyota until a scheduled pit stop. However, Truex received a speeding penalty while entering the pit, which set him back three laps and disrupted his race dramatically. Having been eliminated from the playoffs in the first round, Truex later incurred another speeding penalty and finished in 24th place.
Looking ahead, the season finale at Phoenix Raceway is set for next Sunday, where the championship will be awarded to the highest-finishing driver among Logano, Reddick, Blaney, and either Bell or Byron, depending on NASCAR’s ruling. Ross Chastain, the defender of last year’s race, will not compete for the title this November.