Hendrick Motorsports faces a brutal cutoff as drivers battle for Championship 4

Three Hendrick Motorsports drivers are fighting for the final two spots in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4, and this weekend's showdown at Martinsville Speedway is the final straw for championship dreams. For William Byron, seven points above the cutoff, and Kyle Larson, seven points below the cutoff, entry into the Championship 4 on points is possible, but for Chase Elliott, 43 points below the cutoff, it's probably a win and you are able.

“I try not to overthink the situation,” Elliott said. “To be honest, we've been in this place before, so it's not the first time I've been through this or had to experience this. Having done it before and been in this spot, I think it does something. “You feel a little bit of peace and just knowing how to deal with it and knowing your team can do it.”

Elliott, of course, speaks from experience, having won Martinsville in 2020 to advance to Championship 4 and then captured the title at Phoenix Raceway this season. The 2020 Cup Series champion is the only driver to finish in the top 10 in all six short-track races this season, and he has a career win at Martinsville with six top-five and 11 top-10 finishes in 18 starts . He also has the fifth-best average finish (12.67) at Martinsville Speedway among active Cup drivers with at least two starts. Long story short: Elliott knows how to race at Paperclip.

Kyle Larson's position is far more advantageous than that of his teammate Elliott, with Larson seven points below the cutoff line for the championship in fourth place at Phoenix Raceway.

“Since I came to Hendrick Motorsports, we’ve had a win and, I think, a couple of second-place finishes at Martinsville,” Larson said. “It hasn't always been a great track for me, but I think Hendrick Motorsports has a great package for the track and it's definitely helped me. Hopefully we can fight for stage wins and victory on Sunday.”

In 19 career races at Martinsville, Larson has one race win, five top-five and seven top-10 finishes with a career average of 16.7. With just seven points left to make up and qualify for Championship 4, Larson can do it on points, but getting to the final round will require help from Christopher Bell or teammate William Byron.

William Byron, meanwhile, sits in the catbird spot among Hendrick Motorsports drivers, with a lead of seven points above the cutoff line. Byron has two career Cup Series victories at Martinsville, including one this season, five top-five finishes and seven top finishes overall.

“I know everyone at Hendrick Motorsports cares about being competitive,” Byron said. “I know last fall wasn’t what we wanted and I hope that when we come back this fall we can be really competitive. We know what the mission is for the weekend, and it's our job to execute and make it happen.”

There are many possibilities as to what could happen with Hendrick Motorsports after Martinsville, with the possibility of zero to two Hendrick cars reaching their fourth championship on November 10th at Phoenix Raceway. And that's the beauty of racing; You never know what will happen until the flag falls.