Blaney Wins at Martinsville. The Final 4 are Set!
Ryan Blaney surpassed Denny Hamlin’s performance in Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, securing his spot to compete for the NASCAR Cup Series championship next Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. Meanwhile, Hamlin was eliminated from the playoffs after a challenging Round of 8.
Blaney finished the race strong with a 168-lap green-flag run, overtaking Aric Almirola for the lead on Lap 478 and maintaining his position to win the race. He completed the race 0.899 seconds ahead of Almirola, earning his place in the Championship 4 race alongside Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and William Byron. Byron secured the final playoff spot, finishing eight points ahead of Hamlin despite battling with his car’s performance throughout the race.
Hamlin ended up in third place, trailing 4.149 seconds behind Blaney, while Chris Buescher, Martin Truex Jr., and Tyler Reddick also exited the playoffs with their respective eighth, 12th, and 26th place finishes.
This victory marked Blaney’s third win of the season, his first at Martinsville, and the 10th of his career, propelling him into the Championship 4 for the first time. He reflected positively on his Round of 8 performance, expressing pride in his team’s efforts even in the absence of Team Penske owner Roger Penske.
The race, held at the .526-mile short track in front of a sold-out crowd, also saw Blaney take home the coveted grandfather clock trophy. He shared his longstanding desire to win at Martinsville, a track close to his childhood home in High Point.
Hamlin, on the other hand, had a strong start, winning the first stage and finishing second to Blaney in Stage 2. He was in a promising position to advance to the title race until a caution on Lap 323 disrupted his momentum. Following the caution, Blaney’s decision to pit ultimately gave him the advantage, as he was able to navigate through traffic on newer tires and reclaim the lead, while Hamlin could only advance to third.
Hamlin acknowledged the impact of a previous mechanical failure at Homestead on his playoff chances, praising his team’s performance at Martinsville despite the setback. He recognized Blaney’s strength during the race, expressing disappointment at not being part of the final four but satisfaction with his team’s efforts.
Truex, despite starting from the pole and leading the first 47 laps, faced challenges after a pit-road speeding penalty, which he couldn’t fully recover from. He commended his team’s efforts and acknowledged Blaney’s performance.
Byron, despite struggling with his car’s performance, managed to secure the final playoff spot with a gritty drive during the final green-flag run, finishing the race in 13th place.
Chase Briscoe and Joey Logano finished fourth and fifth, with Larson, Bell, Buescher, Austin Cindric, and Todd Gilliland rounding out the top 10.
The post-race inspection confirmed Blaney’s victory, officially concluding the event without any issues.
