Comments from eliminated drivers after Martinsville
After 500 laps Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, the NASCAR Cup Series’ playoff field was chopped from eight to four drivers in the Xfinity 500.
The eliminated drivers included two past champions and two drivers who raced for the championship last year.
Christopher Bell (-4 points from cutline)
Bell started 16th, entering the race with a 29-point advantage above the cutline. Bell ultimately finished 22nd, one lap down after NASCAR penalized Bell for his last lap wall ride after passing Bubba Wallace for what would have been one more point to break a tie with William Byron.
Bell had raced among the Championship 4 I. The last two seasons.
“I understand that the rule is made to prevent people from riding the wall,” Bell said. “But my move was completely different than what Ross (Chastain’s) was. I got loose getting into the corner and slid right into the fence.
“Yeah, I mean, I don’t know. I don’t know what else to say.”
Kyle Larson (-7 points)
Larson entered the race with a seven-point deficit on the cutline. The Hendrick Motorsports driver started ninth, led 71 laps, and collected 12 stage points before finishing third, getting passed for the lead with 24 laps to go by teammate Chase Elliott.
“We just didn’t have enough,” Larson said. “I actually thought that when Chase (Elliott) got to second, I thought he was going to drive right to me and pass me easily.
“I was surprised I held on as long as I did, so it gave me hope. But then we just fell off the last 30 laps or so.”
Denny Hamlin (-24 points)
Hamlin entered the race with an 18-point deficit to the cutline.
Hamlin started the race 37th after not posting a qualifying lap because of a crash in practice.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver collected eight stage points and finished fifth, failing to qualify for the Championship 4 for the third straight season after being a contender in the Round of 8.
Chase Elliott (-44 points)
Elliott entered the race 43 points behind the cutline.
Despite starting second and leading 129 laps, the 2020 champion was in a virtual must-win position to advance. Elliott took the lead from Larson with 24 laps to go, leading for nine laps before being passed by eventual race winner Ryan Blaney.
“All I know is that we came up one spot short and it’s unfortunate,” Elliott said. “…I just made a couple mistakes there and got some damage on our car. I think that hurt us, and I just didn’t manage the last run very well.”
Outlook
The Championship 4 is set with defending series champion Ryan Blaney; William Byron, who is making his second consecutive appearance in the Championship 4, Tyler Reddick, who is making his first Championship 4 appearance, and two-time series champion Joey Logano.
The Cup Series Championship race is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 10 at Phoenix Raceway.
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Dominic Aragon View All
Dominic Aragon is currently the editor-in-chief for The Racing Experts.
From Grants, New Mexico, USA, Aragon started watching NASCAR in 2004 and has been covering the sport since 2009. Aragon is a 2012 graduate of Grants High School and a May 2016 graduate of the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Mass Communications & Journalism. Aragon has worked in local and national media, as a musician, and an educator. He is co-author of the 2024 book "All of It: Daytona 500 Champion Tells the Rest of the Story" with racer Geoff Bodine.
Aragon, his wife Feliz, and son Christopher currently reside in Grants, New Mexico, USA.
You can reach Dominic at daragon@theracingexperts.net.