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Last season’s Martinsville showdown was intense and controversial. Manufacturer alliances appeared to tilt the scales for drivers like Christopher Bell and William Byron, leading to post-race penalties. While Ryan Blaney stole the win and secured a Championship 4 berth, Ross Chastain, Austin Dillon, and Bubba Wallace found themselves in hot water over allegations of race manipulation. Following an extensive review of team radios and on-track data, NASCAR ruled that the Nos. 1, 3, and 23 teams violated sections 4.4.B&D of the Rule Book, Member Conduct, covering race manipulation and actions detrimental to stock car racing. Each team’s owner was fined $100,000 and docked 50 owner points. Crew chiefs Phil Surgen, Justin Alexander, and Bootie Barker, along with spotters Brandon McReynolds, Brandon Benesch, and Freddie Kraft, were all suspended from the 2024 season finale at Phoenix Raceway. Favorites for the Weekend at Martinsville Blaney will enter Martinsville with his back against the wall but plenty of history on his side. Having won the Xfinity 500 two years running, the defending winner sits second-to-last in the Round of 8 standings, 47 points below the cutline. In a must-win scenario, the Team Penske driver will be the one to watch. Bell, meanwhile, returns with unfinished business. After entering last year’s race with the highest cushion points only to miss the Championship 4, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is keen to flip the script. This time, he’s chasing an entry into the top 4 race again, not a math equation. On paper, Blaney’s 8.5 average finish at Martinsville over 19 starts makes him the statistical favorite, trailed by already-locked-in Denny Hamlin, but Chase Elliott, who remains a strong short-track performer, would be the one fans would want to see locked in as well. Among the non-playoff field, Kyle Busch could play spoiler. The two-time Martinsville winner knows the paperclip as well as anyone, and with 40 starts under his belt, he’s more than capable of stealing the show.
