Copyright sportskeeda
Sunday's NASCAR race at Martinsville saw William Byron and Kyle Larson qualify for the final round of this season's Cup Series Championship. While the Hendrick Motorsports drivers qualified for the last round, their teammate, Chase Elliott, failed to make it past.It was the same for Christopher Bell, whose teammates Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe were the first two drivers to qualify for the Phoenix race. Besides Elliott and Bell, reigning NASCAR champion and runner-up, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney also failed to cut.Despite trying their best, the four drivers could not cross the final hurdle as their dreams were shattered at Martinsville. In today's article, we'll delve deeper into what the drivers could have done differently to see themselves through to the Championship 4:Christopher Bell:Only one point separated Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell after the Talladega NASCAR race. However, a win here would have definitely seen him qualify for the Championship 4. But the JGR driver's poor finish stopped him from qualifying for the next round.Christopher Bell (20) during the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. - Source: ImagnWhile Larson came home in fifth place, Bell's seventh-place finish was too low to take him to the final race. As a result, Larson qualified in the last place, and Bell ended up in fifth place in the playoffs.Ryan Blaney:Ryan Blaney was deep down in the playoff cutline after the Talladega race. This means the Team Penske driver had to win the race at any cost to see him through to the next round. But Blaney finished his race in second place and was inches away from qualifying for the all-important event.Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Discount Tire Ford, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway - Source: GettyJoey Logano:Joey Logano, the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, also fell short of the Championship 4 berth. His eighth-place finish was too short to see himself through to the final round, given that he was below the playoff cutline.Joey Logano (22) during NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 Qualifying at Martinsville Speedway - Source: ImagnChase Elliott:Chase Elliott finished the race in third place, but because of his negative points in the playoffs, he had to win the race to qualify for the final race, just like his teammate, William Byron. Byron was also below the cutline, but a win at Martinsville saw him through to the Championship 4.Chase Elliott (9) during the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway - Source: ImagnDenny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, William Byron, and Kyle Larson will compete for the all-important title at Phoenix Raceway next week. Hamlin won the race in Las Vegas, followed by Briscoe's win at Talladega.Byron won at Martinsville, and Larson qualified by virtue of positive playoff points. Only Kyle Larson is a former NASCAR Cup Series champion, as the other three drivers are yet to taste this success.
