NASCAR
Who Can Win Their Way into Phoenix from Martinsville Speedway?
2025’s Round of 8 drivers are all especially suited for Martinsville Speedway. This year’s Playoffs will pit eight of the best statistical drivers at The Paperclip against each other, for two final Championship 4 berths. In place of a Stratta’s Six this week, let’s take a look at how these elite eight stack up heading to Virginia’s Half-Mile of Mayhem. The Xfinity 500 never falls short on drama, chaos, or highlights. One of these contenders will likely see their right time come for Martinsville victory lane.
Denny Hamlin – Advanced
Martinsville Speedway’s winningest active man, Denny Hamlin was unbeatable here in March. The No. 11 Toyota led 274 laps that day for his sixth Grandfather Clock trophy. Amazingly, this was his first Martinsville triumph in a decade. Coming off such a dominant run here in the spring, Hamlin eyes another banner Sunday without any Playoff pressure. The man already locked into the Championship 4 talked about the emotional roller coaster his competitors are feeling heading into this cut race.
March may have been Hamlin’s sixth Martinsville win and first since 2015. He has been ultra close to victory here many other times lately though. Spring 2025 marked Hamlin’s fifth top-five in the last six Martinsville races, a streak nearly unmatched by anyone else. A care-free Denny Hamlin may be dangerous for the competition on Sunday. The 11 chases maximum momentum into the all-important Phoenix finale.
Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 National Debt Relief Toyota Camry on the grid from Talladega Superspeedway before the YellaWood 500 on Sunday, October 19. Photo Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
Chase Briscoe – Advanced
The only man on this list without a past Martinsville trophy, Chase Briscoe can also throw care to the wind this weekend. Talladega’s triumph locked the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 into the Championship 4, meaning a stress-free elimination week. Briscoe’s best Martinsville result was fourth in the 2023 Xfinity 500. That was one of six top-10s in nine starts here. That year’s spring race also saw the Indiana driver lead over 100 laps around The Paperclip, showing he can be elite at this tight bullring. Briscoe talked about the lack of stress now after winning Talladega last week.
“I’m totally fine without being stressed out next week,” Briscoe said. “I’ve had my share of stress after today. Yeah, I’m good on that. I think it will be an advantage for us. This week, next week, we were going to run a sim for Martinsville. I’m sure we’ll do a little bit because we want to go there and run good. Full focus on Phoenix. Even our car, we can put a ton of detail into it. Obviously it will be an advantage for myself just to not be stressed out. But even for our team, it will be a big advantage.”
Out of the eight Playoff drivers, the odds of a Briscoe Martinsville win are likely the longest. Despite this, Joe Gibbs Racing cars are always in contention around The Half-Mile of Mayhem, especially the 19. Martin Truex Jr. earned three Grandfather Clock trophies in the not-so-distant past, showing this crew can perform here. Do not be surprised to see Briscoe still contend here, especially to keep a title rival out of Phoenix. A second-straight Playoff win from the 19 would rewrite headlines leading into Championship Weekend.
Chase Briscoe’s No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry on the grid from Talladega Superspeedway before winning the YellaWood 500 on Sunday, October 19. Photo Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
Christopher Bell +37 points
2022’s fall Martinsville race is steeped in NASCAR Playoff history for Ross Chastain’s ‘Hail Melon’ move. What few remember about that day, however, is Christopher Bell going to victory lane. Three years ago saw the No. 20 Toyota come in clutch facing a must-win scenario, securing his first Championship 4 bid. Bell led a whopping 150 laps that day, proving he can run with and beat the best around Martinsville. With two teammates already locked into Phoenix, Bell has high confidence for joining Hamlin and Briscoe.
Bell’s five Martinsville starts since his win have yielded two top-10s, including second in March. The spring race saw Bell lead laps again from a first career Martinsville pole, further proving his mastery of this track. Being the top man on points entering the Xfinity 500, Bell must race on the offensive should anyone below him find victory lane. Holding a slim one-point edge over Kyle Larson, Bell has a very stress-inducing 500 laps ahead racing against top-flight talent.
Christopher Bell’s No. 20 DeWalt Toyota Camry on the grid from Talladega Superspeedway before the YellaWood 500 on Sunday, October 19. Photo Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
Kyle Larson +36
Speaking of Kyle Larson, he finally conquered what he once referred to as his least favorite racetrack in spring 2023. Since that day, the Hendrick No. 5 has not finished worse than sixth at The Paperclip. Larson now calls this one of his most consistent stops on the circuit. Larson is already well aware of the mission at hand for team 5 this weekend to propel themselves back to Championship 4 contention.
“I’d say we really need to outpoint Bell,” Larson said. “It’s going to be interesting. Obviously we’ll be focused on the race, but for us, one guy matters more than the rest. It’s similar for them. They’ll be watching what we’re doing throughout the day, too. Hopefully, we’ll have a strong car, qualify well, grab stage points, and do everything we can to gain as many points as possible. Martinsville has been a good track for us in the past, so if we can go there, stay strong, and do what it takes, we can make the final four and compete for a championship.”
Outscoring Bell should be a not-too-daunting task ahead for Larson at Martinsville, knowing his impressive streak here. Should a driver below the 5 be leading though, the one-point gap between Larson and Bell will deliver an electric points battle. Both friendly dirt track rivals will surely be very in tune with where each other is throughout the Xfinity 500. Martinsville also provides an ample opportunity to erase Larson’s 22-race losing drought.
Kyle Larson’s No. 5 HendrickCars.Com Chevrolet on the grid from Talladega Superspeedway before the YellaWood 500 on Sunday, October 19. Photo Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
William Byron -36
On paper William Byron should be seen as a Martinsville favorite. The Hendrick No. 24 steeped in Martinsville success has won two of the last seven races here, leading dozens of laps each time. Both of Byron’s Martinsville wins came in the spring, however. The Charlotte native has not seen a fall result better than fifth since 2021. Facing a likely must-win scenario, Byron knows his entire season does ride on Sunday.
“It’s not ideal, but we know what we have to do this weekend,” Byron said. “The only option is to win. The last two weeks, not having a better finish for how well we were running is what hurts. Come Monday, though, we have to forget that and move on. All focus is on Martinsville and how we can run up front all day. The fall there hasn’t been the strongest for us, but I do think we’ve made a lot of strides on that package.”
Next Gen fall races may not have gone in the 24’s favor, but a young Byron was second here in 2019. Should his team execute some alternate strategy for late track position, the unknowns of a new left side tire here leave anything up to chance. A potential Byron win on Sunday would be one of the most clutch Playoff moments in recent memory, and possibly fuel a championship run for the 24.
William Byron’s No. 24 Raptor Chevrolet on the grid from Talladega Superspeedway before the YellaWood 500 on Sunday, October 19. Photo Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
Joey Logano -38
Reigning Cup champion Joey Logano has one more lifeline at a title repeat–winning Martinsville. The man who entered the Round of 8 as the eighth seed is perhaps the most feared winner leading up to Sunday, knowing his Phoenix prowess. Team 22 has not been too shabby in Virginia, either. Since Logano’s 2018 victory here, he’s earned a top-10 in all but one race. This stretch includes a perfect seven top-10s in the Next Gen era. Logano is no stranger to this do-or-die scenario, and heads to Martinsville optimistic for his chances.
“Martinsville’s not a bad track for us,” Logano said. “We just have a simple point of view at this point, it’s all or nothing. Stage points aren’t going to matter. Nothing else is going to matter but winning.”
Nearly 100 laps led in the last three Martinsville trips prove that Logano has not lost his groove here. The Paul Wolfe-led 22 team are the poster child for making a wild strategy play work. Is a Martinsville miracle in the cards? Logano may be the most dangerous man on Sunday with how much the competition is rooting against him.
Joey Logano’s No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang on the grid from Talladega Superspeedway before the YellaWood 500 on Sunday, October 19. Photo Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
Ryan Blaney -47
Undefeated across the last two years in the Xfinity 500, Ryan Blaney enters Martinsville as the favorite. The Penske No. 12 Ford boasts a series-leading 8.5 average finish here. This stout stat is punctuated by six top-10s and 182 laps led in the last seven races. The only blip in this streak was March, when Blaney was a very close 11th. Facing win or go home, just like his title-winning season of 2023, the pressure is on Blaney after losing control late at Talladega last week.
“Not the finish we wanted,” Blaney said of Talladega. “We didn’t do what we needed to do and we didn’t get help when we needed it. Now we have to go win next week.”
Much like the aforementioned Logano, Blaney carries a large target on his back entering Martinsville. Both of Blaney’s triumph’s here ended with a long green flag run, allowing driver 12’s patient aggression to shine. Should there be any late yellow on Sunday, a potential Martinsville hat trick may be in jeopardy. If there is no late caution like the last two years, however, Blaney could break back into Phoenix with another 11th hour win.
Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford Mustang on the grid from Talladega Superspeedway before the YellaWood 500 on Sunday, October 19. Photo Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
Chase Elliott -62
The last man facing must-win at Martinsville, Chase Elliott overcame very similar situations in 2020. That year saw the No. 9 Chevrolet rise to the occasion and cement their place in the Championship 4 thanks to a timely Xfinity 500 win. Elliott’s been ultra close to another Grandfather Clock since then, with three-straight top-fives here. The 9’s also led a combined 846 laps around Martinsville in the last eight races alone. If anyone below the cut line is sitting pretty for a potential breakthrough triumph, it’s Elliott at one of his favorite tracks.
“The top level of any sport is all very detail oriented, right?” Elliott said. “I think that can be said for anything, whether it’s racing, football, baseball. All of that last 1 or 2% is really all in the details. Everyone here is pretty good at what they do. I feel like Hendrick Motorsports does a great job of just really fine tuning all the details that it takes to be successful at every part of the shop. The boss gives us the resources that we ask for and that we need to go and be successful. Then he just trusts us to go get the job done from there. So I’m grateful to have that at my disposal to help me do my job to the best of my ability.”
Elliott is no stranger to recent short track success, having spring Martinsville and Bowman Gray Stadium as excellent performances. If the 9 is anywhere near the front in Sunday’s closing laps, another very popular victory could unfold under the greatest pressure.
Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Napa Auto Parts Chevrolet on the grid from Talladega Superspeedway before the YellaWood 500 on Sunday, October 19. Photo Credit: Peter Stratta/TSJSports
My favorite NASCAR race every year, the Xfinity 500 always sees a season’s worth of pressure, frustrations, and madness boil over. 2025’s running of this Martinsville cut race may see the most action-packed 500 laps yet. Half of the eight title hopefuls in must-win mindset has not been seen here before. The green flag flies Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. It will be a treat to see the four Bill France Cup finalists decided on NASCAR’s most historic track. More highlights will soon be written from Martinsville Speedway.
Written by Peter Stratta
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