CONCORD, N.C. - For Hendrick Motorsports, there could be no better venue to visit with a season hanging in the balance than Martinsville Speedway.
The 0.526-mile paperclip will serve as the site for the final round of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 on Sunday with the green flag set to wave at 2 p.m.
The organization's three drivers that remain alive in the championship hunt - Kyle Larson, William Byron and Chase Elliott - find themselves in different positions entering Sunday's event. But all will likely need to race as if their backs are against the wall.
That includes Larson, who is currently 36 points above the cutline in fourth place. However, a new winner among the Round of 8 drivers and he could be eliminated as well. Byron is looking up at a 36-point hole between himself and Larson and would need several things to go his way to make up that gap on points. It's likely a win-to-get-in scenario for the No. 24 bunch and for Elliott, it certainly is as he enters 62 points down.
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The good news? The three have combined for four victories at Martinsville with Byron owning a pair of them. Elliott picked up a victory in 2020 to punch his ticket to Phoenix Raceway where he won the championship, a trick he'll likely need to turn again. Larson's Martinsville win came in the Next Gen era (spring of 2023) and he has a few more options. Just one point behind Christopher Bell in third, Larson could move up a spot with a solid points day and lock himself into the Championship 4.
Finally, Alex Bowman also owns one of Hendrick Motorsports' 29 Martinsville wins, having gone to victory lane in the fall of 2021.
Here's a look at how each driver has fared in his career at the Virginia short track:
Kyle Larson stats, averages at Martinsville
| Starts: | 21 |
|---|---|
| Wins: | 1 |
| Poles: | 2 |
| Top fives: | 7 |
| Top 10s: | 9 |
| Laps led: | 367 |
| Average start: | 10.5 |
| Average finish: | 15.5 |
Chase Elliott stats, averages at Martinsville
| Starts: | 20 |
|---|---|
| Wins: | 1 |
| Poles: | 1 |
| Top fives: | 8 |
| Top 10s: | 13 |
| Laps led: | 1,275 |
| Average start: | 8.5 |
| Average finish: | 11.7 |
William Byron stats, averages at Martinsville
| Starts: | 15 |
|---|---|
| Wins: | 2 |
| Poles: | 0 |
| Top fives: | 5 |
| Top 10s: | 8 |
| Laps led: | 360 |
| Average start: | 13.5 |
| Average finish: | 13.9 |
Alex Bowman stats, averages at Martinsville
| Starts: | 18 |
|---|---|
| Wins: | 1 |
| Poles: | 0 |
| Top fives: | 5 |
| Top 10s: | 10 |
| Laps led: | 16 |
| Average start: | 17.8 |
| Average finish: | 19.0 |
Hendrick Motorsports at Martinsville
| Races: | |
|---|---|
| Wins: | 29 |
| Poles: | 20 |
| Top fives: | 97 |
| Top 10s: | 155 |
| Laps led: | 11,151 |