CONCORD, N.C. – William Byron improved his points position at Homestead-Miami Speedway and holds a 30-point advantage on the elimination line. His fourth-place finish puts him in a strong spot to advance following the Round of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway. With his win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to open the Round of 8, Larson is already locked into the Championship 4 on the owner and driver’s side.
Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team earned a top-15 finish at Homestead-Miami, but they now face a must-win situation to advance on to the Championship 4 in the owner playoffs.
RELATED: Byron earns top-five finish at Homestead-Miami
Shifting to Martinsville Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports is the winningest organization at the Virginia short track. Its 28 wins are the most by any organization at any one track. All four drivers in the current driver lineup have won there in the last four years: Elliott (fall 2020), Alex Bowman (fall 2021), Byron (spring 2022) and Larson (spring 2023).
Get the lowdown on how each of the Hendrick Motorsports playoff drivers and teams are positioned for the Round of 8 finale. Be sure to tune in to catch the action from Martinsville on Sunday, Oct. 29, at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, NBC Sports App, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
William Byron, No. 24
POINTS POSITION: First at 4,126 points.
POSITION TO THE ELIMINATION LINE: +30
PREVIOUS RACE RESULT: Fourth at Homestead-Miami.
MARTINSVILLE OUTLOOK: In 11 starts at Martinsville, Byron has one win, four top-five finishes, six top-10s and 221 laps led. Over the last five races at the Virginia short track, the 25-year-old driver earned his win in 2022, three top-five finishes (tied for the most), four top-10s, an average finish of 8.00 and 192 laps led (second-most). Byron has been the most consistent driver this postseason with one win (Texas), five top-five finishes, seven top-10s and an average finish of 5.50.
FIRST LOOK: See every angle of the No. 24 PODS Chevy for Martinsville
SPRING MARTINSVILLE RESULT: Finished 23rd.
Kyle Larson, No. 5
POINTS POSITION: Fourth at 4,105 points.
POSITION TO THE ELIMINATION LINE: Locked into the Championship 4
PREVIOUS RACE RESULT: 34th at Homestead-Miami.
MARTINSVILLE OUTLOOK: Larson has a win, three top-five finishes (tied for the most), 175 laps led, 181 points (fourth-most) and an average finish of 8.20 in his five races at Martinsville with Hendrick Motorsports. Before that, he had just one top-five finish and two top-10s in 12 starts at the 0.526-mile track. In the spring, Larson won for the first time at the venue. In the playoffs, Larson has been one of the strongest cars and has been in contention for the win late in seven of the eight races. His 503 laps led in the playoffs are the most in the series.
SPRING MARTINSVILLE RESULT: Finished first.
No. 9 team
POINTS POSITION: Eighth in the owner standings at 4,029 points.
POSITION TO THE ELIMINATION LINE: -77
PREVIOUS RACE RESULT: 15th at Homestead-Miami.
MARTINSVILLE OUTLOOK: Given the No. 9 team’s position in the standings, a win is needed to advance. In 16 starts at Martinsville, Elliott has one win, five top-five finishes, 10 top-10s and 957 laps led. His victory at the track came in the 2020 playoff race where he needed to win to advance to the Championship 4 and the next week, he went on to win the title. Over the six races here, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native earned his win and has tallied the most laps led (764) and points (266). In the eight playoff races, Elliott has five top-10 finishes, the fifth-best average finish (11.90) and the seventh-most points (253). Crew chief Alan Gustafson has three wins and an average finish of 9.60 in 37 starts at Martinsville.
SPRING MARTINSVILLE RESULT: Finished 10th.
SHOP: Hendrick Motorsports 40th anniversary gear
OVERALL DRIVER CHAMPIONSHIP PICTURE
1-Byron: 4,126 points
2-Christopher Bell: 4,110 points (LOCKED IN TO CHAMPIONSHIP 4 WITH WIN)
3-Ryan Blaney: 4,106 points
4-Larson: 4,105 points (LOCKED IN TO CHAMPIONSHIP 4 WITH WIN)
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5-Tyler Reddick: 4,096 points
6-Martin Truex Jr.: 4,089 points
7-Denny Hamlin: 4,089 points
8-Chris Buescher: 4,063 points
OVERALL OWNER CHAMPIONSHIP PICTURE
1-No. 24 team: 4,126 points
2-No. 20 team: 4,110 points (LOCKED IN TO CHAMPIONSHIP 4 WITH WIN)
3-No. 12 team: 4,106 points
4-No. 5 team: 4,105 points (LOCKED IN TO CHAMPIONSHIP 4 WITH WIN)
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5-No. 45 team: 4,096 points
6-No. 11 team: 4,089 points
7-No. 17 team: 4,063 points
8-No. 9 team: 4,029 points