CONCORD, N.C. – A big weekend lies ahead for Hendrick Motorsports as the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs draws to a close this weekend at Martinsville Speedway.
RELATED: Looking at the playoff picture heading to Martinsville
Unlike April’s trip to the Virginia short track, October’s date carries major playoff implications as the four drivers that are eligible for the championship are determined. From the Hendrick Motorsports stable, Kyle Larson has already achieved this goal with a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway while William Byron (+30 to the cutline) will look to join the No. 5 entry in the title fight. Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team remain eligible for the owner title but will need a victory to remain eligible for the crown in Phoenix.
In terms of history, there are not many tracks more important to the Rick Hendrick-led group than Martinsville. Located just over the North Carolina/Virginia border, the track was the site of Hendrick Motorsports’ first victory in 1984. Overall, the team has won a record 28 times at the 0.526-mile facility. It is also the only track on the calendar that all four current Hendrick Motorsports drivers have won on.
RELATED: Look back at every Hendrick Motorsports win at Martinsville
For Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team, this weekend’s race at Martinsville is purely for momentum since his spot in the Championship 4 is already locked up. At short tracks this season, Larson has been quite impressive. He has two points-paying victories, one at Richmond Raceway's spring race and another at Martinsville. The 31-year-old driver also won the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, taking home the $1,000,000 prize in the process. Sunday afternoon will see the Elk Grove, California, native look to earn a second consecutive victory at "The Paperclip."
While the No. 24 team and driver William Byron are not yet locked into the Championship 4, their 30-point margin over the cutline has them in a strong position. Regardless of what other drivers do in Sunday's race, Byron can lock himself into the title race by earning 36 points. Historically, Martinsville has been a successful track for the Charlotte, North Carolina, native, including a dominant victory in 2022. He has six top-10 finishes in his last eight starts and 221 laps led in his career at this track. Over the last six playoff races, Byron has a top-10 finish in each event, which is the longest active streak in the Cup Series.
EVERY ANGLE: See all the views of the No. 24 PODS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
The No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for driver Chase Elliott remains eligible for the owner championship but faces a must-win scenario on Sunday at 77 markers below the elimination line. Should Elliott win on Sunday, it would not be the first time a clutch win at Martinsville had propelled his team to Phoenix. In 2020, his victory in the Round of 8 finale at the Virginia short track earned him a spot in the Championship 4 and eventually his first career championship a week later in the Arizona desert. At Martinsville, Elliott has his most laps led by track (957), is tied for his most top-10 finishes at one track (10) and has earned the most points (306) there since the start of 2020.
Martinsville has quietly been a good track for Alex Bowman in his Cup Series career. In 2021, he broke through for his fourth win of the year and his first at the 0.526-mile track. While he missed last season’s fall race at the track due to injury, Bowman’s average finish in his last three starts is 8.0 and he has four top-10 finishes there in his career. Like Larson, Bowman has won at both of Virginia's short-track facilities. During the 2021 campaign, the No. 48 Ally Racing Chevy took advantage of a late-race restart to move his way into the lead and take home the checkered flag.
Here is what you need to know to catch this weekend’s action.
WHAT TIME IS PRACTICE AND QUALIFYING?
Group practice will take place at 12:35 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 28, with coverage on USA Network. Group qualifying will immediately follow practice and begin at 1:20 p.m. ET with coverage also on USA Network.
Byron will be in Group A, while Bowman, Larson and Elliott will all be part of Group B.
WHAT TIME IS THE RACE?
The green flag will fly for the Cup Series main event on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. ET with coverage on NBC. A post-race show will take place on Peacock.
CAN I LISTEN ON THE RADIO?
The race will be broadcast on the MRN Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (channel 90).
CAN I STREAM ONLINE?
Yes. Download the NBC Sports App or Peacock for online coverage. Fans can also keep up with the action on Twitter by following @TeamHendrick.
FIVE FAST FACTS HEADING INTO MARTINSVILLE
Stats courtesy of Racing Insights
2: Bowman and the No. 48 Ally Racing team have won at both short tracks in Virginia (Richmond and Martinsville in 2021).
3: Larson's number of short-track wins since coming to Hendrick Motorsports in 2021. That is the most by any active driver for the team. He has won once at each short track (Bristol Motor Speedway, Martinsville and Richmond) in the No. 5 Chevy.
6: Stage victories at Martinsville for Elliott. This is the most by any active driver in the Cup Series.
14: Top-five results for Byron in 2023. This is the most he's ever had in a single season.
10,531: The amount of laps led by Hendrick Motorsports at Martinsville, which is the most in the series.