The NASCAR Cup Sequence is at Martinsville Speedway this weekend for the penultimate spherical of the 2024 season, with Sunday’s Xfinity 500 set to determine which two drivers be a part of Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick in racing for a championship.
Since being moved to this slot on the schedule in 2020, Martinsville has seen some unforgettable moments as drivers claw for one final shot to make the championship 4. With that in thoughts, listed below are three to look at — a favourite, a contender and a darkish horse — in addition to one to keep away from for this weekend.
Favourite: Denny Hamlin (+450, per DraftKings as of Friday afternoon)
Hamlin is likely one of the 4 remaining playoff drivers at present below the line to advance to the season finale at Phoenix Worldwide Raceway with a shot on the title. At 18 factors again of William Byron, he would possibly want a win to advance, and fortunately for him, he is performed so at Martinsville 5 occasions. The latest of these wins was again in 2015, however he is led vital laps in seven of the previous eight Martinsville races. He is overdue.
After being eradicated within the Spherical of Eight the previous two seasons, Hamlin is itching for one more probability to lastly win a championship — particularly as a result of at age 43, he could not have very many left. He is tied with Kyle Larson with the very best odds at +450, however Hamlin must be thought of the favourite.
Contender: Chase Elliott (+650)
One other driver along with his season on the road on Sunday is Elliott, who at 43 factors behind Byron will completely want a win to advance to the championship 4. He is performed it earlier than, although, again in 2020 when he was in the identical state of affairs and went supernova on the sector with a dominant victory en path to successful the title.
That is still Elliott’s solely Martinsville win, however he is all the time robust there with 1,104 laps led for his profession, together with a minimum of 50 in six of the previous eight races. He is additionally coming off of one in every of his greatest performances of the yr at Homestead final week, the place he led 81 laps and completed fourth. Elliott must be a menace all weekend, and along with his odds solely fourth-best at +650, you may gladly take that.
Darkish horse: Ty Gibbs (+2500)
It appears unlikely that anybody outdoors the playoff image would spoil the celebration this weekend, particularly a driver who has teammates nonetheless racing for a championship. Nonetheless, Gibbs has been recognized to throw his teammates apart at Martinsville before, and he is a really robust short-track driver. He is by no means completed higher than 18th at Martinsville within the Cup Sequence, however he was a contender on this race a yr in the past earlier than an incident with Joey Logano took him out of the operating.
The upcoming breakout hype surrounding Gibbs has quieted a bit ever since his elimination from the playoffs, however he should not be slept on an excessive amount of. These +2500 odds are very engaging, solely tied for Tenth-best, so in the event you’re on the lookout for a price decide this week, he might be the man.
Keep away from: Kyle Larson (+450)
The motive force who has dominated the 2024 season finds himself needing to make up seven factors to advance to the championship spherical, and given his historical past at Martinsville, that will not be a simple job. He did win the pole and lead 86 laps en path to a runner-up end again in April, however traditionally, it has not been an important monitor for him with just one win and no races with greater than 100 laps led.
Larson is listed because the co-favorite together with Hamlin, however a number of different drivers really feel like higher bets this weekend together with two of his teammates in Elliott and Byron (the latter of whom gained the spring race at Martinsville this yr). Additionally remember that since Larson is not in a must-win state of affairs, he and his workforce could play issues extra conservatively for a strong factors displaying. All in all, it is in all probability greatest to not wager on him successful on Sunday.
