NASCAR Cup Martinsville: Blaney wins for Championship 4 spot, Bell removed for wall ride

Ryan Blaney and William Byron will join Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick in the Championship 4 that will contest the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series in Phoenix next weekend after a breathtaking showdown at Martinsville.

Team Penske Ford driver Blaney, the defending Cup Series champion, prevailed in a three-way fight for the win in the closing laps with Hendrick Chevrolet Motorsport team-mates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott.

Larson appeared in control, but Elliott and Blaney each had 30-lap fresher tyres. This advantage told for Elliott with 25 laps remaining, before Blaney also traded blows with Larson and got through.

With 14 laps to go, Blaney stormed into the race lead and won the race, eliminating both runner-up Elliott and third-place finisher Larson in the process.

After capturing his third win of 2024 Blaney, who hopes to become the first back-to-back champion in the history of the knockout format, admitted to feeling “worn out”.

“I hated I had to lay the bumper to some guys, but I had to do it,” said Blaney.

“I laid the bumper to a couple guys that I wish I didn’t have to, but I needed to get going, so it was a long night.

“I think that’s the most tired I’ve been after a race in a long time.”

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, Discount Tire Ford Mustang celebrates his victory (Photo by: Lesley Ann Miller / Motorsport Images)

Behind, chaos unfolded in the battle for the final transfer spot between Byron (Hendrick) and Christopher Bell's Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. In the final corner, Bell passed the rapidly slowing Toyota of Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing), who reported that he had a tyre going down.

But Bell entered the corner too fast and slid up the track. Upon hitting the wall, he kept his foot pinned to the throttle and rode the wall to the checkered flag in a slower/accidental version of what Ross Chastain did at Martinsville two years ago, which has since been declared illegal.

Bell was tied with Byron and appeared set to progress via a tiebreaker but, after a lengthy deliberation, NASCAR cited Bell for a safety violation and removed him from the playoffs, putting Byron back in. 

A despondent Bell said: "I don't know what to say. I understand the rule was made to prevent people from riding the wall but my move was completely different from what Ross's was.

"I got loose getting into the corner and slid right into the fence. I don't know what to say."

NASCAR Cup Martinsville Race Results:

Main Information Additional Data Additional Data Driver Info

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Main Information Additional Data 1  -  2
Cla	Driver	#		Manufacturer	Laps	Time	Interval	Pits	Points	Retirement
1	R. Blaney Team Penske	12		Ford	500	3:28'30.572		9	55
2	C. Elliott Hendrick Motorsports	9		Chevrolet	500	+2.593 3:28'33.165	2.593	9	45
3	K. Larson Hendrick Motorsports	5		Chevrolet	500	+5.172 3:28'35.744	2.579	8	46
4	A. Cindric Team Penske	2		Ford	500	+5.263 3:28'35.835	0.091	8	33
5	D. Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing	11		Toyota	500	+7.643 3:28'38.215	2.380	8	40
6	W. Byron Hendrick Motorsports	24		Chevrolet	500	+11.887 3:28'42.459	4.244	8	46
7	A. Dillon Richard Childress Racing	3		Chevrolet	500	+11.993 3:28'42.565	0.106	9	37
8	R. Chastain TrackHouse Racing	1		Chevrolet	500	+12.287 3:28'42.859	0.294	9	29
9	B. Keselowski RFK Racing	6		Ford	500	+12.355 3:28'42.927	0.068	8	39
10	J. Logano Team Penske	22		Ford	500	+12.647 3:28'43.219	0.292	9	29
11	N. Gragson Stewart-Haas Racing	10		Ford	500	+12.873 3:28'43.445	0.226	9	28
12	S. van Gisbergen Kaulig Racing	16		Chevrolet	500	+13.181 3:28'43.753	0.308	10
13	A. Bowman Hendrick Motorsports	48		Chevrolet	500	+13.531 3:28'44.103	0.350	9	31
14	R. Preece Stewart-Haas Racing	41		Ford	500	+15.209 3:28'45.781	1.678	8	31
15	C. Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing	14		Ford	500	+17.672 3:28'48.244	2.463	9	30
16	J. Berry Stewart-Haas Racing	4		Ford	500	+20.751 3:28'51.323	3.079	9	21
17	D. Hemric Kaulig Racing	31		Chevrolet	500	+21.092 3:28'51.664	0.341	10	20
18	B. Wallace 23XI Racing	23		Toyota	499	+1 Lap 3:28'45.470	1 Lap	10	19
19	E. Jones Legacy Motor Club	43		Toyota	499	+1 Lap 3:28'49.694	4.224	9	18
20	R. Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing	47		Chevrolet	499	+1 Lap 3:28'50.064	0.370	9	17
21	Z. Smith Spire Motorsports	71		Chevrolet	499	+1 Lap 3:28'50.872	0.808	10	16
22	C. Bell Joe Gibbs Racing	20		Toyota	499	+1 Lap 3:28'51.322	0.450	9	20
23	D. Suarez TrackHouse Racing	99		Chevrolet	498	+2 Laps 3:28'34.111	1 Lap	10	14
24	M. Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing	19		Toyota	498	+2 Laps 3:28'36.739	2.628	13	13
25	C. Hocevar Spire Motorsports	77		Chevrolet	498	+2 Laps 3:28'43.450	6.711	11	12
26	T. Gilliland Front Row Motorsports	38		Ford	498	+2 Laps 3:28'45.983	2.533	10	11
27	K. Grala Rick Ware Racing	15		Ford	497	+3 Laps 3:28'34.234	1 Lap	9	10
28	K. Busch Richard Childress Racing	8		Chevrolet	497	+3 Laps 3:28'38.212	3.978	11	9
29	J. Haley Spire Motorsports	7		Chevrolet	497	+3 Laps 3:28'43.306	5.094	10	8
30	C. Buescher RFK Racing	17		Ford	497	+3 Laps 3:28'47.129	3.823	10	7
31	J. Nemechek Legacy Motor Club	42		Toyota	496	+4 Laps 3:28'31.215	1 Lap	10	6
32	T. Gibbs Joe Gibbs Racing	54		Toyota	495	+5 Laps 3:28'31.835	1 Lap	8	5
33	M. McDowell Front Row Motorsports	34		Ford	490	+10 Laps 3:28'45.200	5 Laps	9	4
34	T. Reddick 23XI Racing	45		Toyota	458	+42 Laps 3:15'42.790	32 Laps	9	3	Brakes
35	C. Lajoie Rick Ware Racing	51		Ford	365	+135 Laps 3:08'06.197	93 Laps	10	2	Oil pressure
36	H. Burton Wood Brothers Racing	21		Ford	347	+153 Laps 2:27'50.626	18 Laps	7	1	Engine
37	J. Bilicki Power Source	66		Ford	131	+369 Laps 52'14.487	216 Laps	3		Brakes
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