Like in 2023, Ryan Blaney wins in Martinsville to qualify for the final

Beaten on the wire at Homestead-Miami the previous week (Tyler Reddick having passed him in the very last corner of the race), Ryan Blaney was keen to take his revenge on the small oval of Virginia. The reigning champion of Team Penske came back and dominated the end of the event to win and validate his ticket among the four finalists who will play for the crown this Sunday in Phoenix, Arizona.

“I’m exhausted, I have no energy left!”, he said after his success. “My God, I’m exhausted, but the battle was very good, and my car held up better on the long runs than the others, so I was able to really come back at the end of the race. In the last 70 laps, I really paid attention to the rear tires, because I knew that’s where I had the most trouble on the long run. I had to use my front bumper at certain times and I hate that, but I had no choice.”

Goodyear had indeed brought much softer tires than usual, in order to return to races where tire management became essential, and thus create differences in pace between the competitors. A recurring problem of the Next Gen on short tracks is precisely a car that does not degrade the tires, and a pack that remains frozen for 500 laps. This time, it was possible to overtake, and the battle for the fourth and final qualifying place, although at a distance, was superb to follow.

End of stroke under tension

William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports) and Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing) were the two drivers who could still get their ticket. Byron was struggling late in the race, while Bell was a lap behind the leaders. This led to two surreal situations on track, with Byron literally being protected by other Chevrolets running side-by-side behind him, in order to prevent Brad Keselowski's Ford (RFK Racing) from coming back and passing him, Keselowski having led 170 laps this weekend. The two drivers were separated by only one point at that precise moment, a pass on Byron or a pass on Bell would literally seal the result.

For his part, Christopher Bell was doing everything he could to get back on the other cars a lap ahead of him. In the last corner, another Toyota, that of Bubba Wallace, then slowed down, officially due to a problem, but Bell did not notice it, threw himself into the last corner, almost losing control. He then hit the wall, then accelerated, a bit like Ross Chastain in 2022, to pass Wallace and qualify by finishing tied on points with Byron! The NASCAR was then left with three separate situations to judge, the block made by the Chevrolets, Bubba Wallace who seemed to give Christopher Bell a position, and the latter's "wall ride", strictly forbidden since Chastain's feat two years ago.

After more than twenty minutes of deliberation, it was finally William Byron who qualified for the final, Bell being penalized for having driven against the wall and thus causing a safety problem. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver could have qualified for the final for the third consecutive year, but he will have to be patient and wait for a new opportunity in 2025. Joey Logano (Team Penske), Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing) and William Byron will therefore play for the title in a single race on Sunday at 21 p.m. The first to cross the finish line will be crowned 2024 champion, even if he does not win the race, as Ryan Blaney did last year by finishing second behind Ross Chastain.

Martinsville – Ranking