NASCAR: Blaney Wins; Controversy Abounds At Martinsville

Last season, Ryan Blaney entered Martinsville in a must-win situation to advance to the Championship 4 and won.

This season, he did the exact same thing, charging from 10th to first in the final 87 laps to take his second Martinsville grandfather clock. Blaney will have an opportunity to defend his championship.

However, his impressive drive was overshadowed by controversy surrounding the final transfer spot into the championship race.

Team Orders

While William Byron and Christopher Bell fought on track, Chevrolet and Toyota teams attempted to tip the scales in their manufacturer’s direction.

As Byron began to fade near the end of the race, his points lead over Bell continued to shrink. Eventually, he was only one point ahead, with fellow Chevrolet drivers Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain behind him.

Those two drivers went side-by-side behind the No. 24 without attempting to pass, effectively blocking for Byron and ensuring he couldn’t lose any more positions. Radio communications from the No. 3 team confirm that both they and Chastain’s team “knew the deal.”

After Richmond we would expect nothing less from this crappy team. Cheating is the only way they race!

— Susan Bollinger (@SBollinger11) November 5, 2024

With the Chevy blockade protecting Byron, it appeared he would advance to the championship round. However, the race manipulation wasn’t over yet.

Illegal Moves

While the business with Byron was happening, Bell was the first car one lap down and thus couldn’t gain any more positions unless a new driver was lapped. Fellow Toyota driver Bubba Wallace was made aware of the situation as the No. 20 team told the No. 23 to “back up” to them.

More No. 20 radio:

“We’ve been telling him to back up to us. We need one (spot), we need to catch that No. 23.” – Stevens

“Watch the No. 23, that’s a spot. 23’s a spot, he’s got a problem.” – Reeves

Bell then passes Wallace.

“I think we’re in, buddy. We’ll see.” – Stevens

— Davey Segal (@DaveyCenter) November 5, 2024

He did precisely that, radioing his team he “had a tire going down” and dramatically slowing down for the final few laps.

On the last lap, Wallace was lapped by Blaney and continued to fall back off the pace as Bell caught up in turn 3. With that effort, Bell gained an extra point and advance to Phoenix.

However, that still wasn’t the end. As he passed Wallace, Bell got loose in turn 3 and hit the wall. Once he was there, he hit the gas, riding the outside barrier in a move reminiscent of Ross Chastain’s “Hail Melon” in 2022.

Should Christopher Bell race for the NASCAR Championship?

Watch this move on the final lap. pic.twitter.com/3A3BrNe0fd

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) November 3, 2024

The only problem: riding the wall was banned following Chastain’s move. Now, NASCAR had a decision to make, and half an hour later it came down. Bell had broken the rules and would be relegated from an 18th-place finish to 22nd. Byron was in, Bell was out. Chevrolet won the battle of manufacturers.

End Of Road

Barring any additional penalties to the No. 24 team, the field for the Championship 4 is set. Defending champion Blaney, two-time champion Joey Logano, regular-season champion Tyler Reddick, and Byron will compete in a winner-take-all finale. At this point, all are brought even on points and the highest finisher of the four will be crowned champion.

Logano and Blaney won the first two championships in the NextGen era and will be the favorites. Byron has one win at Phoenix in 2023, while Reddick has an abysmal 17.9 average finish at the track. He’ll need to step it up if he wants any hope of becoming champion.

The NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race will bring this thrilling season to a close Sunday. The green flag is scheduled to fly at 3 p.m. and the race will be broadcast on NBC.