Blaney secures his spot in the Championship 4 after winning at Martinsville

Ryan Blaney secured his spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 after winning the elimination race at Martinsville Speedway. This victory in the Xfinity 500 gives him the opportunity to compete for the title in the final race of the season in Phoenix.

Blaney overtook Chase Elliott on lap 486 and held his position until the end, crossing the finish line with a margin of over two seconds. This result eliminated Elliott and Kyle Larson from the competition.

Christopher Bell attempted a decisive overtake on the final lap to secure his spot in the Championship 4 but ended up hitting the outside wall and received a penalty that relegated him to 22nd place. This allowed William Byron, who had maintained his position in the final laps, to advance by a narrow margin.

Brad Keselowski led the most laps and won the second stage, while Elliott dominated the first part of the race with 129 laps led. Larson and Byron also took the lead at different points, leading 71 and 51 laps, respectively. Blaney capitalized on a key restart on lap 414 to close the gap and take the lead in the final laps.

Bell faced complications during the race, including an unscheduled pit stop to tighten a loose wheel. Despite his efforts to regain positions, the penalty in the final lap ultimately impacted his result.

Blaney finished in first place, followed by Elliott and Larson. Austin Cindric and Denny Hamlin completed the top five. Byron advanced to the Championship 4 along with Blaney, Joey Logano, and Tyler Reddick, who will compete in Phoenix for the season title.