OEM partnerships, teammates, and friendships often take a back seat during the crucial playoff races. And something similar may happen to shape up at the Martinsville Speedway. Among multiple storylines, there’s a potential that not all the Hendrick Motorsports drivers will make it to the championship race in Phoenix.

Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and William Byron are all in the mix to clinch the final two remaining spots. All bets are off at this stage of the season, and drivers and teams need to look out for themselves. Larson “is not your teammate right now.” This was the message that Elliott’s spotter gave him while racing him for the lead at Homestead.

So will the HMS drivers trade blows in what is believed to be a crucial race for all three drivers in their hopes of clinching the championship?

Kyle Larson calls out on his teammates to work towards the team goal

Hendrick Motorsports is celebrating its 40th anniversary of competing in NASCAR. Although the team has multiple milestones and records to their name, this year is indeed special. The idea of winning the team’s 15th title on its 40th anniversary would be a huge deal. Rick Hendrick’s wife, Linda, was the first to suggest the idea. “I will tell you this. Rick and I really, really want this championship on our 40th anniversary year.” Linda explained. Although Alex Bowman’s playoff run ended after the Roval race, Kyle Larson believes the drivers at HMS are aware of the bigger picture. “All four teams understand that the closer we can all work together, the better opportunity we each have to win.” Kyle Larson said ahead of the Martinsville race.

“I’m sure nothing like that has been different; the competition meetings, drivers meeting all that drivers were communicating well. We have a debrief here after qualifying later on today, and it will be the same thing. So business as usual, obviously we would love to get at least two of three of us locked in. I know we can get all three of us, but if we get two of us, it would be great,” he added.

Out of all the three HMS drivers, Chase Elliott is in a precarious situation. It is indeed hard to imagine him chalking off a 43-point deficit to make his way into the championship 4. He is in a must-win situation, but despite being under tremendous pressure, he’s feeling confident about his chances for the Martinsville race. If he manages to win, he risks knocking out one of his teammates, since Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick have two spots booked for the finale.

Elliott is eyeing to script a comeback like his 2020 run

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The driver of the No. 9 Chevy has made a huge comeback after missing the playoffs last year. Despite being in the victory lane in Texas, Elliott hasn’t been able to snag a second win. However, he finds himself in a tight spot and needs a victory at the half-mile oval for a shot at his second championship.

Surprisingly, Elliott was in a similar position in 2020, and he snagged a win at Martinsville, and he went ahead to claim his first championship. “I just feel good about where we’re at. I think we’ve run really well the last two weeks. You know when you’re giving yourself those opportunities, I think why wouldn’t you be confident coming to a place that we have been able to run well at before, and you know, even more so leaving two places we have not run well at historically and came off two good weekends. So, yeah, I’m really looking forward to it, just ready to get going and get to work.” He said this ahead of qualification.

Not sure if Elliott will be friendly with his teammates during the race. Every man has to be for themselves at this stage, and starting for the race from P2, he’s already in an advantageous position. Additionally, if Elliott manages to take the Martinsville win, he has a chance of repeating his 2020 heroics, the season when he won his only Cup Series title. The momentum from his Martinsville win sparked off a dream race win at Phoenix.