What does the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Scenario Look Like Ahead of the Elimination Race at Martinsville?

The NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at the Texas Motor Speedway finally wrapped up, four days later than usual. Rain played havoc on everyone’s hopes, and the presence of mist didn’t help matters either. At the end, when racing finally got underway, Kyle Busch emerged victorious. This meant that he will not end the season as the third defending champion to go winless.

However, Busch’s win could have some implications on the playoff battle. Since the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is not part of the playoff battle, this changes nothing for him or the other seven drivers. Instead, it does put a lot of pressure on them, since Martinsville is the last race before the Championship 4 round at Phoenix.

Who will join Joey Logano in the NASCAR Cup Series final 4 after Martinsville?

With his win in Kansas, Joey Logano automatically booked his golden ticket. However, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr, and Kurt Busch are vying for 3 spots. This is literally everyone’s last chance to qualify, and all seven drivers will be on a mission.

For the moment, Harvick, Hamlin, and Keselowski are in the best possible position. However, they cannot afford to slack off, because the likes of Bowman, Elliott, Truex Jr, and Kurt Busch, will be there to pounce. All it takes is a bad result or a crash to dent somebody’s hopes and break four hearts.

Also considering that the state of Virginia is in the trajectory of Hurricane Zeta, it just ups the stakes. According to some sources, the Martinsville Speedway did get some rain. However, the authorities insist that there should be no trouble when cars arrive.

Hopefully, the rain gods play nice, because NASCAR already endured a nightmare at the Texas Motor Speedway. The last thing that the sport needs is another race pushed back until deemed safe enough to race on.