Martinsville Speedway

But the big question is, can anybody catch Kyle Larson? Um, do you think, Nick, that in order to catch Kyle Larson, the Hamlins, the Bells, the Briscoes, the Blaneys have to win two of the last four races?

No, 'cause if Kyle Larson has a problem, if he wrecks out at Talladega and they, you know, they finish fifth or third or something, they gain a bunch back, and if they finish ahead of him at Phoenix and finish ahead of him at Martinsville, right? 'Cause Hendrick has really struggled at the short flats this season more than anything.

Yeah.

That low downforce, high horsepower package.

Um, and also to the Joey Logano point, I'm not ready to cut him yet.

Uh, he's won two of the last four Phoenix playoff races.

Uh, he had arguably the best car at Martinsville earlier this year.

Obviously, Chase Elliott won it on that strategy play.

So, however, though, you're getting ready to go to Penske's playground, which is Phoenix.

And you got Martinsville as well.

So, I don't know.

I think if...

And when we look at the schedule to finish out the year, it is a one mile racetrack in Phoenix.

Then we go to a super speedway at Talladega, a short track at Martinsville, and finish the season off at an intermediate at Homestead Miami, the first time that it's been the championship race since 2019.

So we go to Phoenix this weekend.

It still has important championship implications, but won't be the championship race.

I, I don't feel like that's an insurmountable total for him, especially when you factor in that we're going to Phoenix this week where Team Penske's been really good.

He's got Martinsville where he specifically has been really, really good.

I can see a situation here where Ryan Blaney maybe is the surprise guy in this top five that kind of breaks out in these, these final four races and somehow puts a little bit of a, little bit of pressure on Kyle Larson down the stretch.

Yeah.

Blaney looked pretty decent.

You, you factor in that with those ...

Because you got Homestead, the final race of the year at a mile and a half, but then you got, you know, Phoenix, Martinsville.

I really like that, that lineup there of tracks for Ryan Blaney.

I'm gonna say, I mean, Gateway and Phoenix are really the two tracks that we go to on the schedule where brakes are, like, an insane, like a major problem and a major storyline.

I mean, I guess you could throw Martinsville in there, too.

Really, those three tracks.

But, um, the prob- the big problem was, remember, they switched the, um, short track package from 670 horsepower to 750 horsepower.

And not just even, not just even in this year.

In years past, we've seen several brake failure.

It's like Noah, Noah Gragson a couple years back, um, at Martinsville, I think.

Gragson is, is the only one I can think of.

We only get one race in...

Why two races at Martinsville? Why two races at Phoenix? Why two ra- you know, it's like-

Someone needs to open up more tracks.

Yeah.

And that's what I'm looking forward to.

Okay, I am too.

So that's why I want to see Phoenix, Talladega, and Martinsville-

Yeah

And a lot of it still relies on some of the track position, especially at some of the tracks that we're going to.

I don't feel too confident about Briscoe at Martinsville.

But, like, I, I think Briscoe could make it exciting in this championship battle and make a run at Larson here at the end as well.

The biggest thing for me, though, with Larson is, I mean, I, I feel like it's kinda like being up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Coverage starts at Sunday At 3:00 PM on USA, 37 drivers in the field, including Corey Haim.

It's the seventh race of the 10 race NASCAR Cup Series chase before we head to Dega, Martinsville, and Miami.

This was the championship race last year.

I know everyone remembers that.