NASCAR Elimination Race At Martinsville Could Be ‘A Test Of Morals’

Three-time NASCAR Cup Series Champ Joey Logano of Group Penske plainly comprehends what it will require to advance to the November 2 NASCAR Champion Race at Phoenix Raceway.

He needs to win Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Logano goes into the last removal race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs 38 points listed below the cutline, so he understands his hopes of getting entry through the points is slim at finest.

The very best method to ensure that he will get an opportunity to race for a 4th NASCAR Cup Series Champion is to win to get in.

That produces an ethical problem.

” We have actually seen many times desperate individuals do desperate things and what are you happy to do and can you validate that in your mind in some way,” Logano stated Saturday afternoon at Martinsville. “It is difficult since it’s a real test of your morals, if I’m being sincere.

” There are times you’re similar to, ‘Is this the best thing to do or not?’ And to your point, you type of need to think of that things ahead of time.”

When Desperation And Morals Intersect On The Track

NASCAR racing at Martinsville Speedway is 500 laps of brief track, fender-banging action. Chauffeurs frequently utilize the method referred to as the “Bump and Run” to move an automobile in front of them out of the method.

Other chauffeurs who are desperate in some cases include a little excessive to the bump, sending out another vehicle into the wall.

Moods flare throughout the race and frequently boil over later.

” Every action has a response and probably depending upon what you do to get in, you have actually still got to race next week,” Logano continued. “I have actually stated it previously, you might get in the Champion 4, however if do not win it, it does not indicate anything. It’s great to state you arrived, however if you didn’t win, you do not get the prize, does it actually matter?

” Not actually.

” So, you need to believe more than simply the race ahead of you. There’s going to be a race next week. The very same chauffeurs will be out there. The very same vehicles. You have actually got to think of all that things.”

How It Forms Up At Martinsville

Denny Hamlin won 2 weeks back at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Chase Briscoe won recently’s race at Talladega Superspeedway. They are both locked into the November 2 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Race at Phoenix International Raceway.

The last 2 positions of the “Champion 4” will be figured out Sunday night in Martinsville, Virginia.

Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing is 3rd in points, 37 above the cutline and Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports is 4th, 36 points ahead of the bump line.

The 4 chauffeurs that are listed below the cutline going into Martinsville are William Byron of Hendrick Motorporst, 36 explain, three-time NASCAR Cup Series Champ Joey Logano of Group Penske, 38 out. The last 2 chauffeurs are even further back, consisting of seventh-place Ryan Blaney, the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Champ who is 47 explain and Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports, 62 explain.

For the chauffeurs listed below the cutline, they need to win to get in. However if among those chauffeurs wins the race, then Bell and Larson will need to combat it out for the last position that would go to the highest-finishing motorist not secured by a triumph.

If Hamlin, Briscoe or any motorist not in the Round of 8 wins, then the last 2 positions would be based upon points.

” What makes this one so special exists are 4 who need to win,” Hamlin informed me late Saturday night. “There are actually 6 chauffeurs that remain in that position.

” Ideally, everybody does a truly great task at informing that story.”

‘ Win To Get In’

The only particular course for those chauffeurs is to “win to get in,” whatever it takes.

” It’s still a difficult location to be,” Logano regreted. “It’s an extremely difficult location to put us and I’m not stating I have actually done the best thing each time, however I can’t actually think about things in my mind that I recall at and go, ‘Gosh, that was the incorrect play.’

” I have not done anything that I can state that I seem like personally, and most likely others will disagree, however, to me, a bump and run in Turn 3 to make it to the Champion 4 is great. Entirely cleaning him out and disposing him and backing him into the fence?

” Most likely too far. That’s my viewpoint. Everybody is going to have a various one.”

As one of the chauffeurs who does not have the pressure to get in, Briscoe entirely comprehends what Logano is stating. The Joe Gibbs Racing motorist wishes to utilize Martinsville as a tune-up for the Champion Race next week.

” Beyond Christopher Bell and Kyle Bell, everyone needs to race for the win, however if among those bottom guys is leading, then it puts those 2 in a huge problem of what one area deserves and what you want to do,” Briscoe described. “It depends upon who is leading the race.

” Joey is quite uncomplicated. He isn’t going to move a guy for seventh since it does not do anything for him, however definitely for the win, that’s an absolutely various story.

” It will have a great deal of stories and a great deal of drama in this race.”

A Test Of Morals

That leaves Logano examining his ethical problem. He wishes to make the triumph however understands it will not be simple.

” We’re not in the area we wish to remain in, however there’s still an opportunity,” Logano stated. “We’re not out yet. It’s not the very best position to be in, however it’s quite easy on what to do unless something insane takes place in the very first 50 laps to the other guys, which I would not anticipate. It’s quite clear what we have actually got to do.

” We need to go out there and win and do whatever we have actually got to do to do it.”

For any of the chauffeurs that need to win to get in, the conclusion of Sunday night’s Martinsville Speedway removal race might wind up as a morality play.