Kyle Petty Believes Chase Elliott Has His Task Cut Out for Must-Win Race at Martinsville

One of NASCAR’s steadiest hands, Chase Elliott, endured a rough Sunday at Talladega as his playoff hopes took a heavy hit. Now, heading into Martinsville, he has a tall mountain to climb, a sentiment that was echoed by Kyle Petty. 

The Hendrick Motorsports driver got swept up in a Lap 52 multi-car melee during the YellaWood 500, ending his race early and leaving him 10th in the playoff standings, 62 points below the cutline. That deficit now forces Elliott into a must-win scenario next weekend. 

Elliott has a strong record in Martinsville, with an average finish of 11.7 in 20 starts, one win, eight top-fives, and 13 top-tens. Still, sadly for Elliott, Petty doesn’t see the odds to be in his favor.

“We know that the Hendrick organization… can do it. The problem is right now, Joe Gibbs Racing is as hot as they’ve ever been. I think when you look at it, they are putting one of their cars in victory lane week after week after week. They’re leading the majority of races,” Petty said.

“They are doing everything at the right time of the year to be able to capitalize on it. So, you’re going to have to go through three Gibbs cars if you’re going to be the Penske cars,” the 65-year-old continued. “If you’re the other Hendrick car back there, you’re going to have to go through at least three Gibbs cars to win the race. To win the race. I’m not talking about points.”

“I’m just talking about winning the race… I’m never I’m not going to rule that out because these are top tier teams. This is the cream of the crop. But it’s going to be incredibly hard.” 

Analyzing the current form, Petty pointed out that Denny Hamlin, who has already locked himself to the Championship 4, could stand as the biggest threat to the rest of the playoff field. The #11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver has an average finish of 9.8 in 39 starts at Martinsville. Six wins, 21 top-fives, and 27 top-tens.

With Elliott’s back against the wall, Martinsville could be the track for an Elliott-versus-Hamlin show, one fueled by desperation, momentum, and the weight of playoff survival.