What to know before NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 elimination race at Martinsville

When the NASCAR Cup Series leaves the Martinsville Speedway on Sunday night, the Championship Four field will be set. Here's what you need to know before the penultimate race of the 2024 season. 

Can Martin Truex Jr. pull off one final win?

Truex Jr. is a three-time Martinsville winner and the pole sitter for Sunday's race. He has yet to find victory lane in his final Cup Series season, but he was fastest in practice on Saturday and will start the race with all-important track position. In 2015, Jeff Gordon won his final race at Martinsville in storybook fashion. Truex Jr. could the the next NASCAR legend to cap his career with a win at The Paperclip.

Denny Hamlin starts from the back

The outlook isn't as good for Truex Jr.'s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate in Hamlin, who crashed in practice on Saturday. The No. 11 team repaired Hamlin's primary car — which was third fastest in practice — but Hamlin will have to start dead last in a race he must win to make the Championship Four. For a driver still searching for his first championship, Saturday's wreck could be the moment his 19th season of competition effectively ended. 

Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney must repeat prior Martinsville performances

Elliott and Blaney are both in must-win situations on Sunday, which seems rather appropriate. Both drivers' championship runs wouldn't have been possible without their wins at Martinsville in their respective championship seasons of 2020 and 2023. Elliott will have a front-row seat for the green flag, as he rolls off second, but Blaney (14th) will have to work his way through the field. 

Hendrick teammates battle for the transfer spot

Barring a new winner from the below the cut line, Hendrick Motorsports teammates in William Byron (+7) and Kyle Larson (-7) will be left to battle it out for the final spot in the Championship Four. Byron started third and won at Martinsville on April 7, while Larson started ninth and won at Martinsville in the spring of 2023. This is a battle of titans, and it will be very interesting to see which driver will come out on top.