MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WDBJ) – ryan Blaney faces a win-or-go-home scenario at Martinsville Speedway this Sunday as the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Four contenders are resolute. the Xfinity 500, set to begin at 2 p.m., โขrepresents a critical opportunity for Blaney, currently seventh in the standings, to secure his place in the championship race at Phoenix.
Blaney is aiming for an unprecedented “fall race three-peat” at Martinsville, having won the event in both 2023 andโ 2024 to advance to the Championship Four in โthose years. The driver, who grew โup nearโฃ Martinsville in High Point, North Carolina, fondly recalls โฃwatching his โfatherโข race โat the track as a child, describing it as a “unique place” where fans can seeโข “most of what’s going on”โ from โขanywhere around the โคmile-long โoval.
“Honestly it’s the same mindset as we โฃhad going into this race last year,”โ Blaney said. “Had a bad raceโ or two โand putโ your backs โup againstโฃ a wall and you have one goal in mind. โฃHopefully we โcan riseโฃ to the occasion โขlike we have in โtheโข past and I couldn’t think of a better place than Martinsville to โgo to.”
While acknowledging his past success atโข Martinsville, Blaney emphasizes the unpredictable nature ofโ the sport. “justโ because it โworked for you before, doesn’t mean it’s a sure thing. We have โฃto work just as โขhard as we do likeโ normal,” he stated.
Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin have โขalready secured their spots in the phoenix race, and Christopher Bell and โKyle Larsonโ currently hold positions above the โฃcutโ line.
Copyright 2025 WDBJ.All rights reserved.
