As expected, the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway provided excitement and disappointment for championship playoff contenders. When the checkered flag waved, four drivers survived the race to remain above the dreaded cut line.
The other four, three of which are former champions, have some heavy lifting to do at Martinsville Speedway this coming weekend.
Briscoe Big Winner
The biggest winner was Chase Briscoe, who raced his way into the Championship Four by winning the race. He and the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team join their teammate of Denny Hamlin as the only two confirmed contenders to race for the championship at Phoenix Raceway.
“I feel really good about it (Phoenix),” Briscoe said. “It’s a place that obviously getting my first career win there was a special thing in the first place. We didn’t really get to show what we were capable of after we got caught up in a pretty early wreck there this spring.
“Truthfully, I didn’t really know what I was doing at that point in the season. Yeah, super excited to try to get some redemption and have a shot to win a championship. It’s going to be just an unbelievable opportunity.”
Bell Hangs Tough to Stay Near Top
Christopher Bell and the No. 20 JGR Toyota was the only other Round of 8 driver to finish in the top-10 on Sunday. As a result, he is ranked third in playoff contenders sitting 37 markers to the good.
“That was one of the most stressful races that I’ve been a part of,” Bell said reflectively. “I’m just trying to process it right now. Obviously, I’m super happy for Chase (Briscoe) to get another JGR car into the Championship 4.
“Really cool for him. I’m just trying to soak it all in right now – I don’t know what to think.”
But, Bell can’t get too comfortable with his points position.
Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team are 36 points to the good, despite running out of fuel in the closing laps to finish 26th.
Must Win at Martinsville
Former champions Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott didn’t quite have the day they needed at Dega. With finishes of 16th, 23rd and 40th, respectively, they are pretty much in must win situations to make the Championship Four. William Bryon finished 25th and is fifth in points, 36 points out.
For Blaney, he has history on his side doing so last year at Martinsville to make it to Phoenix. He heads there seventh in points with a 47-point deficit. “Not the finish we wanted. We didn’t do what we needed to do, and we didn’t get help when we needed it. Now we have to go win next week.”
Logano and the No. 22 Team Penske Ford team know what it takes to win a championship. They did it last year, but know their work is cut out for them this year being sixth in points and 38 points out. “Martinsville’s not a bad track for us. We just have a simple point of view at this point, it’s all or nothing. Stage points aren’t going to matter. Nothing else is going to matter but winning.”
Chase Elliott Suffers Early Ending
Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team is left no other choice but to win next weekend. Their predicament started even before Stage 1 ended at Talladega leaving them in eighth place and 62 points below the cut line.
After starting 25th in the 40-car field, Elliott was involved in a multi-car crash on Lap 52 that ended his day early. The wreck started when leaders Noah Gragson and Erik Jones got together resulting in Gragson spinning up into the outside wall as mayhem broke out behind them.
“I saw someone (Gragson) get turned sideways,” Elliott said after leaving the Infield Care Center. “I was trying to get slowed up like normal. I ended up getting turned sideways into some other cars, and then they slid back into me.
“I hate it. I felt like we had ourselves in a good spot before the pit cycle. I didn’t feel like we executed the cycle very well and that put us back in the back again. I’m not sure if that would have helped us miss the wreck or not.
“Obviously, all of that is very circumstantial, but nonetheless, it is what it is. I can’t change it now, so we’re just all eyes on Martinsville (Speedway) and we’ll try to go there and get a win.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Talladega Takes Toll on Championship Contenders appeared first on Heavy Sports.