The NASCAR Cup Series concludes the Round of 8 with Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
Of the eight playoff drivers remaining, Tyler Reddick and Joey Logano are locked into the Championship 4. Christopher Bell has a 29-point lead over the cutoff, and William Byron leads Kyle Larson by seven points for fourth heading into Martinsville.
Denny Hamlin is 18 points behind Byron and could still get in via points if Byron struggles, while Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott need a win on Sunday to secure a Championship 4 berth.
Here are The Tennessean’s expert picks for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville:
WEEKEND SCHEDULE: NASCAR Martinsville full weekend track schedule, TV schedule for the Xfinity 500, other races
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Mike Organ’s pick: Christopher Bell, No. 20, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Bell should be comfortable holding a 29-point advantage over the fourth-place cutoff and has improved at Martinsville where he struggled early in his career.
Tom Kreager’s pick: Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsport Chevrolet
Does anyone think Larson isn’t going to race for a championship? Larson wins at Martinsville to advance and keeps the best driver in the series alive for his second NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Nick Gray’s pick: Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Finally got one right last week (shoutout to Tyler Reddick and his legendary final lap at Homestead), and this is off a hunch. My brain cannot compute a Championship 4 without Kyle Larson. He’s been too good, and I can’t imagine having to beat Larson when he needs to win.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Martinsville predictions 2024: Expert picks for Cup Series race
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