Ryan Blaney wins at Martinsville, Championship 4 set for Phoenix
Yahoo Sports' Nick Bromberg recaps Sunday's running at Martinsville - where Blaney secured a spot in the Championship 4 with a win. He's joined by Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and William Byron for the Title race in Phoenix.
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NICK BROMBERG: Ryan Blaney made sure that he had a shot at the NASCAR Cup Series title with a win at Martinsville on Sunday. Blaney entered the race inside the top 4 and 10 points ahead of fifth place. He had a very good chance of making it to the championship race simply on points. Instead, points didn't matter, as Blaney led the last 23 laps and 145 laps overall on the way to his first career win at Martinsville.
The top four entering the race was the top-four leaving the race. Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson had clinched title chances with their wins earlier in the third round. William Byron had a healthy points lead on fifth entering the race, but needed to use nearly all of that cushion, as he finished 13th and failed to score stage points. Denny Hamlin had the best chance to move from outside the top four into the final four, but he finished third.
Polesitter Martin Truex Jr. lost his chance for a win and a championship berth when he sped on pit road during the second stage. Hamlin, Truex, Tyler Reddick, and Chris Buescher were eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday. Larson is the only one of the four drivers racing for the title who has won a championship before, and he can be considered the early favorite ahead of the other three. Bell is part of the Final Four for the second straight season, while Blaney and Byron are racing for the title at Phoenix for the first time in their careers.