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Bubble Watch, presented by Xfinity: Where drivers stand before Martinsville
By Staff Report | Published: October 27, 2022 8
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
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Chase Briscoe
Points below elimination line: 44 | Full standings
Trending -- Homestead-Miami Snapped Hot Streak: After fighting back from rough starts in multiple races, the slow starts piled on and last Sunday ended early for Briscoe as he was behind the wall at the end of Stage 2.
Martinsville outlook -- Hit or Miss: There's a small sample size to tell what Briscoe will do Sunday at Martinsville but if there's any positives in a must-win scenario, he finished ninth in the spring race — his best at the Virginia short track in three Cup starts.
Points below elimination line: 44 | Full standings
Trending -- Homestead-Miami Snapped Hot Streak: After fighting back from rough starts in multiple races, the slow starts piled on and last Sunday ended early for Briscoe as he was behind the wall at the end of Stage 2.
Martinsville outlook -- Hit or Miss: There's a small sample size to tell what Briscoe will do Sunday at Martinsville but if there's any positives in a must-win scenario, he finished ninth in the spring race — his best at the Virginia short track in three Cup starts.
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Christopher Bell
Points below elimination line: 33 | Full standings
Trending -- Win or Cold recently: If the No. 20 isn't in Victory Lane, it's finishing outside the top 10 as Bell has finishes of such in four of the last five races.
Martinsville outlook -- Mostly Cold: The last time Bell was in a must-win situation, he won at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course. However, his Martinsville numbers are nothing to be impressed with and he finished in 20th back in the spring.
Points below elimination line: 33 | Full standings
Trending -- Win or Cold recently: If the No. 20 isn't in Victory Lane, it's finishing outside the top 10 as Bell has finishes of such in four of the last five races.
Martinsville outlook -- Mostly Cold: The last time Bell was in a must-win situation, he won at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course. However, his Martinsville numbers are nothing to be impressed with and he finished in 20th back in the spring.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Ryan Blaney
Points below elimination line: 18 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: Two straight races of promising runs were ruined by two costly mistakes for Blaney. After spinning on the exit of pit road at Homestead, he went from a likely top-five run to a 17th-place finish.
Martinsville outlook -- Mostly Warm: The Virginia short track is one of, if not, Blaney's best. He leads all active drivers in average finish (10.2) and owns five top fives in the last seven races at Martinsville. With a double-digit deficit below the elimination line, he will need to be inside the top five for the whole race.
Points below elimination line: 18 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: Two straight races of promising runs were ruined by two costly mistakes for Blaney. After spinning on the exit of pit road at Homestead, he went from a likely top-five run to a 17th-place finish.
Martinsville outlook -- Mostly Warm: The Virginia short track is one of, if not, Blaney's best. He leads all active drivers in average finish (10.2) and owns five top fives in the last seven races at Martinsville. With a double-digit deficit below the elimination line, he will need to be inside the top five for the whole race.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Denny Hamlin
Points below elimination line: 5 | Full standings
Trending -- Hot: When it has mattered most this year, Hamlin showed up after a dismal start to 2022. He's got seven top 10s in the last eight races and that shouldn't change with a trip home to Virginia.
Martinsville outlook -- Mostly Cold Recently: Hamlin owns five wins at Martinsville but has finished outside the top 10 in four of the last five races at the short track. Due to his points scenario and where a pair of his rivals sit in front of him, he may take matters into his own hands to secure his Championship 4 berth.
Points below elimination line: 5 | Full standings
Trending -- Hot: When it has mattered most this year, Hamlin showed up after a dismal start to 2022. He's got seven top 10s in the last eight races and that shouldn't change with a trip home to Virginia.
Martinsville outlook -- Mostly Cold Recently: Hamlin owns five wins at Martinsville but has finished outside the top 10 in four of the last five races at the short track. Due to his points scenario and where a pair of his rivals sit in front of him, he may take matters into his own hands to secure his Championship 4 berth.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
William Byron
Points above elimination line: 5 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: Byron's postseason run began with four consecutive top-10 runs. Since then, he's finished 12th or worse but has scored enough points to stay above the elimination line entering the final race of the Round of 8.
Martinsville outlook -- Hot: Byron is the defending winner at Martinsville — leading 212 of the 403 laps in the spring. His three top fives in a row at the track are also nothing to overlook as he fights for one of the final spots in the Championship 4.
Points above elimination line: 5 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: Byron's postseason run began with four consecutive top-10 runs. Since then, he's finished 12th or worse but has scored enough points to stay above the elimination line entering the final race of the Round of 8.
Martinsville outlook -- Hot: Byron is the defending winner at Martinsville — leading 212 of the 403 laps in the spring. His three top fives in a row at the track are also nothing to overlook as he fights for one of the final spots in the Championship 4.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Chase Elliott
Points above elimination line: 11 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: After running in the top 10 for most of the day at Homestead, the 2020 Cup champion faded in the final restarts and mustered a 14th-place finish.
Martinsville outlook -- Mostly Warm: Two years ago, a win at Martinsville set the table for Elliott's crowning moment at Phoenix. This Sunday could do the same for the five-time winner in 2022.
Points above elimination line: 11 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: After running in the top 10 for most of the day at Homestead, the 2020 Cup champion faded in the final restarts and mustered a 14th-place finish.
Martinsville outlook -- Mostly Warm: Two years ago, a win at Martinsville set the table for Elliott's crowning moment at Phoenix. This Sunday could do the same for the five-time winner in 2022.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Ross Chastain
Points above elimination line: 19 | Full standings
Trending -- Hot: The playoffs have been Chastain's breakthrough performances in a year where he already had two wins coming into the postseason. Five top-seven results in the last seven races have Chastain in a great spot to secure a Championship 4 bid.
Martinsville outlook -- Mostly Cold: Chastain scored a fifth-place finish at the short track in the spring. While midseason run-ins could factor into where Chastain finishes Sunday, his clean racing in the postseason so far may pay off with a quiet, but bountiful points day at Martinsville.
Points above elimination line: 19 | Full standings
Trending -- Hot: The playoffs have been Chastain's breakthrough performances in a year where he already had two wins coming into the postseason. Five top-seven results in the last seven races have Chastain in a great spot to secure a Championship 4 bid.
Martinsville outlook -- Mostly Cold: Chastain scored a fifth-place finish at the short track in the spring. While midseason run-ins could factor into where Chastain finishes Sunday, his clean racing in the postseason so far may pay off with a quiet, but bountiful points day at Martinsville.
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
It all comes down to Martinsville Speedway to determine who will be racing for a Cup Series championship. Three spots remain between seven drivers and the story lines couldn't be bigger with a championship favorite just above the elimination line and multiple rivals set to clash for a title berth. See where drivers closest to the playoff elimination line stand prior to Sunday's Round of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway (2 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with stats and ratings provided by Racing Insights.