NASCAR.com staff picks: Our Championship 4 predictions

Posted on October 27, 2018October 28, 2018 by Staff Report

The Round of 8, the final three races that will determine NASCAR’s Championship 4 field for Homestead-Miami Speedway, has arrived. Eight drivers will vie for four spots, sorting out the pecking order at Martinsville Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and ISM Raceway at Phoenix.

That quest begins with Sunday’s First Data 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Martinsville. With the Monster Energy Series bracing for the finishing kick to the Nov. 18 season finale, NASCAR.com staff members have weighed in with their predictions for how the Round of 8 will unfold.

Zack Albert
Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano
Last one out: Chase Elliott
Outlook: The Big 3’s winning ways may have cooled slightly in the postseason, but the likelihood of a return to their regular programming runs high in the Round of 8. Harvick’s speed should carry him in all three races, especially Phoenix. Kyle Busch has few weak links remaining on the schedule, and he’s ripe to defend his Martinsville title this weekend. Should victories elude them, their bevy of playoff points should carry the baton. Figuring out the fourth for the Championship 4 is a near toss-up, but expect Team Penske to throw its resources behind the organization’s lone remaining driver in the playoff hunt: Logano.

Allie Davison
Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer
Last one out: Joey Logano
Outlook: There is no one statistically better than Kyle Busch at any of the tracks in the Round of 8, so a Championship 4 berth is all but locked up for the No. 18 team. Elliott is catching lightning in a bottle with two wins already in the postseason. He will need to make gains on points, but I believe the No. 9 team seals a spot with a win in the Round of 8. Harvick and Bowyer will represent Stewart-Haas Racing as the last two rounding it out, skating by on points.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Pat DeCola
Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr.
Last one out: Joey Logano
Outlook: Busch and Harvick enter the Round of 8 around 40 points to the good with some of their best tracks looming — they both are most likely in. Given how hot Elliott has been the second half of the season, it’s hard to pick against him. The opposite can be said about Truex Jr., who has struggled lately. I toiled over him versus Logano, but ultimately I’m sticking with the defending champ’s season-to-date resume and the best crew chief in the garage propelling him to his third Championship 4 appearance in four years.

RJ Kraft
Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano
Last one out: Martin Truex Jr.
Outlook: My predicted race winners — Elliott at Martinsville, Harvick at Texas and Logano at Phoenix — leave room for one driver to advance to the Championship 4 on points. That spot goes to Kyle Busch, who uses his edge in playoff points and solid showings at all three Round of 8 tracks to hold off Truex Jr.

Jason Hanna

Jonathan Merryman
Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano
Last one out: Martin Truex Jr.
Outlook: Looking at the numbers, Kyle Busch seems like a lock for the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Despite his points cushion, Kyle has been consistently good at Martinsville, Texas and ISM Raceway as of late. Harvick is a lock at ISM, Elliott is riding a wave of momentum and Logano continues to quietly point his way through. Truex was a tough call but unless he can pull off a win at Texas, I just don’t see the No. 78 team defending their title.

Jessica Ruffin
Championship 4: Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick
Last one out: Joey Logano
Outlook: With their consistent strength (and points) all year, Kyle Busch and Harvick will make the Championship 4, but I believe fellow Big 3 driver and reigning series champion Truex Jr. won’t compete for his second straight title with the No. 78 team’s performances slowing as of late. Elliott will ride his current momentum all the way to Miami, while Bowyer will capitalize on Stewart-Haas Racing’s speed and his own playoff adrenaline for the final spot. Logano has enjoyed a strong playoff run thus far carrying the torch for Team Penske in the end of the playoffs, but his fire will burn out just before the finale.

Kathy Sheldon
Championship 4: Clint Bowyer, Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr.
Last one out: Kyle Busch
Outlook: Call it a hunch, but Truex Jr.’s cold streak is about to snap. After leading zero laps in the past three races, Martinsville can put him in the mix with the powerhouse No. 4 team and surging Chase Elliott. The fourth spot looks like a horse race, and I’m betting on Bowyer as the second SHR car to make the Championship 4 with Ford prevailing again.

Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

Chase Wilhelm
Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr.
Last one out: Clint Bowyer
Outlook: Some will say my picks include the Big 3 and Elliott, but I’d say it’s more like the Big 4. With two wins in the Round of 12, Elliott has made a late-season case to become the much-debated fourth member of the exclusive club. I was extremely closing to trading in Truex for Bowyer, but I think the No. 78 team strings together better finishes in the Round of 8.

George Winkler
Championship 4: Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick
Last one out: Martin Truex Jr.
Outlook:Kyle Busch and Harvick are in the catbird seat thanks to playoff bonus points and tracks that favor them. Elliott is the driver who’s on a roll with two wins in the past three races. Meanwhile, Truex Jr. seems to have lost some speed, leaving the door open for a surprise like Bowyer, who won at Martinsville earlier this year and is also strong at ISM Raceway.

Posted on October 27, 2018October 27, 2018 by Brad Norman

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — The No. 14 team is out of postseason mulligans.

Clint Bowyer understands that to race for a title at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he can’t afford to dig another deep hole to start the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8.

MORE: Full Round of 8 standings | Entire Martinsville weekend schedule

As he drove up from his home in Mocksville, North Carolina, on Saturday morning, the Kansas native knew the opportunity awaiting him at Martinsville Speedway is his for the taking. Bowyer snapped a 190-race losing streak with a breakthrough victory at the half-mile Virginia track in the spring and has earned a top-10 finish there 15 times in 25 starts.

Statistically, Bowyer’s best shot to take a checkered flag in the Round of 8 is at Martinsville, but he doesn’t want to say that just because he earned a win there in the spring it guarantees he’ll pick up where he left off in Victory Lane.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily an absolute must-win,” Bowyer said. “You can’t put that pressure on yourself the first race of three races. If you do, you’re probably going to go out there desperate and make a mistake. We’re not in that situation. We’ve got to go out there and take care of business on a track that is typically good for me.

“That doesn’t mean anything. Doesn’t mean you’re going to go out there and dominate a stage or two stages or the race win, but you’ve got to go out there and take care of business. Be solid on the track that’s been good to you over the years and take advantage of the weekend. … You allow yourself to think, ‘If I win this thing this weekend I’m in the dance.’ That’s a cool thought and something to think about and extra incentive.”

The pedigree he has developed as one of the best at Martinsville wasn’t something that happened overnight. Looking back on his first few attempts around the ‘Paperclip,’ Bowyer had to adapt to the track and learn from his fellow drivers’ mistakes and accomplishments.

“Pretty much anyone when they get here is like a dart without feathers,” he explained. “I was no exception to that. You’re all over the place. The hardest thing about here is that just want to get in a place and ride and learn. Figure out the track. Figure your conditions out. Figure out what you need to do. Learn from your peers. You can’t do that here. … There is no one that shows up here and shows they’re dominant off the bat. It’s an acquired thing. You have to learn and know what prevails here.”

Bowyer also isn’t alone in the hunt for a Championship 4 berth — all four of the Stewart-Haas Racing teams made the Round of 8 cut with Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Aric Almirola joining their teammate.

“We have half the battle,” he said. “I think because of the willingness to cooperate with one another on a driver’s stand point, the willingness to work with one another on crew chiefs, engineers and everything involved. … The teamwork is what makes the dream work.”

Despite the pressure of a Championship 4 spot lurking, Bowyer is embracing the chance to win another grandfather clock and lock down a spot for the No. 14 team.

“Hell yeah, you let yourself think that,” he shared. “Confidence is everything in sports. You have to be rolling up that highway here confident.”

Posted on October 27, 2018October 27, 2018 by Zack Albert

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Chase Elliott first came to Martinsville Speedway for his Monster Energy Series debut in the spring of 2015 as a fresh-faced 19-year-old driver, ready for his first challenge in NASCAR’s top division. The details were memorable.

Elliott had significant damage — heavy front, minor rear — a loss of power steering and a busted radiator, all before 100 of the 500 laps were on the board. The fifth Hendrick Motorsports entry, numbered 25, spent several laps behind the wall for repairs and limped home to a 38th-place result.

“I’ve been trying to forget about that day, actually,” Elliott said Saturday upon his return to the .526-mile track ahead of Sunday’s First Data 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM), the first race in the postseason’s Round of 8. In the years since, his Martinsville results have been far more memorable for some mixed reasons.

The inauspicious debut was the first of five premier-series races that year for Elliott. The venues — Martinsville, Richmond, Charlotte, Indianapolis and Darlington — were selected by crew chief Alan Gustafson (among others) for their difficulty and their variety. By that time, Elliott had already been crowned as an Xfinity Series champion, but said he was in no position to dispute the choices.

“I think just because (Gustafson) tried to pick some really tough races or what races he thought I was going to struggle at,” Elliott said. “He guessed pretty good because they were terrible, to be completely honest. I’m glad we did that when we did it, and I didn’t have a whole lot of fun at the time, but I was glad he chose the races that he did.”

Since then, Elliott has steadily clawed into a contender’s role, finishing third here in the spring of 2017 and then challenging for the win last fall before his infamous run-in with Denny Hamlin. In between those, an organizational test last October included tutelage from four-time series champ Jeff Gordon — a nine-time Martinsville winner — offering his wisdom for finding the best way around the finicky Virginia track.

“Jeff came over here with us and I was able to talk with him and actually to be able to have enough time to digest and go through some different things that he felt like I was doing wrong,” Elliott said. “I feel like that helped, had a great performance as far as how our car drove last fall, and then came back this spring and sucked. So I don’t know. Definitely have some work to do still yet, but it’s so hit or miss and this race track is such a rhythm track. You can go an entire weekend and never find your rhythm here, or I have. Really hard for me to, for whatever reason. I think that’s really key.”

The overall rhythm for Elliott and the No. 9 team in the last 11 races has been a winning tempo. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has clicked off his first three career wins, including a triumph last weekend at Kansas Speedway, to add fanfare to his grand entrance into the next round of the NASCAR Playoffs.

It’s also created a spark organization-wide, reviving a longtime celebration custom for the Rick Hendrick-owned team.

“I think for the men and women around campus, I rang the Victory Bell that has been tradition there at HMS this week, and there is a lot of fire there right now,” Elliott said. “If you can create fire you can get some momentum and push from everyone around the campus, I think that is a big deal. I think it matters. Every person that works there has a hand in what goes on whether you want believe that or not — it’s true. If everyone that is coming to work that is ultimately building the car that is sitting here in the garage, if they have some fire and purpose, I think our performance will be better.”

Posted on October 27, 2018October 27, 2018 by Staff Report

Ryan Newman topped the leaderboard in Saturday’s second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Martinsville Speedway at 95.709 mph mph in the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

Newman, a 2012 winner at the Virginia track, aims to put together a solid chapter to close his career at RCR before shifting to Roush Fenway Racing next season.

Right behind him was Chase Elliott in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet at 94.913 mph.

MORE: Martinsville schedule | Full practice speeds

Rounding out the top five were: Kyle Busch in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (94.784 mph), Brad Keselowski, who led opening practice, in the No. 2 Team Penske Ford (94.510 mph) and AJ Allmendinger in the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet (94.242 mph). Busch and Elliott remain in title contention among the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Playoffs.

The other drivers still in playoff contention landed on the speed chart as follows: Clint Bowyer (P6, 94.209 mph), Martin Truex Jr. (P9, 94.125 mph), Kevin Harvick (P10, 94.115 mph), Joey Logano (P15, 93.985 mph), Kurt Busch (P17, 93.905 mph) and Aric Almirola (P21, 93.567 mph).

Monster Energy Series Busch Pole Qualifying is later today at 4:05 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App. Tune in Sunday to watch the Round of 8 opener at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App.

Practice 1

Brad Keselowski topped the leaderboard in Saturday’s first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Martinsville Speedway at 95.714 mph mph in the No. 2 Team Penske Ford.

Keselowski, a 2017 winner at the Virginia track, is looking to wind down his season on a high note after being eliminated from the NASCAR Playoffs last week at Kansas Speedway.

Right behind him was Kurt Busch in the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford at 95.646 mph.

MORE: 10-lap averages | Full Practice 1 speeds

Rounding out the top five were Kyle Busch in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (95.593 mph), Ryan Blaney in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford (95.357 mph) and Aric Almirola in the No. 10 SHR Ford (95.280 mph). Both Busch brothers and Almirola are in the playoffs.

The other drivers still in playoff contention landed on the speed chart as follows: Martin Truex Jr. (P6, 95.256 mph), Clint Bowyer (P7, 95.137 mph), Kevin Harvick (P11, 94.689 mph), Chase Elliott (P16, 94.590 mph) and Joey Logano (P20, 94.515 mph).

With 15 minutes remaining in the session, the caution came out for debris after Almirola had a tire go down on his No. 10.

The Nos. 1 (Jamie McMurray), 51 (Jeb Burton) and 88 (Alex Bowman) were all held 15 minutes at the end of the practice session for failing pre-race inspection twice at Kansas.

Posted on October 27, 2018 by

Ahead of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) — the first race in the Round of 8 — we take a look back at the previous four fall Martinsville races in the elimination-style playoffs format. All produced incredible wins and epic celebrations, with long-lingering impacts. We expect the same on Sunday.

Today, we look back at Kyle Busch’s 2017 win, which would be the final of his career.

Previous: Dale Jr. in 2014 | Jeff Gordon in 2015 | Jimmie Johnson in 2016

The scene

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series entered Martinsville Speedway for the first race in the Playoffs Round of 8 with Kyle Larson, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. each eliminated in the Round of 12. Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. were the eight title-eligible drivers seeking to advance out of the three-race semifinal bracket and qualify for the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Similar to how they had dominated the regular season, Busch and Truex convincingly established themselves as the co-championship favorites once the postseason began by combining to win all but one of the first six playoff races. The only exception was Keselowski winning the crash-filled event at Talladega Superspeedway.

Both Busch and Truex figured to be in the mix at Martinsville, though the half-mile short track also opened the door for those who maybe didn’t have the speed to win on an aerodynamic-dependent oval. The drama was intensified with several challengers identifying this race as their best opportunity to beat Busch and Truex and claim a berth in the Championship 4.

The action

Keselowski quickly established that he had every intention of beating Busch and Truex, with the Team Penske driver taking the lead for the first time on Lap 49 and leading a total of 108 laps on the afternoon. But Busch also had a fast car, taking control during the middle portions and leading a race-high 184 laps overall.

Eventually, Keselowski would recapture the top position when he passed Elliott with 29 laps remaining in regulation then proceeded to build up a comfortable advantage over second place. It seemed Keselowski was poised to take the victory only for Logano to spinout with a flat tire to bring out the caution, erasing his teammate’s lead with seven laps left in regulation.

On the ensuing restart is when things got topsy-turvy. Elliott was second to Keselowski on the restart and as they fought for the lead Elliott nudged Keselowski up the track. This allowed Hamlin to close on Elliott’s bumper with Hamlin positioning himself to execute a classic short-track bump-and-run. Instead of merely moving Elliott out of the groove, however, Hamlin slammed into Elliott as they entered Turn 3, causing Elliott to spin into the outside wall.

WATCH: Hamlin takes a bumper to Elliott

Hamlin now had the lead, though he still had to make it through an overtime restart he created by controversially crashing into Elliott. And on the decisive restart Hamlin lost that lead to Busch, who pushed aside his teammate to take the spot on the final lap. Busch then held off a off a charging Truex with the two championship favorites nearly side-by-side coming to the checkered flag as a massive pileup occurred behind them on the frontstretch, ensnaring a multitude of cars and clouding the track in smoke.

More fireworks were to come.

Angered by what he deemed Hamlin’s over-overaggressiveness, the normally mild-mannered Elliott climbed out of his wrecked car to confront Hamlin face-to-face. The now rivals exchanged heated words and Hamlin found himself greeted with a loud chorus of boos as he walked down pit road afterward.

MORE: Chase Elliott holds no grudge against Hamlin

The winner

Lost amid the craziness of the final laps and the theatrics of Elliott vehemently expressing his displeasure with Hamlin, Busch celebrated a win that meant for the third consecutive season he would be competing for the series title at Miami. And by finishing second, Truex virtually assured himself a spot in the Championship 4.

The celebration

via GIPHY

The impact

Although Elliott’s title hopes took a big hit he would get some modicum of revenge on Hamlin two weeks later during the Round of 8 elimination race at ISM Raceway. As he and Hamlin raced side-by-side for position Elliott subtly forced Hamlin up the track and into the frontstretch wall. The incident caused damage to Hamlin’s car, eventually cutting a tire and sending Hamlin crashing. Before the incident Hamlin was well positioned to avoid being eliminated from the postseason. Instead, he finished 35th and was eliminated.

WATCH: Elliott, Hamlin make contact at Phoenix

Harvick, Keselowski and Truex joined Busch in advancing to the Championship 4. Truex would outduel Busch over the closing laps to win his first-ever Cup title.

Posted on October 26, 2018October 26, 2018 by Reid Spencer

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – It was 11:15 on a rainy Friday morning, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series playoff driver Noah Gragson was already on his second hot dog when he took questions from reporters at Martinsville Speedway.

“The first one was mustard and slaw,” Gragson said of the Martinsville dog. “I don’t like chili, but I got chili on the second one, and it’s not bad. It’s got a little beef jerky taste to it, so it’s not bad.”

The hot dogs may be a consistent amenity at the .526-mile short track, but the racing surface at NASCAR’s oldest Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series facility is variable and fickle.

“I feel like this race track itself is different every time you come here,” said Gragson, who is third in the Playoff standings, 11 points ahead of fifth place, with the field set to be narrowed to the top four three races hence at Phoenix. “You can come with the same setup for 10 years and you’re going to run differently every single time. It’s just the way the track takes rubber.

“I feel like the weather and the temperature outside plays a big part in that.”

With persistent rain forcing cancellation of all track activity on Friday, Gragson was resigned to qualifying on Saturday morning with no practice.

“I’m coming back with a different setup than what we had in the springtime here, so not getting any practice, you can’t really lean on past success here,” said Gragson, who picked up his first victory in the series at last year’s Playoff race at Martinsville. “Just been trying to work hard with my crew chief, Rudy Fugle.

“He and I sat down. We had ice cream a couple days ago for about an hour and just talked about this weekend and what we needed to do about this round in the playoffs and then Martinsville and just coming here with a different setup. It’s going to be challenging.”

Posted on October 26, 2018October 26, 2018 by Holly Cain

In a certain sense, Aric Almirola is “playing with house money” as he makes a run at his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship. Although he long has been considered a talent, the 34-year-old Tampa, Florida, native is surpassing even high expectations during these playoffs in his first season with the Stewart-Haas Racing team.

The four-car championship organization is a perennial favorite in the Cup Series and this year makes up half the remaining Round of 8 championship field. And the “new guy” in the SHR group, Almirola, has absolutely seized opportunity and exceeded first-year potential by most accounts. He is not only keeping up with his SHR teammates Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Kurt Busch, he’s the only member of the team to win in the playoffs to date (at Talladega).

Almirola sits in eighth place – only 12 points below the cutline in the standings – as the last championship round begins Sunday with the First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Forget any championship pressure for Almirola. Many already consider him an “overachiever” in a career-best season. His shot at his first title in his first year with the team has been extremely satisfying. He never has advanced this far in the playoffs.

“I do think I am capable of handling the pressure of the championship because I don’t feel like there is a lot of pressure,’’ Almirola said. “I feel like we’ve exceeded our expectations for this year. I don’t think many people expected us to make it as far as we have.

“At this point we have nothing to lose. Going for a championship at Homestead would just be icing on the cake this year.’’

As for the expression that has seemed to follow him this season, “overachiever,” Almirola would agree to a certain extent.

“I feel like our season has been tattooed with adversity,’’ he said. “We’ve been close so many times to winning races but we’ve had a lot of stuff happen to us. What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. For our team, we’ve had a lot of character-building races and I feel like we’re stronger because of it.’’

Even prior to winning at Talladega two weeks ago – his second career victory and first since a win at Daytona in the summer of 2014 – Almirola was making good on this new opportunity driving the No. 10 Ford with SHR.

His three top-five finishes to date equals a career-high mark and his 14 top-10 finishes is double his best previous-best career effort in seven full seasons. He’s led a career-high 181 laps in 2018 – easily surpassing his previous career-best mark of 78 laps led back in his 2012 rookie season.

And there’s still four races remaining in the season to add to those numbers.

While Almirola had obviously hoped to make the playoffs after joining the successful SHR team, he concedes he’s been pleasantly surprised how his team has mastered the learning curve so quickly – new driver and new team led by first-year crew chief Johnny Klausmeier.

“Obviously, we wanted to win, but our goal going into the season was to be consistent and run top-15 and don’t put too much pressure on ourselves, don’t bite off more than we can chew because usually you choke when that happens,’’ Almirola said, “that was kind of our motto, our mentality.

“We did pretty that pretty well.’’

No denying that. And yet for all the personal bests he’s already recorded this year, Almirola sincerely insists the best part is being a part of the success of the whole SHR operation. And he is proud to be a viable contributor to it all.

“To have 400 employees at SHR and to have all of them pulling their weight and pulling the rope in the same direction, it’s hard to get two people on the same page,” Almirola explained. “But to have 400 employees helping each other out and doing whatever it takes for the team, it has been incredible for me to witness that and to be part of that.”

Earning a position in the Cup Series’ Final Four for the Nov. 18 Homestead-Miami Speedway season finale will be challenging, Almirola concedes. He has never won at any of the upcoming three tracks – Martinsville, Texas Motor Speedway or Phoenix’s new-look ISM Raceway – that set the championship-eligible field.

Almirola has three top-10 finishes at this week’s Martinsville half-miler and it’s the only venue he has led laps among the three upcoming tracks. His last top-10 was eighth in 2014 and he was 14th this spring.

Statistically, anyway, the Texas Motor Speedway 1.5-miler has historically posed the biggest challenge of the trio of tracks. He has only one top 10 there – a seventh-place showing in 2013. He was 32nd this spring after being involved in a crash.

The ISM Raceway will debut a completely new look next month so past performance isn’t necessarily indicative of future expectations. However, Almirola has finished top 10 in his last two races there – ninth last November and seventh this March.

“It would be incredible to make the Round of 4,’’ Almirola said. “I think for us, and for me personally, that’s not something I am used to. I know some of the other drivers that I’m racing against expect to be in the Round of 4 and that’s pretty common for them. But for me, that’s unchartered territory, and that’s an opportunity for me and my career that I’ve never had before.

“So if we’re at Homestead with a shot to go for the championship that would certainly be the pinnacle of my career and then to top it off with that trophy would be awesome.’’

Posted on October 26, 2018 by Eric Johnson

Fourteen years removed from winning NASCAR’s premier series championship in 2004, veteran Kurt Busch now finds himself slotted among the top eight drivers poised to make a run at the most prestigious title in racing — the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup. Currently in Charlotte, North Carolina, and about to begin packing for the short jaunt to Martinsville for this weekend’s First Data 500 at the .526-mile fabled paperclip, Busch was in great spirits — and appeared understated and quietly confident about what lay ahead before the sun goes down over Homestead-Miami Speedway on the 2018 season late in November.

There are now only eight drivers left in the run for the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title. All things considered, how do you and the entire No. 41 team feel about what’s in front of you?

Right now, everybody on the 41 car has got it positioned as strong as possible. Now we have the four most important races of the year — Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix, all leading up to Homestead.

You’re closing in on the conclusion of your 18th season as a driver at the Cup level. What do you think when the topic of Homestead-Miami comes up?

I think championship weekend. This is what it’s all about. This is the who’s who of the elite eight, so to speak, of NASCAR. To make this grouping is really the common denominator goal at Stewart-Haas Racing. The goal is to have all of cars in the (Round of 8) and to be competitive and to win this championship. This is a good stamp on the season and it’s a goal achieved. Now it’s time to do our job.

Our job is to execute on this short track at Martinsville, the fast mile-and-a-half track at Texas and the finesse 1-mile oval of Phoenix.

Those eight spots were not easy to come by either, were they?

They started this format in 2014 and I’ve been in the (final) eight three out of the five years and have yet to make the (Championship 4). It’s a matter of making it to the final (race) — yet when you get there, it’s still a matter of winning the championship. It’s hard to say, “We’re done and it’s easy now and we’re playing on house money.” No, hell no, it’s all about the championship. That’s what we are here for. All along I felt like the best road to get us here four our championship was to build consistency.

RELATED: Pics from every Kurt win

You’ve won at Martinsville before. The paperclip has been pretty good to you in years past, huh?

It has been hot and cold. When we hit it right, we run strong all day. When we aren’t right, then we are cold.

How about Texas Motor Speedway down in Fort Worth?

Texas is our bread and butter. We go there to count on top 10s and top fives and a chance to win.

How about ISM Raceway over in Phoenix?

My confidence level is high with Phoenix. Results have been good over the years. If it’s going to be a must-win, I like Phoenix.

Going back to right after the summer race at Daytona, you and the No. 41 team went on something of a run in reeling off eight straight top-10 finishes. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say you probably know exactly where you need to be during this final phase of the season.

Yeah, I’m glad you’ve researched it and looked at it that way. My job is to be consistent and steady every week I race. When you have a blip in the stack, it’s almost like motocross or supercross or even MotoGP when you fall off your bike. You’re like, “Oh man, an 18th has been what’s recorded, but maybe that guy had a spill when he was running strong.”

That’s the way I have looked at the second half of our year. You hit the nail on the head. The second half of the season has been money and we’ve been strong everywhere. We sat on the pole at Loudon and we led the most laps at the Loudon race, and that was definitely the kickoff for the second half of the year for us.

MORE: Kurt Busch through the years

You strike me as being quietly confident right now. I don’t know if you’ll admit that, but I thought I’d throw it out there. Thoughts?

I agree with you. There is no reason to not think that we cannot win this. I mean there have been years where I’ve been overly confident, which I learned quickly the media will write that as cocky. I would say, yes, quietly confident is definitely the best way to describe this group.

Anybody you’re surprised didn’t make it into the Round of 8? There are certainly some title contenders now on the outside looking in.

There are a couple surprises. For sure Jimmie Johnson, and my second surprise is Ryan Blaney. I am not surprised at all by Chase Elliott and that lone Chevrolet program running good. You would have thought one of them would have hit it right. Chase has been really strong in the second half of the season.

What’s up with Kurt Busch and the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup season? Too early to tell?

I wish I had all the answers. I’m very confident in the direction I’m going. I love the way that Monster Energy has supported me over the years. They’ve told me that they’re with me and we’re going to be in a competitive top-tier team. It’s just a matter of making everybody happy, and there are a lot of factors that have to go into it all. … That’s where I’m at with all this. I love the way that our fans at NASCAR races come up to me and I love the way they appreciate the Monster Energy brand.

Posted on October 26, 2018 by Jordan Bianchi

Today, we look back at Jimmie Johnson’s 2016 win, which would be the final of his career.

Previous: Dale Jr. in 2014 | Jeff Gordon in 2015

The scene

Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. had been eliminated the previous round, which left Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano as the eight drivers remaining in the playoffs as the series rolled into Martinsville Speedway. Four of those drivers would earn a shot to be one of the Championship 4 participants at Homestead-Miami Speedway over the next three races.

Johnson tying the record mark of seven championships shared by Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty didn’t feel like a realistic possibility for much of the 2016 season. Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus and the No. 48 team weren’t operating at their usual high level, while Hendrick Motorsports was experiencing an organization-wide slump.

Yet similar to previous championship-winning years, Johnson and Knaus seemingly flipped a switch to elevate their performance when the playoffs began. In the Round of 12, Johnson won at Charlotte Motor Speedway, automatically transferring himself to the Round of 8.

Even then, however, Johnson winning a seventh title was still considered unlikely as the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas continued to set the pace most weeks. JGR’s lineup of Kyle Busch, Edwards, Hamlin and Kenseth each earned a spot in the Round of 8, the first time a single team had that many drivers advance that deep in the postseason. It wasn’t farfetched to think at least one of them would make it to Homestead with a chance to win the championship, if not more.

Chris Trotman | Getty Images

The action

Although Martinsville is one of Johnson’s absolute best tracks, for much of the afternoon another victory didn’t appear in the cards. Truex and Kenseth each dominated at various points — Truex led 147 laps and Kenseth led a race-high 176 laps while Busch and Hamlin ran near the front throughout.

As for Johnson, he had a good car but seemingly not a car capable of winning. And his bid for victory took a big hit when he made contact with Hamlin and Aric Almirola in separate incidents before the halfway point of the race, necessitating he spend additional time on pit road for repairs, costing him valuable track position.

Gradually, however, Johnson moved his way forward, recouping the spots he had lost. And as his driver did his job, Knaus did his to improve the handling of the No. 48 Chevrolet and provide Johnson a car he could contend with.

RELATED: All of Jimmie’s wins

The winner

Johnson passed Hamlin for the lead with 92 laps remaining, and it was a lead he wouldn’t relinquish. The win was Johnson’s 79th of his career and ninth at Martinsville, trailing only Petty (15) and Darrell Waltrip (nine) for the most all-time at the historic Virginia track.

The celebration

The impact

The victory locked Johnson into the championship, the first time he would go into the season finale with shot at the series crown since winning his sixth title in 2013. His win also had ramifications beyond his own team, as both Busch and Kenseth expressed frustration that Hamlin had held them up in the closing laps preventing either from charging after Johnson. Gone now was the prospect of JGR sweeping all four spots in the Championship 4.

Posted on October 26, 2018October 26, 2018 by Staff Report

The season is coming down to the wire for the eight remaining drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. For two drivers eliminated from the postseason picture, it’s also crunch time for preserving two important personal streaks.

Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin each hold impressive strings of consecutive seasons with at least one victory. Johnson’s streak stands at 16 straight seasons; Hamlin’s sits at 12 straight. But both drivers are staring at perilous zeros in their respective win columns with four races remaining in the 2018 campaign.

MORE: Current winning streaks

The good news for both veterans is that this weekend’s Monster Energy Series event is held at Martinsville Speedway, perennially a source of strength for both drivers. Johnson is a nine-time winner at the historic .526-mile track, while Hamlin has scored five career victories there.

But in Sunday’s First Data 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), only one driver can win, and the competition will be stiff with eight postseason drivers at peak preparation. With the Round of 8 about to start, NASCAR.com’s Zack Albert and George Winkler debate the merits of Hamlin and Johnson and their hopes for keeping their streaks intact.

ZA: Most every week on the circuit, speed holds the key to success. This week at Martinsville, add rhythm to the equation. Among current drivers, Jimmie Johnson is among the best at keeping time on the finicky, tight layout tucked into the Virginia hills.

Johnson’s stats rank among the all-time best for any driver at one particular venue. And while the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team has struggled to find speed at times in a rocky 2018 road, Johnson has shown steady results on short tracks with four straight top 10s at circuits shorter than a mile.

That road leads back to Martinsville, traditionally a safe haven for Johnson, who boasts an impressive 7.9 career average finish in 33 starts. His remarkable Martinsville consistency, combined with his ability to close the deal when grandfather clocks are in the balance, make him a pre-race favorite to play postseason spoiler again come Sunday.

RELATED: Full schedule for Martinsville

GW: Johnson has an edge, for sure, when it comes to history at Martinsville, but Hamlin is a close second in several statistical categories at the Paperclip, including driver rating, laps led and average finish. Perhaps more importantly Hamlin has been arguably the better overall driver recently, compiling more top-five finishes, top 10s, stage points and stage wins in 2018.

What Hamlin needs to do is just finish a race strong. He has been close to breaking through for a win on a couple of occasions, including in the spring Martinsville race when he led 111 laps only to have a run-in with Kevin Harvick doom him to a 12th-place finish.

Hamlin also came close at Indianapolis when he lost the lead to Brad Keselowski with two laps to go. These disappointments have left a bitter taste for the No. 11 team and they will be highly motivated to end the season on a high note. Plus, it would be sweet redemption for Hamlin to get a win on his home track where he was booed last year after pushing Chase Elliott out of the way late in the race.

REWATCH: Chase, Denny exchange words