It's a crucial day in the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday with this afternoon's race at Martinsville Speedway set to lock in this year's Championship 4.
Joe Gibbs Racing duo Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe are already advanced following their wins at Las Vegas and Talladega this month, with two further spots up for grabs ahead of next weekend's championship race at Phoenix.
Heading to Martinsville, Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson occupy those places, 37 and 36 points above the cutoff line and in a fairly comfortable position in that regard.
Given the points deficit those under the cutoff line are facing with just one race remaining in the round, William Byron, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, and Chase Elliott all need a win if they are to contend for the title.
A win for any of those names would be bad news for Bell and Larson, however, as it would leave the No. 20 and No. 5 teams fighting it out for the final spot up for grabs on points.
NASCAR Cup Series standings ahead of Martinsville
With all of that said, let's take a look at the full Cup Series playoffs standings ahead of Sunday's action.
| Pos | Driver (Car #) | Team | +/- to Cut Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chase Briscoe (#19) | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | Advanced (Talladega win) |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin (#11) | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | Advanced (Las Vegas win) |
| 3 | Christopher Bell (#20) | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | +37 |
| 4 | Kyle Larson (#5) | Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet | +36 |
| Championship 4 Cutoff Line | |||
| 5 | William Byron (#24) | Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet | −36 |
| 6 | Joey Logano (#22) | Team Penske Ford | −38 |
| 7 | Ryan Blaney (#12) | Team Penske Ford | −47 |
| 8 | Chase Elliott (#9) | Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet | −62 |
