nascar martinsville playoffs blaney bell byron (AP) — Ryan Blaney earned a chance to defend his NASCAR championship with a victory Sunday at Martinsville Speedway that pushed the Team Penske driver into the winner-take-all season finale. The ending of the race was marred by a lengthy NASCAR review in which scoring officials had to determine if Christopher Bell had violated a safety rule in his last-lap pass of William Byron. Bell hit the wall and rode a portion of it for momentum — the same thing Ross Chastain did two years ago in a move that has since been banned.
Bell's pass of Byron left the two tied in points for the final spot in next week's title-decider at Phoenix Raceway. After an awkwardly long delay, Bell's move was deemed illegal and Byron was given the final spot. “I understand that the rule is made to prevent people from riding the wall, but my move was completely different from what Ross did,” said Bell, who was denied a third consecutive trip to the championship race.
The ruling saved the playoffs for Hendrick Motorsports, which put three drivers in the round of eight vying for four spots in the championship. Had NASCAR not ruled Bell's move illegal, not a single Hendrick car would be racing for the Cup Series title. Blaney, meanwhile, passed Chase Elliott with 15 laps to go to win at the Virginia track for a second consecutive year and take a spot in the championship race next week at Phoenix Raceway.
Blaney will race Penske teammate Joey Logano, Tyler.