NAS $111K Martinsville Drive [$25K to 1st] (Cup)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nFantasy NASCAR Driver Rankings: Xfinity 500<\/p>\n
1. Ryan Blaney ($11,200)<\/strong> \u2014 Virginia is for lovers, and like most Cup Series drivers, Blaney loves the legendary short track in Southside Virginia. Martinsville was one of the first Cup Series tracks to click for him. He needs a big day to qualify for the Championship 4.<\/p>\n2. Kyle Larson ($10,500)<\/strong> \u2014 No one owns Martinsville. Many have legitimate claims, but every race at The Paperclip seems to bring a new winner. Larson doesn\u2019t own the short, flat track, but he loves it. He\u2019s finished sixth or better in the last six races with an average finish of third.<\/p>\n3. Christopher Bell ($10,700)<\/strong> \u2014 Two of the JGR Toyotas have already qualified and are focused on Phoenix. Bell isn\u2019t locked in yet, but he\u2019s 37 points to the good. He\u2019ll get all the resources he needs at Martinsville. The concern is that with two good stages, he could safely cruise to the finish \u2014 and finish with few fantasy points.<\/p>\n4. William Byron ($9,700)<\/strong> \u2014 Everything has gone wrong for Byron in the Round of 8. The regular-season champ is on the outside looking in, but it\u2019s not over. Martinsville has been a great track for Hendrick Motorsports, and Byron has won two Gen-7 races there.<\/p>\n5. Chase Elliott ($10,000)<\/strong> \u2014 Hendrick is always strong at Martinsville. Teamwork makes the dream work \u2014 except in the penultimate race of the season. It\u2019s do-or-die for the three remaining Hendrick drivers. All are going all-out. This might as well be the championship.<\/p>\n6. Joey Logano ($10,200)<\/strong> \u2014 Never count him out. He\u2019s down, but not done. Logano is 38 points in the hole, meaning his only real shot at advancing is by winning. Like Byron, Blaney and Elliott, he\u2019s going for broke. There\u2019s major upside for each of these drivers.<\/p>\n7. Denny Hamlin ($11,000)<\/strong> \u2014 The Virginian doesn\u2019t need to win. Hamlin could DNF, run a lap, and pack up for Phoenix. This is one of his best tracks, and he won the spring race. But he and his team likely have their eyes on the bigger prize \u2014 winning his first Cup Series Championship.<\/p>\n8. Ryan Preece ($7,000)<\/strong> \u2014 The savings are significant, but the safety matters. Preece has earned a top 20 finish in each of his five Cup Series races at Martinsville. A modified driver by trade, he has plenty of experience on short, flat tracks.<\/p>\n9. Todd Gilliland ($6,400)<\/strong> \u2014 Martinsville is memorable for Gilly. He earned his first Truck Series win here with KBM, then mouthed off about his boss \u2014 and Kyle Busch showed him the door. Since then, Gilly has earned four top 15 finishes in the last six Martinsville races, including two top 10s.<\/p>\n10. Bubba Wallace ($8,000)<\/strong> \u2014 This race is about playoff contenders fighting for the final championship spots. Most drivers will be deferential. Bubba will not be. He\u2019s finished 11th or better in five of the last six, including two top fives in the last three.<\/p>\n11. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ($5,400)<\/strong> \u2014 Martinsville is a sneaky Stenhouse track. After a decade in the Cup Series, he hasn\u2019t figured it out, but he\u2019s improved. His top 20 consistency is solid given the inferior equipment he\u2019s driven.<\/p>\n12. Chase Briscoe ($9,200)<\/strong> \u2014 Martinsville has been a great track for the No. 14 team. Briscoe has been strong here in an underpowered Gen-7 car that requires shifting, which suits his skill set. However, his focus may already be on Phoenix and chasing his first NASCAR title.<\/p>\n13. Zane Smith ($5,600)<\/strong> \u2014 The elite drivers will battle for the final two championship spots, and they\u2019ll lead laps \u2014 but they\u2019re expensive. Value is necessary. Smith finished 16th in the spring, and Front Row Motorsports has been dependable at Martinsville.<\/p>\n14. Erik Jones ($5,800)<\/strong> \u2014 If value is needed to jam in elite dominators, what\u2019s the right strategy? Chase place differential or settle for a solid top 20 finisher? Jones fits the latter.<\/p>\n15. Shane van Gisbergen ($5,600)<\/strong> \u2014 The future of Trackhouse Racing hinges on SVG\u2019s development. Daniel Suarez is leaving, and Ross Chastain will likely never be a championship contender. With more road courses on the schedule, if SVG can improve on ovals, he could become one.<\/p>\n