2022 NASCAR Cup Series Race Thirty-Five Martinsville

Congrats to Ricky Stenhouse Jr (47) on his marriage to Madison on Wednesday. Kyle Larson (5) and Chase Elliott (9) will lead the 36 car field to the green flag under cloudy skies. The stages for today’s event are 130-130-240 laps. Today’s race will determine the two drivers whom will join Joey Logano (22) and Chase Elliott (9) in the race for the championship next week in Phoenix.

MRN’s Alex Hayden called the weather chilly. Checking the weather. It’s cloudy and 59 degrees with a 2 mph breeze. Definitely too chilly for me to consider sitting in grandstands.

The bumper-cam shots are underway on lap 2 of 500. If you’re that bored already, you really need a different job. NASCAR director is not for you.

Larson gets the early lead.

On lap 27 of 500 MRN’s Rusty Wallace mentioned he wasn’t seeing any passing though the car was changed to allow for passing. He said he they were logging laps to get to the end of the first stage.

Yep it’s boring.

‘Desperate’ Denny Hamlin (11) wins stage one.

Yawn.

Restarting on lap 139 of 500. Hamlin and Chase Elliott up front. Hamlin felt the need to play restart games waiting until the green flag to actually begin racing. He constantly earns the nickname ‘Desperate’.

On lap 187 of 500 Tyler Reddick (8) took his car to the garage and is going to the infield care center. He said he didn’t feel well and brought the car in. Richard ‘RC’ Childress was the first person to the car. RC asked Tyler a question. Tyler answered. RC gave him a hug and patted him on the back. Tyler then got onto the medical liaison golf cart.

BJ McLeod (78) came into the pits on fire on lap 231 of 500. He safely exited the car.

MRN’s Steve ‘Postman/Postie’ Post says if you get behind there’s no making it up on the track. So no passing and no catching a car leading? That doesn’t sound like a race to me. NBC’s coverage has been awful as usual, if not a little more so. There’s a commercial split-screen on and they have a windshield shot so mostly what’s seen is the track surface and the outside wall surface. There appears to be a car in the distance. Nothing that would encourage someone flipping channels to stop.

Hamlin easily wins stage two 6.776 seconds ahead of second place. Total snoozer of a parade. I wonder when they’ll bother to start racing.

MRN and TV report that Tyler Reddick (8) was evaluated and released from the infield care center and requested no interviews.

Restarting on lap 271 of 500 with Hamlin (11) and Kyle Larson (5) on the front row.

Caution on lap 272 of 500 as Brad ‘It’ Keselowski (6) got Ross Chastain’d (1) and went for a spin.

I imagine if you’re a former race car driver, like Jeff Burton and Dale Earnhardt Jr, it gives you a thrill to see the view from inside the car looking out through the windshield. For the race fan at home it gives us nothing to see if we’re actually interested in watching the race.

Joey Logano (22) came in on lap 275 of 500 to extinguish a fire under the front of his car.

Restarting on lap 280 of 250 with Denny Hamlin (11) and Chase Elliott (9) on the front row. Hamlin is still playing restart games. What a loser. He consistently does not demonstrate the skills nor heart of a champion. He seems to think he should get it through seniority. I hope he doesn’t get to back into a championship like Keslowski did.

Caution on lap 320 of 500 for Austin ‘Frankenstein’ Dillon (3) tagging the wall. It’s not a great race day for RC. Dillon seemed to hit the wall at full speed with the right side of the car. Clearly something on the car was broken judging by the speed with which he slammed the wall.

Christopher ‘CBell’ Bell (20) wins the race off pit road.

Restarting on lap 329 of 500 with CBell and Ryan Blaney (12) leading the field to the flag.

The replay shows Hamlin clearly crossed the commitment line into the pits while pit road was closed for the caution, but NASCAR ruled that he had not exceeded it. I guess it’s good to be the squeaky wheel in NASCAR sometimes.

Dillon said the pedal went to the floor. He said he thinks they broke a right front brake rotor. He said didn’t want to back it in so he turned right and that sped him up.

Bell gets the early lead.

MRN’s Kim Coon – yay, she’s back on the radio from her stint on MRN – reported all of the team radios she heard were telling their drivers to save fuel, but she said no one was making plans for a green flag pit stop. I’m kind of relieved the Kim is back on the radio on and off tv. That didn’t really suit her in my opinion. She’s better than pretty much everybody else on tv, so her talent was a bit wasted. That said, I’d rather not see her tarted up for television. If the folks on the broadcasts all wore fire-suits on pit road and network polo shirts with khakis or jeans.

Caution on lap 392 of 500 for a spin by J.J. Yeley (15). Seems like he’s having the same day as yesterday. He spun in the Xfinity series race. I’m not sure he didn’t just fall asleep in this event though. Corey LaJoie (7) gave Yeley a bump sending him around.

Restarting on lap 403 of 500 with Christopher ‘CBell’ Bell (20) and Ryan Blaney (12) on the front row followed by Hendrick teammates Chase Elliott (9) and Kyle Larson (5).

‘CBell’ gets the early lead.

Caution on lap 466 of 500 for Landon Cassill (77) who lost a right front tire and hit the wall. There’s a fire visible on the right front tire well between the fender and the SAFER barrier/outside wall.

Restarting on lap 476 of 500 with Stewart Haas Racing teammates Chase Briscoe (14) and Cole Custer (41) up front. They stayed out. Larson took 2 tires and lines up behind them.

Briscoe gets the early lead.

Custer lost the appeal for manipulating the finish of a race.

Hamlin (11) and Chastain (1) are battling or position on lap 480 of 500 banging into each other. Hamlin has to finish 4 spots ahead of Chastain to get into the final four.

The race is again unwatchable on television with a windshield shot and tight shots on cars. MRN will have to provide the visuals by ear so I can follow the race.

Tv has an idiotic 3-screen-split-screen shot that only makes sense if you know why they’re showing what they’re showing. Without MRN I would have no idea why they’re showing those shots.

‘CBell’ (20) takes the lead from Briscoe (14) on lap 495 of 500.

‘CBell’ takes the white flag.

Christopher ‘CBell’ Bell (20) wins!

Ross Chastain (1) passes ‘Desperate’ Denny Hamlin (11) to get into the playoffs using a video game move running it full speed into the wall and then continuing around on the wall at full speed to pass Hamlin by, according to MRN, approximately four feet.

CBell is emotional when he gets out of the car, very happy. He said, first, “Mom Dad We did it!”

The championship four are:

- - Christopher Bell
  - Chase Elliott
  - Ross Chastain
  - Joey Logano

MRN says Winston Kelley of the NASCAR Hall of Fame said, “I want that car and I want it now!” talking about Ross Chastain’s (1) car.

The crowd is booing Virginia native Denny as he’s introduced for his television interview. Hamlin is blaming his finish on the team not executing on pit road. He said the car was really fast. He congratulates teammate Christopher Bell. He is avoiding congratulating Ross Chastain. When asked directly about Ross’ move he said, “It was a great move, brilliant. When that is the only choice you have; it is easy to do that. Brilliant. Well executed.” with a pretty sour look on his face

Hamlin on MRN, “We had control of the race and just lost some spots every time we came down.”

MRN says the last lap for Ross Chastain was the fastest lap ever run by a NASCAR car in the history of Martinsville speedway.

Chase Elliott (9) says he feels bad about not winning the owners championship. He said he’s bummed about not getting the boss a second car in.

That was a totally boring event with a really exciting finish. Overall I didn’t like the race because they didn’t do anything for 475 laps. For 475 laps there was little intensity, no excitement, no competition, and it was not memorable. The last five laps displayed intensity, excitement, and had a couple of memorable moments. The competition level was still lite though due to the lack of passing and very limited door-to-door racing in the event overall.

Motorsport News:

2022 NASCAR Cup Series Race Thirty-Five Martinsville

Next Race: Phoenix

GO 48 & 9!!!!