Martinsville Speedway is ready to stage the penultimate race of the season, where six drivers will fight tooth and nail for the final two Championship 4 spots. Last year, only William Byron carried the Hendrick Motorsports flag into the finale, while teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott fell short.
Advertisement
This time, Elliott sits at the bottom of the standings, Byron clings to fifth just below the cutline, and Larson holds a precarious grip just above it. Yet, as Hendrick’s Vice President of Competition, Chad Knaus, pointed out, other than competing among themselves and the rest of the three drivers, another challenge at Martinsville might come from Mother Nature.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in Martinsville on Sunday are expected to range from 58°F at 1 p.m. to 65°F by mid-afternoon, then dip back to 60°F by evening.
Rain chances hover between 9% and 17%, and the conditions could amplify another change, Goodyear’s introduction of a new, softer left-side tire compound designed to increase wear and tire fall-off at the half-mile Virginia short track.
The compound, tested at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July, is expected to degrade faster, creating more strategic variability. Goodyear will pair it with the right-side tire previously used at Martinsville in March and again at New Hampshire’s playoff race in September.
Only two of the remaining playoff teams, Christopher Bell and Joey Logano, participated in the New Hampshire tire test, giving them a small leg up in understanding the setup ahead of this weekend’s showdown. Knaus acknowledged the unknowns.
“Goodyear does a great job of bringing us good tires to all the racetracks that we go to, but they do tend to change with different climates, and the likelihood of it laying and stacking a lot of rubber is pretty low. We did see it smear in the spring, and we saw it blacken up, but one thing that’s really interesting is when it gets cold like this, you pick it up really quickly.”
He noted that whatever rubber builds up could vanish just as fast. “So, that’s going to create some new and different challenges. And when it does do that, it does typically migrate to sticking around the bottom, the low groove more than people being able to move up and getting big diamonds and things of that nature,” he continued.
According to him, success this weekend will hinge on adaptability, and a driver who can recognize and adapt to a changing track, when that little bit of rubber gets laid down, and cross over to get a good drive off it.
Knaus concluded that Martinsville remains a beast of its own. Ever since the track’s concrete corners were laid, it’s evolved into one of the toughest circuits on the calendar. And while the weather and tire wear may add fuel to the fire, he’s certain that this race won’t lack drama.
HMS crew chiefs might work together at Martinsville
The four Hendrick crew chiefs are expected to work as one unit while guiding their drivers through individual battles. Knaus emphasized that each brings a unique flavor to the mix. Cliff Daniels, Alan Gustafson, Rudy Fugle, and Blake Harris approach their crafts differently, and that blend, he believes, is HMS’s secret weapon.
Knaus explained how Blake’s a big car guy, an ex–car chief. Cliff, obviously a former engineer, takes a different approach to his team. But they all bring something valuable to the table. They’re willing to share best practices, to lean on the data and each other when needed.
He noted that having four sharp minds willing to set ego aside and collaborate is rare in this sport. And when a team has a group of highly talented crew chiefs like what HMS has, and they’re able to concede from what they think to what the data or track trends show.
Knaus further credited the team’s chemistry and mutual respect across the board. The drivers’ trust in all four crew chiefs, he said, makes teamwork smoother and ensures that Hendrick Motorsports continues to work to the best of its ability. It now remains to be seen if all that can translate onto the racetrack come Sunday.
