Ryan Blaney moves into championship finale with dramatic Martinsville win

Ryan Blaney secured his spot in the NASCAR championship finale with a victory at Martinsville Speedway. He will defend his title against Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, and William Byron.

Christopher Bell’s last-lap pass was deemed illegal due to riding the wall for momentum, handing Byron the final spot. Bell argued his move differed from Ross Chastain’s infamous “Hail Melon” in 2022, now banned.

Blaney’s win marked Team Penske’s 100th with Ford.Logano seeks his third title; Blaney and Reddick aim for their second and first, respectively.

Byron returns to the championship race for the second consecutive year, with the finale featuring two Ford drivers (Blaney and Logano), one Toyota (Reddick), and one Chevrolet (Byron).

The championship finale takes place next Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, where the highest-finishing driver among the four contenders will claim the title.