For just a few hours Sunday evening after the Charlotte Roval race final month, Hendrick Motorsports thought it had all 4 groups into the Spherical of 8. A disqualification for Alex Bowman’s No. 48 when the automotive was too mild in post-race inspection ruined that fairytale. Flashforward three weeks later, the group faces the very actual risk of getting one or none of its drivers advance into the championship spherical.
That’s not precisely how they deliberate their fortieth anniversary season.
“It’s numerous stress making an attempt to get two [drivers] on this week and that’s going to be onerous to do,” Rudy Fugle mentioned. “But when we are able to work out how you can sit on the pole and lead each lap for some time and get numerous factors, then possibly we are able to put that stress on the [No.] 20 and we are able to transfer two automobiles in.
“However in actuality, we are able to solely deal with us, and our objective is to steer each lap and be upfront. Hopefully that can care for itself.”
Fugle and his driver, William Byron, are the one ones from Hendrick Motorsports sitting in a switch spot going into Sunday’s race. It’s a slim seven-point margin and the primary driver beneath the cutline chasing Byron’s No. 24 is teammate Kyle Larson.
The ultimate two spots within the championship race might be decided Sunday afternoon within the Xfinity 500. Christopher Bell, who sits forward of Byron, has a manageable 29-point benefit on the cutline. A robust two levels for Bell’s workforce in factors earned might change the narrative of the race’s closing run to 5 drivers going for one spot.
“After all, there may be [pressure to advance a Hendrick car],” Cliff Daniels, of Larson’s workforce, mentioned. “It’s onerous to tangibly state what that’s or what which means for the stress that you simply speak about, however in fact. Mr. and Mrs. Hendrick began the playoffs with all 4 automobiles in and numerous large race wins this season, and an epic win by Bowman and his workforce at Chicago to lock their approach in from what had been some ups and downs for them.
“With all these issues coming into play, the place now you’re wanting on the potential for the three automobiles which are eligible to not make it in, yeah, that’s an enormous deal. It’s an enormous factor that we spotlight and are including stress to ourselves on high of what it already is. It’s onerous to quantify or put a quantity on what which means. We really feel it, we all know it, and we wish to go get it, and that’s the way in which we’re all working.”
Alan Gustafson, from Chase Elliott’s No. 9 workforce, is just not overthinking what’s at stake. There may be already the pure stress tied to making an attempt to advance into the championship race, and Gustafson doesn’t see Sunday as any totally different.
“I’ve the identical motivation,” he mentioned. “It’s important that it’s the fortieth yr and also you wish to have fun that, and I definitely need it to be a storybook yr for Rick and Linda [Hendrick] and all people that works for the corporate. For me personally, I really feel yearly you’re up in opposition to it regardless. You wish to get to the ultimate 4 and win a championship.
“My perspective is fairly related. Is there most likely somewhat motivation there? Yeah, however I wish to do this for all of the events concerned yearly and whatever the scenario. … You’re all the time striving to be the most effective.”
Elliott is final on the playoff grid in a 43-point gap. He has approached all three races within the spherical as a must-win.
At Martinsville, Elliott was the highest-qualifying Hendrick driver, incomes a front-row beginning spot. Byron certified third and Larson certified ninth.
