NASCAR insider reacts to recent Hendrick Motorsports misfortune heading into Martinsville

Hendrick Motorsports entered the Round of 8 in phenomenal shape, but the past two weekends have them in a precarious position heading into the penultimate race of the 2024 campaign.

Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and William Byron hoped to make history by bringing three Hendrick Chevrolets to Phoenix to race for the championship, but victories from Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick, coupled with some tough luck for the trio of teammates has them on the outskirts at the moment.

Christopher Bell will likely point his way into the Championship 4, which leaves one spot for three Hendrick drivers, with Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin also making a beeline for the finale. During the latest episode of The Teardown, NASCAR insiders Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi put it all in perspective for Hendrick, regarding how it all changed in quick fashion for the organization.

“What a tough few weeks for Hendrick,” Bianchi stated. “They leave the Roval — the race ends at the Roval, they’ve got four cars, they think, in the semifinal round. Rick’s talking about like, ‘Hey, I’ve never had three cars in the Championship Four before. We’ve got a good chance.’ No organization, really consistently, has been as dominant this year as they’ve been great. They’re riding high. Then, Bowman gets thrown out. Okay, you’re down to three.

“Now, you look at the situation, we’ve got Reddick and Logano locked in. We’re going to pencil in Bell, so that’s three. That means two of Hendrick’s drivers, two of Hendrick’s three drivers, are out. Possibly, maybe even all three. Man, that’s a tough swing in a few weeks for that organization.”

Alas, it seems like the misfortune began when Alex Bowman was disqualified following the Charlotte Roval, and it’s all gone downhill since then for the team. Elliott was been involved in an accident that put him in a must-win situation at Homestead-Miami and Martinsville, and while Larson and Byron have been solid, they simply may be too far removed to make it on point to Phoenix.

Hendrick Motorsports has had a tremendous 2024 campaign, but if they’re unable to send a driver to the Championship 4, it would be an unmitigated disaster for one of NASCAR’s top teams. The organization has a myriad of wins throughout the season, but losing out on a chance to race for the championship certainly would be demoralizing.