The 2023 season is still not over, with just two races left and two Championship 4 spots up for grabs. Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell already bagged a spot for Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing, respectively. Now the big question is, who will join them in the Championship 4? HMS will be hoping that William Byron will occupy the third slot and save their season. This campaign has been a terrible one for the team because they are merely at half-strength.

Earlier this year, Hendrick Motorsports‘ relaxed policy on off-track activities came back to bite them. As it happened, Chase Elliott injured himself in a snowboarding accident and it put him out of action for a while. Barely two races after he came back, teammate Alex Bowman injured himself in a dirt track racing accident. The drama wasn’t over though, as Elliott picked up a one-race suspension for intentionally wrecking Denny Hamlin. Naturally, this gave Rick Hendrick a lot of headaches, and the other two drivers were forced to pick up the slack.

What were the consequences of Elliott’s and Bowman’s folly?

On the face of it, Elliott and Bowman did not suffer too badly. Missing 6 races would have been very irritating, but with the way that Larson and Byron were going, Elliott could have made up for it. The same applies for Bowman, despite missing three straight races. But the duo did not capitalize on the remaining races. A win could have easily guaranteed them a spot in the Playoffs, but they squandered it royally.

As a result, the #9 and #48 drivers are left watching enviously as their teammates battle for the title. Larson locked his berth in the Championship 4 finale at Vegas. In the following race, Christopher Bell came from almost nowhere to nab that second berth. Now, the NASCAR Cup Series drivers head to the Martinsville Speedway for the final race in the Round of 8. This is William Byron’s last chance to seal his place in the finale with either a win or accruing enough points. If he does make it, it will increase Hendrick Motorsports’ title hopes by 50%.

Who Are the Favorites to Join Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell in the Championship 4?

Can William Byron make it into the season finale?

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Byron has a very good chance because he won the spring race at Martinsville last year. Additionally, he has notched up six wins this season more than anyone, and will be gunning for his next. Among those six race wins, it is interesting to note that none of them have come at short tracks this year. In fact, during his last visit to Martinsville during playoffs, Byron could only muster a lowly 23rd place. However, he has shown that he is capable of winning at short tracks in the past. Still, he will be wary of stern competition from his rivals, particularly the other five Playoff contenders.

There is still a chance for him to get over his short-track issues. On the bright side, since he has been in such good form, it is hard to rule him out of contention. Even if he doesn’t win, he will be hoping that Larson takes one for the team and he accrues enough points. Or on the other end of the spectrum, either Chase Elliott or Alex Bowman finally gets that elusive first win of the season. Nevertheless, the #24 driver is certainly capable of gunning for a race win and guaranteeing his qualification.

Until then, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman will look ahead to 2024

Since they no longer have any stakes in the 2023 championship, their focus will shift to 2024. This will be a chance for redemption for both drivers to make up for their disappointing campaigns. For Elliott in particular, it was very humiliating because he is the 2020 Cup Series champion and was expected to lead from the front. Since that has not happened, the two drivers will be hoping to see out the last two races of the campaign.

Their roles are pretty clear at this stage, help Kyle Larson and William Byron to a Cup Series title and bring the trophy back to HMS. However, when the 2024 season kicks off next year, it will be back to square one and they will want to start the year with a bang. In case Rick Hendrick continues his relaxed stance on extracurriculars, Elliott and Bowman will be a lot more careful. The same will most likely apply to Kyle Larson, as he will also try to be careful. Though it may do little to stop him from trying his best to win on the dirt racing scene, after all, the ‘wheelman’ has a reputation to uphold.

Will Rick Hendrick continue to be lenient?

The big question is, will Rick Hendrick continue allowing him and his drivers to keep up their non-NASCAR activities? Larson has already proven that juggling NASCAR and another racing series can be done. The best part is that not only is he keeping himself injury-free, but is also thriving away from stock car racing. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for Byron. However, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman have taken pages out of Larson’s book, though they did pay the price.

Their injuries proved that there is a fine line between jeopardizing your season and not having it affected. It certainly gave Rick Hendrick a lot to think about and consider whether he should put his foot down. After all, since Elliott and Bowman get injured, will Mr. H be willing to see the same thing happen to Byron and Larson? This is a very slippery slope because no team owner wants to see their star driver get injured.

Back in 2020, the Scuderia Ferrari F1 team had stern words for Charles Leclerc. This was because he had gone skydiving without getting the team’s permission. As it happens, Formula One drivers have clauses in their contracts that limit them from activities that could potentially result in injury. So the question is, will there come a stage where Hendrick Motorsports start cracking down on such activities?

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