Leading 236 laps, including the final 41, Chase Elliott punched his ticket to race for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series title next weekend at Phoenix by virtue of his win in the Xfinity 500 on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.
Ryan Blaney finished second ahead of Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch. By virtue of finishing 11th, Denny Hamlin will join Keselowski, Elliott and Logano in the Championship 4.
Failing to advance were Kurt Busch, Alex Bowman, Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick. Harvick came up just short, needing a point to get into the Championship 4 and colliding with Kyle Busch coming to the checkered flag. Harvick, who won nine races in 2020, fought back after falling two laps down in the second stage. Truex, who needed a win to advance, gave up the lead to Elliott, later pitting for a loose wheel.
2020 XFINITY 500 RACE RESULTS
The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series concludes on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway in the season finale at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.
Brad joined Frontstretch.com in 2020 and contributes to the site's 5 Points To Ponder column and other roles as needed. A graduate of the University of Georgia's Henry W. Grady School of Journalism and Mass Communication, he has covered sports in some capacity for more than 20 years with coverage including local high school sports, college athletics and minor league hockey. Brad has received multiple awards for his work from the Georgia Press Association.