What to Watch For at Martinsville: The Penultimate NASCAR Weekend of 2024

Everyone will be laser-focused on the six drivers, who will be battling it out for the final two spots remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 field in this weekend's Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, that's not up for debate.

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But if you're looking for some other developments to keep an eye on throughout Sunday's 500-lap rumble at the paperclip, there are more storylines floating out there than you'd expect.

Here is a full breakdown of some things to follow, in addition to the championship battle this weekend at Martinsville Speedway.

McDowell's 500th NASCAR Cup Series Start

From humble beginnings, which included a vicious crash in qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway during his rookie season, and a section of his career trying to survive as a start-and-parker, Michael McDowell has carved out a lengthy NASCAR Cup Series career.

Sunday's Xfinity 500 will mark the 500th start of the 2021 Daytona 500 champion's NASCAR Cup Series career. By firing up his engine on Sunday, McDowell will become just the sixth active driver to reach the mark, joining Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and Brad Keselowski.

And whether it's coincidence or fate, McDowell's 500th start will come at the same site that his first one did -- Martinsville Speedway. McDowell is ready for the full circle weekend.

"It's pretty special to be making my 500th career Cup Series start and to achieve such a big milestone in my career," McDowell said. "Martinsville was where I got my first-ever start back in 2008, so it's cool that it has come full circle to this weekend. Just want to thank everyone who has been a part of this journey - team owners, sponsors, and fans - who have supported me all these years."

Martinsville will also mark the next-to-last race of McDowell's tenure with Front Row Motorsports as the veteran racer is set to move to Spire Motorsports in 2025.

Carson Hocevar Looking to Lock up ROTY Award

While the Bill France Cup won't be handed out until next weekend at Phoenix Raceway, the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year Award could be clinched this weekend by Carson Hocevar.

Heading into this weekend's race, the driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro carries a 110-point lead over Josh Berry to top the Rookie of the Year standings. Zane Smith (-167), and Kaz Grala (-462) have already been mathematically eliminated.

Even if Berry wins this weekend at Martinsville, and scores maximum points with a pair of Stage Wins, Hocevar can still clinch the Rookie of the Year Award by finishing 27th or better. If Hocevar adds any Stage Points to his total throughout the race, it'll make the path to clinching even easier.

At the end of the day, the magic number to clinch ROTY is 59 -- if Hocevar can maintain at least a 59-point lead exiting Martinsville, he will be the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year.

Kyle Busch's Nearly Two-Decades Long Winning Streak

Kyle Busch went full-time NASCAR Cup Series racing in 2005, and up until this season, the 39-year-old driver has won at least one race in each of his first 19 seasons. However, Busch finds himself staring down a goose egg in the wins column with just two races remaining in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series campaign.

"This team is determined and we have two more races left to get a win before the season is over," Busch said after this past weekend's race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

While Busch and his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing team have lacked race-winning speed in portions of the season, they've also had their fair share of races where they've been in contention. They've just come up short in a variety of ways.

Pit road miscues cost Busch a chance at a win in the Daytona 500 and in the third race of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He fell short at Atlanta, the second race of the year, in a three-wide photo finish for the win. Busch also scored back-to-back runner-up finishes at Daytona and Darlington Raceway to close out his regular season in heartbreaking fashion, and a few weeks ago, Busch had the lead at Kansas Speedway and looked to be on his way to certain victory. Then, he lost control trying to lap Chase Briscoe, spun from the lead, and finished 19th.

Can Busch and the No. 8 team exercise the demons this weekend at Martinsville or next week at Phoenix? It's possible. Busch has five career wins between the two tracks.

Chevrolet Near Wrapping up Manufacturers' Title

Chevrolet, which has racked up 15 wins through the opening 34 races of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, holds a 45-point lead over both Ford and Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer standings.

In order to lock up the bowtie brigade's 43rd NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer title, and its fourth consecutive this weekend at Martinsville Speedway, Chevrolet needs to exit the 0.526-mile short track with a 31-point lead over the competition.

a 31-point lead would ensure that Chevrolet couldn't be beaten even if there was a full 40-car field in Phoenix. If fewer than 40 cars show up to the season finale, Chevrolet has a few less points to worry about.

Either way, whether it's this week or next week, it looks like a slam dunk for Chevrolet to secure the Manufacturers' championship.

Photo Credit: Jonathan McCoy | TobyChristie.com