"Chevy teammates were suspect": NASCAR insider makes disturbing revelation following William Byron's Martinsville fate

The last race of the round of eight wrapped up at the Martinsville Speedway with an unexpected ending as Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron secured his spot for the final race. Defending champion Ryan Blaney won and punched his golden ticket to the Championship 4 race. Byron became the only driver to succeed in the 2024 playoffs.

Recently, NASCAR insider Jeff Gulck was asked for his take on Byron's advancement to the final round, as despite his remarkable performance, people speculated he was doing something sketchy to secure his spot. But Gluck cleared all the doubts and mentioned that "Bryon didn't do anything wrong."

According to a report shared by the Athletic, in the final ten laps, William Byron was protected by his Chevy teammates Austin Dillion and Ross Chastain, who were ordered not to overtake Byron for his advancement to the final race of the 2024 season.

23XI Racing Bubba Wallace, the Toyota teammate of Christopher Bell, also slowed down to give Bell a lead in the race. Jeff Gluck highlighted this and wrote:

"Chevy teammates were suspect, but Byron didn't manipulate anything. Wallace slowed way down though to cede the spot and Bell rode the wall, both of which are illegal IMO. So if I had to make a call, Byron is in."

William Byron finished in sixth place, securing 46 points, followed by his Chevy teammates Austin Dillion in seventh and Ross Chastain in eighth. Christopher Bell finished in P22 and was penalized for riding the wall in the last lap of the race. As a result, Byron secured his spot for the Phoneix Raceway.

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Despite getting slammed with a penalty by NASCAR, Bell showcased true sportsmanship and wished William Byron well for the finals

Six drivers had their eyes on the two vacant spots for the final Championship 4 race scheduled for November 10, 2024, and only two of them got lucky enough to advance to the next level. Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney won the race and advanced to the final round. Hendrick Motorsports driver Willam Byron also secured his spot in the final round after Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell was slammed with a penalty.

Bell tried to push his rank in the final lap and rode the wall before crossing the finish line. NASCAR banned the move after Ross Chastain pulled it in 2022 on the same track. Bell and Byron tied in the points table, and the Stock Car Association didn't allow the #22 driver to advance in the final round.

Despite the heartbreaking announcement, Christopher Bell congratulated William Byron for his moving to the final round and said:

“That’s not how I wanted it to go but congratulations. Go get them next week.”

Byron became the first HMS driver and fourth Cup Series driver to qualify for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 round. Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, and Ryan Blaney all secured their spots by a win in the round of eight races. But the HMS driver secured his spot by earning more points than Bell.