NASCAR Cup Series: What to watch for in the 2018 First Data 500

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series begins the round of 8 of the 2018 playoffs this weekend with the First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will travel to its final short track of the season this weekend, Martinsville Speedway. More importantly, this Sunday will kick off the third of four rounds of the 2018 playoffs, the round of 8. Only eight drivers remain in the hunt for the 2018 championship with four races remaining.

The 2018 season has been a coming-out season of sorts for Chase Elliott. Elliott went into Kansas Speedway last weekend and took the checkered flag en route to his third race win in the last 11 races.

His win on Sunday was his second win of the round of 12, as he also won the race two weeks prior at Dover International Speedway. This week, it’s on to the track where Elliott appeared to be headed to his first career victory in the Cup Series last year. However, Denny Hamlin spoiled that effort when he dumped Elliott late, which really hurt his chances of advancing to the Championship 4.

Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway will be the final short track race on the 2018 schedule. With it being the first race of the round of 8, it will once again be crucial for playoff drivers to get off to a good start.

Here is what to watch for this Sunday at Martinsville Speedway in the First Data 500.

What to watch for

Someone falls into a bad hole early

It’s imperative for the remaining eight drivers left in the 2018 playoffs to get off to a good start in the round of 8. These playoff drivers need good starts to avoid placing themselves in positions where they need to play catch-up.

However, disaster almost always seems to strike for a playoff driver in these short track races, whether that be a disastrous pit stop that puts the driver multiple laps down or a wreck that ends the race for the driver. To be a champion in the NASCAR Cup Series, avoiding these issues and staying clean is crucial. Unfortunately, for a few drivers, I can see big mistakes putting them significantly behind after the first round of 8 race.

Tempers flare

The 2018 schedule has just one more short track remaining. This means we will have one more display of bumping and banging in tight quarters, causing blood pressures to rise.

When you toss in eight playoff drivers fighting for ever inch in hopes of winning the 2018 championship, the racing only intensifies. Watch closely, especially near the end, for someone to get booted in a turn and spend the remainder of the race finding a way to get some payback.

Chase Elliott has another great day

Chase Elliott entered the 2018 season without making his way to victory lane in a points-paying race. Win number one for him came in August when he finally got to victory lane at Watkins Glen International. Since then, he has added two more wins to his resume by winning the first and third races in the round of 12.

The guy is hot right now and in just about any sport, when teams or individuals get into grooves, it’s hard to knock them out of said grooves. Look for Elliott to be a factor toward the front of the field all day on Sunday afternoon in the First Data 500.

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What will you be watching for on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway? Do you think tempers will flare and frustration will take over? Will Chase Elliott find victory lane yet again this weekend? be sure to tune into NBC Sports Network at 2:30 p.m. ET for all of the action from the 2018 First Data 500.

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