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Dale Earnhardt Jr. reacts to NASCAR Cup Series elimination race at Martinsville

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones20 hours agobrianjones_93
Ryan Blaney (13)
Greg Atkins-Imagn Images

Dale Earnhardt Jr. enjoyed watching the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Martinsville on Sunday. On Dale Jr. Download, Earnhardt shared his reaction to the race that William Byron won to clinch a spot in the Championship 4.

“I give a ton of credit to the tire,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “We’ve not really changed the car all that much. We still think the car could improve at the short tracks, but the tire obviously has helped us make some big gains.”

Earnhardt later said, “Martinsville is the one track where you know where it’s going to be bottom dominant. If you could go to Martinsville and produce what we saw with guys changing their entry and moving around, you’ve got it. Don’t touch it.”

Byron won after getting past Ryan Blaney late in the race. Earnahrdt gave credit to Blaney for his reaction after missing out on competing in the Championship 4.

More on the NASCAR Martinsville playoff race

“Shoutout to Ryan Blaney for driving through the field, putting himself in a position trying to get it done,” Earnhardt said. It was a must-win, and he gets out and says, ‘Hey, good hard racing. I’d have done exactly what Byron did.’ They were a little physical. Byron gets into him a little bit. That’s what we want to see when we go to Martinsville.”

Blaney needed to win to clinch a spot in the championship race. With Byron’s win, he will join Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, and Kyle Larson in the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday.

After the race, Blaney spoke to reporters about Byron getting physical to pass him on Lap 457. “That’s just two guys going for it,” Blaney said, per NBC Sports. “I don’t blame him for taking that. I have kind of lost momentum. I would have done the same thing, to be honest with you. I knew it was going to be tight. I tried to crowd as much as I could. I’m just proud of this whole 12 group. Everybody who puts a lot into our program. Starting where we did and making the ground up we made early was impressive.”