Two JR Motorsports drivers—prolific rookie Connor Zilisch and defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier—already have qualified for the Championship 4 Race on points.

Two other JRM drivers are locked in a close battle for the final Championship 4 berth as the series moves to Martinsville Speedway for Saturday’s IAA & Ritchie Bros. 250 (7:30 p.m. ET on CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Carson Kvapil arrives at the legendary 0.526-mile short track 11 points above the current elimination line, leading teammate Sammy Smith by that margin entering the event that will set the field for the Nov. 1 title race at Phoenix Raceway.

If past performance is an accurate indicator, Smith has an edge in the elimination race. In six starts at Martinsville, the driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet has scored five top 10s, including two runner-up finishes and a third.

“Heading into Martinsville under the cut line is not where we envisioned ourselves, but we’ve been strong here in the past, and this No. 8 Pilot team is hungry to advance to the Champ 4,” Smith said.

“Just like Talladega last week (where Smith finished ninth), anything can happen on these short tracks, so we just need to be smart and keep our nose clean. If we can do that, I see no reason why we won’t be right where we need to be at the end of the race.”

In two Martinsville starts (the last two spring races), Kvapil has finished fourth and 20th.

Auguring what could be an all-Chevrolet Championship 4, Jesse Love of Richard Childress Racing is 40 points above the elimination line and likely to advance.

Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver Brandon Jones, a 2022 winner at the paper-clip-shaped track, has the best chance to break the Chevrolet monopoly. Jones is 20 points below the cut line, but he has posted five top 10s and two poles in 10 Martinsville starts.

Interestingly, with Aric Almirola winning at Las Vegas and Austin Hill taking the checkered flag at Talladega, the field for the owners’ championship already has been set. Those two drivers will compete against Zilisch and Allgaier for the owners’ title.