Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway will determine the last two drivers in the final four, setting the stage for the NASCAR Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway.
Two drivers have already locked up spots in the Championship 4. Joey Logano, a two-time Cup Series champion, won the opening race of the third round at Las Vegas Motor Speedway two weeks ago. Tyler Reddick, seeking his first Cup title, punched his ticket last weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
So, now it’s down to six drivers competing for two berths. If one of those six wins at Martinsville, he will lock up the third berth and the final spot will be decided by points. If none of the six are victorious on Sunday, both berths will be determined by points.
All six remaining contenders have tasted success at Martinsville. Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers with five wins at NASCAR’s smallest track. William Byron has won twice, while Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson have each taken the checkered flag once.
Who will celebrate on Sunday? Here’s all the information you need to get ready for the Xfinity 500:
What time does the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville start?
The Xfinity 500 starts at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia.
What TV channel is the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville on?
NBC is broadcasting the Xfinity 500 and has a pre-race show beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville?
The Xfinity 500 can be live streamed on the NBC Sports website and the NBC Sports app. The race is also available to stream on Fubo, which is offering a free trial.
Watch NASCAR Cup Series races on Fubo
How many laps is the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville?
The Xfinity 500 is 500 laps around the 0.526-mile oval for a total of 263 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 130 laps; Stage 2: 130 laps; Stage 3: 240 laps.
Who won the most recent NASCAR Cup races at Martinsville?
William Byron led 88 laps, including the final two in an overtime shootout, to lead a top-three sweep by Hendrick Motorsports on April 7, 2024. Kyle Larson came in second and Chase Elliott third.
And one year ago in the playoff race, Ryan Blaney led 145 laps, including the final 23, before holding off Aric Almirola by 0.899 seconds on Oct. 29, 2023 to clinch a berth in the Championship Race. He would win his first Cup Series title one week later.
What are the playoff standings heading into the NASCAR race at Martinsville?
Rank, driver, team, points, deficit to leader. Through eight races; x-clinched berth in championship race. Final two Championship 4 drivers will be determined at conclusion of Martinsville race.
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing … 4,132
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports … 4,110 (-22 points)
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports … 4,103 (-29)
x-Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing … 4,098 (-34)
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing … 4,092 (-40)
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske … 4,072 (-60)
x-Joey Logano, Team Penske … 4,070 (-62)
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports … 4,067 (-65)
What is the lineup for the Xfinity 500 NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville?
Car number in parentheses; (P)=playoff driver
1. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota
2. (9) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet
3. (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet
4. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford
5. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
6. (21) Harrison Burton, Ford
7. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
8. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford
9. (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet
10. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
11. (4) Josh Berry, Ford
12. (22) Joey Logano (P), Ford
13. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford
14. (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford
15. (31) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet
16. (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota
17. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
18. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
19. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
20. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
21. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota
22. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
23. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
24. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford
25. (10) Noah Gragson, Ford
26. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
27. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
28. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
29. (16) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
30. (7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
31. (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota
32. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
33. (15) Kaz Grala, Ford
34. (51) Corey LaJoie, Ford
35. (66) Josh Bilicki, Ford
36. (71) Zane Smith, Chevrolet
37. (11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.