The NASCAR season has come down to the final two races, with all three series at Martinsville Speedway this weekend.
There are two open spots in the Cup Series after Tyler Reddick’s victory at Homestead gave team co-owner Michael Jordan a chance at a racing title. Austin Hill and AJ Allmendinger are in the Xfinity Series’ final four while Grant Emfinger won his second straight in the round of eight in the Truck Series.
In a season where so many races were delayed or postponed by rain, the last month has provided perfect weather for every race, and this weekend is no exception. Partly cloudy to sunny skies are forecast Friday through Sunday, with highs in the mid-70s on Friday and the mid-60s on Saturday and Sunday.
Ryan Blaney won here last fall to reach the final four for the Cup Series title, which he went on to win. Blaney led 145 laps for his third victory of the season.
Reddick joins two-time series champion Joey Logano in the final four this year. Christopher Bell is the leading playoff driver in points, with William Byron also in position to advance.
2021 NASCAR Cup Series champ Kyle Larson is first-man out, seven points behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Byron. Denny Hamlin, defending champion Blaney and 2020 series champ Elliott are the last eligible drivers likely needing to win their way in at Martinsville.
The Xfinity 500 is set for Sunday afternoon.
You can search the driver and playoff standings at this link.
In the Xfinity Series, the National Debt Relief 250 is set for Saturday afternoon.
Justin Allgaier is the race’s defending champ, winning a side-by-side duel with Sheldon Creed by 0.032 seconds in a race Creed needed to win to advance.
Austin Hill grabbed the second spot in the Xfinity Series championship finale last week, racing to his fourth victory of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Hill drove past defending series champion Cole Custer with 12 laps to go and held on to join AJ Allmendinger in the four-driver championship field at Phoenix.
This is the final chance for the remaining six playoff drivers to win their way into the final four. Allgaier and Custer are the top two in points in line to advance. Chandler Smith is fifth in the playoff standings, 28 points behind fourth-place Custer.
The rest of the playoff drivers are Jesse Love, Sam Mayer and Sammie Smith. Aric Almirola won the spring race at Martinsville.
You can search the driver and playoff standings at this link.
The NASCAR Truck Series race, the Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 200, is scheduled for Friday night.
Corey Heim won here last year, leading 82 of 124 laps to win his first race of the 2023 season in the Truck Series’ only stop at the half-mile track.
Grant Emfinger comes in off wins in the last two races and is the lone racer locked in to the championship four in Phoenix in two weeks. Emfinger’s back-to-back wins mean that at least two drivers will advance on points to compete for a title. Heim, Christian Eckes and Ty Majeski are the top three drivers in points in the playoff field. Majeski has a 22-point edge on fifth-place Rajah Caruth. The other drivers on the outside are Taylor Gray, Tyler Ankrum and Nick Sanchez.
You can search the driver and playoff standings at this link.
Here’s the TV schedule for all three series this weekend:
NASCAR SERIES
Xfinity 500
1 p.m. Saturday: Practice and qualifying at Martinsville Speedway, NBC Sports App
2 p.m. Sunday: Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, NBC, and live-streamed on fubo TV (FREE trial)
XFINITY SERIES
National Debt Relief 250
3:30 p.m. Friday: Practice and qualifying at Martinsville Speedway, NBC Sports App
4 p.m. Saturday: National Debt Relief 250 at Martinsville Speedway, The CW
TRUCK SERIES
Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 200
1:30 p.m. Friday: Practice and qualifying at Martinsville Speedway, FS2, and live-streamed on fubo TV (FREE trial), Sling TV (discount) and DirecTV Stream (FREE trial and discount)
6 p.m. Friday: Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 200 at Martinsville Speedway, FS1, and live-streamed on fubo TV (FREE trial), Sling TV (discount) and DirecTV Stream (FREE trial and discount)
