All Times Eastern
NASCAR Cup Series
Xfinity 500
Site: Martinsville, Virginia.
Schedule: Saturday, practice, 1 p.m.; qualifying, 2:05 p.m.; Sunday, race, 2 p.m. (NBC).
Track: Martinsville Speedway.
Race distance: 500 laps, 263 miles.
Last year: Ryan Blaney won at Martinsville 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.
Last race: Regular-season champion Tyler Reddick powered past Blaney on the final lap to win at Homestead-Miami and advance to the championship four. Reddick went high and overtook Blaney on the final turn to secure a spot in NASCAR’s winner-take-all finale in Arizona in two weeks. Reddick led 98 of the 267 laps.
Fast facts: Reddick joins two-time series champion Joey Logano in the final four. Martinsville is the final chance for the other six playoff drivers to win their way in. … 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.