Last week in Kansas, there were seven drivers competing for the final three spots in the Championship 4. Then, Kyle Larson, who already punched his ticket, won at Kansas and prevented another driver from clinching automatically.
So that means this week at Martinsville, there'll yet again be seven drivers competing for just the final three spots in the Championship 4. The race for the second and third spot in the standings is separated by just two points between Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin. However, they have a comfortable lead — 31 points — over the current fourth place driver, Kyle Busch.
But while Busch has the lead for the fourth place spot right now, he too is locked in a close race. Just six points separate the field's seventh place driver (Brad Keselowski, 4,068 points) and it's fourth place driver (Busch, 4,074 points).
Any one of those drivers could make the point differential moot with a win, though Larson's won three races in a row, including the last two Round of 8 races. Otherwise, another Larson win means it'll come down to points and a lot of drivers will need everything to go their way.
Martin Truex Jr., who currently sits at sixth in the standings, won last time out at Martinsville in April. He beat out Denny Hamlin after passing him with 16 laps to go to take the lead, never giving it up. If he can repeat, then he'll clinch a spot automatically, otherwise it'll be up to the field.
Sporting News is tracking live updates and highlights from the XFinity 500 at Martinsville. Follow along below for updates throughout.
MORE: Watch today's NASCAR race live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
NASCAR at Martinsville live updates, highlights from Xfinity 500
5:13 p.m.: 83 laps to go and Hamlin remains in the lead. Some discussion among Penske drivers about ability to pass others in the field.
Logano said if Keselowski had given him a chance to pass Dillon, they could have both passed him.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 31, 2021
5:03 p.m.: Denny Hamlin takes the lead for the first time today with around 110 laps to go. Truex in third followed by Dillon, Logano and Elliott.
4:58 p.m.: Most of the lead lap drivers pit, but Larson gets hit for speeding on pit road. It's his second such penalty on the day.
4:57 p.m.: Tenth caution of the day, this one with 122 laps to go.
4:56 p.m.: Kyle Busch, currently in ninth, not happy with the state of affairs at the moment.
Kyle Busch: “I get beat into the corner and uut f**king turned and out accelerated …” Busch is ninth #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) October 31, 2021
4:47 p.m.: Ninth caution flag of the day comes out with 143 laps to go. Martin Truex now trying to cool off his car, which he said he's been trying to do all day.
4:46 p.m.: Martin Truex's car is starting to overheat. Currently in fourth place but seems to be under control now.
4:45 p.m.: Important math with under 150 laps to go:
Assuming Hamlin avoids disaster, KyBusch needs to finish 5-6 spots ahead of Truex unless .. Keselowski finishes 9-10 spots ahead of Truex and 4-5 ahead of KyBusch and gets in unless ... Blaney finishes 13-14 ahead of Truex, 8-9 ahead of KyBusch & 4-5 ahead of Keselowski https://t.co/svMtqz2Syl
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 31, 2021
4:39 p.m.: Ryan Blaney's car has taken massive damage today and just seems to be a magnet for it.
4:35 p.m.: Chase Elliott in the lead once again with 167 laps to go and counting. Bowman, Hamlin, Truex, Byron round out the top-5.
4:33 p.m.: Quin Houff is being held back and penalized five laps for intentionally spinning Billicki near a saftey vehicle. Claims NASCAR "doesn't care about respect."
4:26 p.m.: Hamlin trying to get out in front but isn't itching to make a move and is playing it conservative.
Chris Gabehart to Denny Hamlin: “We’re trying to beat the Hendrick cars right now, and they’re so opposite of us. I’m afraid to swing that way.” #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) October 31, 2021
4:25 p.m.: Here's how things are looking on the restart out of the caution.
Elliott-Hamlin front row for this restart with 183 laps to go in the race. Then Bowman-Byron are the row behind them, followed by Truex-Larson.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 31, 2021
4:21 p.m.: The caution comes out as Josh Billicki spins out and stops on Turn 4 and lap 310. Austin Dillon gets the free pass. Now on the lead lap.
4:20 p.m.: Worry starting to creep in in the Kyle Busch camp.
Spotter Tony Hirschman on the 18 radio of Kyle Busch: “200 to go. We got a lot of work to do.” Busch is 17th as he tries to fight back from the speeding penalty #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) October 31, 2021
4:12 p.m.: Chase Elliott remains in front. He's led for 207 laps so far with 211 to go. Also already has his spot in the Championship 4 locked up.
4:03 p.m.: Kyle Busch now gets hit with a penalty for speeding off of pit road and goes to the rear.
3:57 p.m.: Chase Elliott wins Stage 2. He has now locked himself in to the Championship 4 thanks to the points from the stage win. Joins Kyle Larson in the championship.
3:46 p.m.: More on Elliott as he looks to clinch with a strong showing in Stage 2.
Chase Elliott has a 1.1-second lead over teammate William Byron and is 40 laps away from locking himself in the championship race on points.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 31, 2021
3:36 p.m.: Chase Elliott can clinch one of the three remaining Championship 4 spots with a strong performance in Stage 2.
Did some checking with my Racing Insights friends and Elliott would clinch in this stage with a fourth (he needs 8 points and that would be 7 in the stage plus would get at least 1 from his finishing spot).
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 31, 2021
3:32 p.m.: Another caution out as Austin Dillon has a right front tire issue.
3:28 p.m.: Kyle Busch seems to be struggling too.
KyBusch: I need a lot of help. We ain't going f*$#$ anywhere.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 31, 2021
3:23 p.m.: Blaney's woes continue as his car seems to be in serious trouble.
"Zero rear charge. No drive. No motor either," Blaney reports of his car. #NASCAR
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) October 31, 2021
3:10 p.m.: Kyle Larson, who led for much of the day, now goes to the back after speeding on pit road.
PENALTY: Kyle Larson, too fast on pit road. Larson had just won the race off pit road over Chase Elliott.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 31, 2021
3:07 p.m.: Stage 1 over at Martinsville. Here's how the race is shaking out.
with stage 1 points ... Larson-in Elliott +38, Hamlin +26, Truex +0, KyBusch -0, Keselowski -5, Blaney -6, Logano -29
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 31, 2021
2:58 p.m.: Obviously stage points are important, but no one can clinch after Stage 1.
No one can clinch after the first stage. Would have to be 45 points up on fourth on the grid (not fifth) to account for a driver outside the cutoff winning the race. https://t.co/G9j3OPddDR
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 31, 2021
2:52 p.m.: Blaney's woes continue. He's running in ninth right now and has taken serious damage a few times.
Ryan Blaney with left rear fender damage after contact with Austin Dillon. Dillon has damage to the right front #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) October 31, 2021
2:49 p.m.: Elliott has reclaimed the lead but it's not all smooth sailing.
2:43 p.m.: A caution comes out as Ryan Newman spins on Turn 4. Nimble effort by the others to avoid him.
#NASCAR ... Caution ... Ryan Newman spins and Denny Hamlin avoids it.
"Oh man that was it," Hamlin said after avoiding contact
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) October 31, 2021
2:39 p.m.: Denny Hamlin gets hit with a penalty for speeding off pit road and drops to the back of the pack.
2:36 p.m.: Cars are starting to pit. Here's what the race out of pit road looks like.
Race off pit road: Kyle Larson beats Chase Elliott and retakes the race lead. Truex still P3.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 31, 2021
2:34 p.m.: The competition caution has arrived with Elliott, Larson, Truex, Keselowski and Kyle Busch rounding out the top-five.
2:32 p.m.: And just like that, Chase Elliott takes the lead from Larson with two laps to go until the competition caution.
2:30 p.m.: Larson's led 51 of 52 laps so far with 8 laps to go before the competition caution.
2:25 pm.: Blaney struggling here early and reporting major problems with his car, specifically the steering. Been passed several times and made contact several times as well.
A lot happening early. Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. made contact in Turn 1 on the first lap, Denny Hamlin is trying to work his way through the field, and Ryan Blaney nearly got spun by William Byron. #Xfinity500 #NASCARPlayoffs
— Sean Sedor (@SASedor2994) October 31, 2021
2:23 p.m.: 30 laps in and Larson has the lead followed by Truex, Elliott and Keselowski.
2:22 p.m.: Good news upcoming for Denny Hamlin potentially, with the competition caution approaching.
Hamlin is told 32 laps until competition caution and only five cars between him and Larson
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 31, 2021
2:10 p.m.: Denny Hamlin, who's won here five times, is starting in 37th place after failing inspection twice this morning. Hamlin has a 31 point lead for fourth.
2:04 p.m.: Engines are fired and things are about to get interesting.
Engines fired for the Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. Stage breaks are laps 130 and 260 with a scheduled distance of 500 laps. Competition caution on lap 60. Chase Elliott the defending race winner. Kyle Larson starts from the pole #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) October 31, 2021
2:01 p.m.: Action slated to get underway in about 10 minutes. Here's a look at the points race heading in.
NASCAR start time today
- Time: 2 p.m. ET (TV time)
- TV channel: NBC (TSN5 in Canada)
- Live stream: NBC Sports.com | NBC Sports App | Peacock | fuboTV (7-day free trial)
- Radio: MRN
The green flag for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series playoff race on Martinsville Speedway's 0.526-mile short track is scheduled to drop at 2:12 p.m. ET Sunday. The track has lights, so the race can finish after sunset if there is a delay.
Weather conditions should ensure an on-time start. The National Weather Service forecast for Ridgeway, Va., where Martinsville Speedway is located, is for mostly sunny skies and a high temperature near 65 degrees. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph, however.
NASCAR playoff standings
The bubble drivers figure to produce the most drama Sunday. Positions 4 through 7 are separated by six points. Kyle Busch is in the No. 4 spot but he's just one point ahead of Ryan Blaney, the first driver out at the moment. The live standings will be volatile.
Elliott (34 points) and Hamlin (32 points) come into the race with sizable leads over Blaney as they sit in second and third in the standings, respectively.
Aside from the closeness of the standings, there's another reason the four drivers below can have hope: A playoff driver who wins a race in the Round of 8 automatically qualifies for the Championship 4 race Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway. Problem is, only Larson has won a race thus far in the Round of 8.
| Pos. | Driver | Points |
| 1 | x-Kyle Larson | 4181 |
| 2 | Chase Elliott | 4107 |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin | 4105 |
| 4 | Kyle Busch | 4074 |
| 5 | Ryan Blaney | 4073 |
| 6 | Martin Truex Jr. | 4071 |
| 7 | Brad Keselowski | 4068 |
| 8 | Joey Logano | 4048 |
x-Advanced to Championship 4 race.
NASCAR starting lineup at Martinsville
Here is the complete starting lineup for Sunday's playoff race at Martinsville Speedway, the Xfinity 500.
| Start pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
| 1 | P-Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 2 | P-Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 3 | P-Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 4 | P-Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 5 | P-Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
| 6 | P-Brad Keselowski | 2 | Team Penske |
| 7 | P-Kyle Busch | 18 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 8 | P-Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
| 9 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 10 | Kurt Busch | 1 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 11 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 12 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 13 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 14 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 15 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 16 | Ross Chastain | 42 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 17 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
| 18 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 19 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 20 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | TrackHouse Racing |
| 21 | Matt DiBenedetto | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 22 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 23 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 24 | Cole Custer | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 25 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 26 | Ryan Preece | 37 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 27 | Ryan Newman | 6 | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 28 | Erik Jones | 43 | Richard Petty Motorsports |
| 29 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
| 30 | BJ McLeod | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
| 31 | Cody Ware | 51 | Petty Ware Racing |
| 32 | Anthony Alfredo | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 33 | Josh Bilicki | 52 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 34 | Joey Gase | 53 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 35 | Justin Haley | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
| 36 | Quin Houff | 00 | StarCom Racing |
| 37 | Garrett Smithley | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 38 | Timmy Hill | 66 | Motorsports Business Management |
"results" - Google News
November 01, 2021 at 03:13AM
https://ift.tt/3w9VL9W
NASCAR at Martinsville live updates, results, highlights from Xfinity 500 playoff race - Sporting News
"results" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2SvRPxx
https://ift.tt/2Wp5bNh
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "NASCAR at Martinsville live updates, results, highlights from Xfinity 500 playoff race - Sporting News"
Post a Comment