NASCAR heads back to the series’ oldest race track this weekend as the Cup Series and Xfinity Series decide who their Championship 4 contenders will be. What times will each of these series be on track this weekend?
Friday, October 27th: Xfinity Practice/Qualifying
- 5:00-5:30 PM – Xfinity Series Practice (USA)
- ~5:30-6:30 PM – Xfinity Series Qualifying (USA)
Saturday, October 28: Cup Series Qualifying/Xfinity Series RACE
- 12:35-1:05 PM – Cup Series Practice (USA)
- ~1:05-2:00 PM – Cup Series Qualifying (USA)
- 3:30 PM – Xfinity Series Race (USA)
Sunday, October 29: Cup Series RACE
- 2:00 PM – Cup Series Race (NBC)
What to Watch For This Weekend
Xfinity Series
It’s a tight battle for the final spots in the Xfinity Series Championship 4. Sam Mayer is the only driver currently locked in, but John Hunter Nemechek holds a 41-point advantage over fourth place, meaning, even with a new winner, Nemechek should get in if he stays out of major trouble. Cole Custer, Austin Hill, and Justin Allgaier sit three points apart for the final two points-paying spots, while Sammy Smith, Chandler Smith, and Sheldon Creed all find themselves in must-win territory. If last year was any indicator of how far these drivers will go to get that critical win, this should be an entertaining race.
Cup Series
Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell are the two drivers locked into the Championship 4, but plenty of surprising names are below the cut-line. Chris Buescher (-43) finds himself in must-win territory, and top seed Martin Truex Jr. (-17) needs either a win or a near-perfect run. Denny Hamlin (-16) dominated this race a year ago despite not winning, and Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney sit 10 points apart. William Byron is the only driver not locked in feeling remotely safe with a 30-point cushion and a 20-point cushion over fourth. This race should be wild.
Who will get that clutch performance needed to make the Playoffs, and who will be left out? Watch at Martinsville this weekend.