What’s Happening?

This weekend marks the final chance for playoff drivers in all three NASCAR National Series to make it into the Championship Four as the NASCAR Playoffs Round of Eight comes to a close at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia.

• Martinsville Speedway is one of NASCAR’s oldest tracks, having hosted a NASCAR Cup Series race every year since the founding of the Series. The track was also the shortest track on the Cup Series schedule prior to the addition of Bowman Grey this season, though it still holds the honor for points races.
• The First NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville was in the 1949 season, though the track opened in 1947. The Xfinity Series would not find its way to the track until 1982, leaving after 1994, returning in 2006, leaving again, and returning once more in 2020. Much like the Cup Series, Martinsville has been a part of the Truck Series schedule since the Series’s first season.
• Denny Hamlin leads all active full-time NASCAR Cup Series drivers in wins at Martinsville, having won his sixth race at the track earlier this season. Despite his winning ways, Hamlin has yet to win a playoff race at Martinsville, with Ryan Blaney as the only driver to win the fall race more than once (2023 and 2024) since the system’s introduction in 2014.

Weekend TV Schedule (All Times EST*)

Friday, October 24: Truck Series Practice and Qualifying | Truck Series Race

• 2:05 PM – 3:00 PM — Truck Series Practice on FS2
• 3:10 PM – 4:00 PM — Truck Series Qualifying on FS2
• 6:00 PM – Truck Series NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Slim Jim 200 FS1 [TV] & NRN [Radio]

Saturday, October 25: Xfinity Series Practice and Qualifying | Cup Series Practice and Qualifying | Xfinity Series Race

• 1:00 PM- 1:55 PM — Xfinity Series Practice on the CW App
• 2:05 PM – 3:00 PM — Xfinity Series Qualifying on the CW App
• 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM — Cup Series Practice on TruTV and HBO Max
• 5:40 PM – 6:30 PM — Cup Series Qualifying on TruTV and HBO Max
• 7:30 PM – Xfinity Series IAA and Ritchie Bros. 250 on the CW [TV] & MRN [Radio]

Sunday, October 26: Cup Series Race

• 2:00 PM — Cup Series Xfinity 500 on NBC [TV] & MRN [Radio]

Race Facts: Martinsville Speedway

Track Facts: Martinsville Speedway

• Year Opened: 1947
• Length: 0.526 Miles
• Banking: 12°
• Surface: Asphalt
• Rain Tires: Yes
• Lights: Yes

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Slim Jim 200 on FS1:

• Race Length: 200 Laps (105.2 Miles)
• Stages: 50 Lap Stage One, 50 Lap Stage Two, 100 Lap Final Stage
• Most Recent Race Winner: Christian Eckes

IAA and Ritchie Bros. 250 on The CW:

• Race Length: 250 Laps (131.5 Miles)
• Stages: 60 Lap Stage One, 60 Lap Stage Two, 130 Lap Final Stage
• Most Recent Race Winner: Aric Almirola

Xfinity 500 on NBC:

• Race Length: 263 Laps (500 Miles)
• Stages: 130 Lap Stage One, 130 Lap Stage Two, 240 Lap Final Stage

2024 Xfinity 500 Race Results:

• First: Ryan Blaney — No. 12
• Second: Chase Elliott — No. 9
• Third: Kyle Larson — No. 5
• Fourth: Austin Cindric — No. 2
• Fifth: Denny Hamlin — No. 11

Top Storylines of the Weekend

• This weekend is the final cutoff race for all three NASCAR National Series.
• First, the Craftsman Truck Series, where season dominator Corey Heim is already locked into the Round of Four, with no playoff driver winning last weekend at Talladega. This weekend, Rajah Caruth, Tyler Ankrum, Kaden Honeycutt, and an unlikely bunch sit above the cutline. Below sit season standouts like Daniel Hemric and Layne Riggs, and finally, Grant Enfinger. This could be the most chaotic race of the weekend, as no driver is out of advancing without a win.
• The Xfinity Series is in a similar position, though a playoff driver has yet to win a race in the Round of Eight. But that doesn’t mean that a driver hasn’t already locked into the next round, with Connor Zilisch and Justin Allgaier already in for Phoenix with a stellar performance in the regular season and playoffs. Jesse Love and Carson Kvapil sit above the cutline, with Sammy Smith, Brandon Jones, Sam Mayer, and Sheldon Creed sitting outside the picture.
• The Cup Series has two Joe Gibbs Racing drivers locked into the Round of Four, including spring Martinsville winner Denny Hamlin. With two spots left, almost every driver below the cutline, including William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and Chase Elliott, is in a must-win situation. This ensures that Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, despite sitting above the cut, are far from safe.

Entry Lists

Cup Series

Xfinity Series

Truck Series

Note: This article will be updated as more information about the weekend comes out.