NASCAR at Martinsville: Schedule, TV info, odds, picks, playoff standings and results for the Xfinity 500

Yahoo Sports Staff

The NASCAR Cup Series will set its Championship Four after this weekend’s trip to the half-mile paperclip-shaped Martinsville Speedway. Even though the spring race was a bit of a processional with the new car specifications, this time around there are seven drivers jockeying for three open spots, elbows will be out.

Here’s what you need to know heading into the weekend:

NASCAR Cup Series Martinsville playoff weekend schedule

Fans in the United States can watch the race on NBC or the NBC Sports app (cable or satellite subscription required) and pos-trace coverage will be on Peacock. Radio coverage is available on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM.

(All times ET)

Saturday, Oct. 29

Practice: Noon - 12:45 p.m. (NBC Sports app, MRN, SiriusXM, USA joins at 12:30)

Qualifying: 12:45 - 2 p.m. (USA, NBC Sports app, MRN, SiriusXM)

Sunday, Oct. 30

Pre-race show: 1:30 - 2 p.m. (NBC)

Xfinity 500: 2 - 5:30 p.m. (NBC, NBC Sports app, MRN, SiriusXM)

Top drivers and best bets for the Xfinity 500

Two drivers hoping to make the championship round in Phoenix – Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin – have the best average finish at Martinsville at 10th. William Byron won the spring race from fifth on the grid while teammate and fellow playoff competitor Chase Elliott won the pole but finished 10th.

Best odds for victory in the Xfinity 500

  • Chase Elliott +600

  • Denny Hamlin +700

  • Ryan Blaney +800

  • William Byron +800

  • Joey Logano +900

  • Martin Truex Jr. +900

Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg suggests finding good mid-tier value in Kyle Busch and Ross Chastain (both +1400) pointing to Busch having finished in the Top 5 in half of his races there and Chastain finishing 5th in the spring after a 27th-place start.

Apr 9, 2022; Martinsville, Virginia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain (1) races at the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 at Martinsville Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Ryan Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
Ross Chastain is hoping to repeat his strong form from the Martinsville spring race to put him in position to win a NASCAR Cup Series championship. (Photo by Ryan Hunt-USA TODAY Sports) (USA Today Sports / reuters)

NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings entering the weekend

  1. Joey Logano - 4,106*

  2. Ross Chastain - 4,101

  3. Chase Elliott - 4,093

  4. William Byron - 4,087 ______ Playoff cut line

  5. Denny Hamlin - 4,082

  6. Ryan Blaney - 4,069

  7. Christopher Bell - 4,054

  8. Chase Briscoe - 4,043

*Clinched a spot in the Championship Four

Weather for the Xfinity 500

The forecast for Martinsville is similar to the conditions for the spring race: Mostly cloudy and cold, with a high of 61 degrees. That’s bad news for anyone looking for good racing as the April 9th affair resembled more of a parade than a race with tire degradation barely a factor.

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