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Author: Angie Campbell

Preview – 2019 Xfinity Series Championship at Homestead

Four drivers are set to compete for the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship title this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It is a diverse group of drivers from four different teams representing Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota manufacturers.

Drivers listed alphabetically.

Justin Allgaier:

Allgaier drove his No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet to victory lane at ISM Raceway last Saturday to secure his spot in the Championship 4 with his first victory this season. This will be the third time in four years that Allgaier has competed for the title, finishing third in two previous attempts in 2016 and 2017. So far this season he has 16 top-fives and 24 top -10 finishes, leading 607 laps with an average finish of 8.9.

He is optimistic about his chances and feels as though the team has hit its stride at the perfect moment.

“We’re going to go to Homestead and have some fun. A lot of the storylines this year have been surrounding the other three contenders and they’ve been really strong and they’ve won a lot of races, but I feel like this BRANDT Professional Agriculture team is peaking at the right time and you can’t count us out,” Allgaier said. “We’re going into this weekend with a new mentality and a new energy and we’re going to have a shot at winning a championship. I can’t wait to see what we can go there and do this weekend.”

Christopher Bell:

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has been impressive this season with a career-high eight wins in his No. 20 Toyota. His most recent win at Texas Motor Speedway locked him into the Championship 4. This is the second consecutive year that he has qualified for the Playoffs, finishing fourth in 2018. Bell has 19 top-fives and 20 top-10s this year along with six poles and has led 1,968 laps.

Bell obviously wants to win at Homestead but regardless of the outcome, he is happy with what he has already accomplished this season.

“I feel good so far. Yes, I want to win the championship so bad, but ultimately it comes down to the last run. If you have a bad pit stop, we saw Erik Jones win the race off pit road two years ago and had it in his hands and one guy stayed out and picked his lane on the restart and it was over. It’s just such a toss-up that you never know how things are going to play out. I would love to win it, but if not, the goal is to get there and we’ve accomplished that,” Bell said. “We’ve won races this year and that’s something I’m proud of. We’ve got an opportunity to win a championship and that’s all you can ask for.”

Cole Custer:

Custer has driven his No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford to seven victories this year. He earned a spot in the Championship 4 on points with a runner-up finish last weekend at ISM Raceway. He has 16 top-fives and 23 top-10s in 2019 with six poles and 907 laps led. It is his second consecutive time qualifying for the championship round, finishing second in 2018. Custer’s first career win was at Homestead in 2017. In three starts at the 1.5-mile track, he has an average finish of 6.7.

Custer says that it will take a “near-perfect” effort to win at Homestead and is confident that his team is capable of doing just that.

“In 2018, we had a great car and we were able to lead 95 laps during the race, but we struggled a little bit on the long runs. Tyler Reddick was able to get the top going and had great long-run speed and he was able to make it work for him. I tried late in the race to get the top going, but I couldn’t get it going as fast as him and watched him just drive away. Feeling that heartbreak has us set on kill for this weekend so we don’t have to experience that again and instead, we can hopefully be the ones celebrating on the frontstretch, but it’s going to take a near-perfect race from everyone, which I know we are capable of doing,” Custer said.

Tyler Reddick:

Reddick heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway Saturday hoping to win back-to-back Xfinity Series titles. He claimed a spot in the Championship 4 after his third-place finish at Phoenix, earning enough points to advance. He has five wins this season in his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet along with 23 top-fives, 26 top-10s, four poles and 484 laps led.

Reddick is hoping to see a race that is similar to last year’s event.

“I would like it to end kind of the way it did last year with a long run and being able to run up by the fence and just do what I enjoy most, just trying to go as fast as I can on the long run,” he said. “Obviously, it’s just going to come down to who runs the best race all day, who is there at the end. So it’s whoever can do the best and that’ll be our champion.”

The Xfinity Series Ford EcoBoost 300 is set for Saturday afternoon at 3:30 ET on NBCSN with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

November 14, 2019
Weekend Schedule for Homestead – Updated

NASCAR heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend for the season finale as all three series race to determine their 2019 champion.

Stewart Friesen, Ross Chastain, Brett Moffitt and Matt Crafton will vie for the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series championship Friday night. The Xfinity Series title will be decided Saturday afternoon between Justin Allgaier, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick and Cole Custer.

Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch will close out the season Sunday as they race for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship.

All times are Eastern.

Friday, November 15

9:05 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.: Truck Series First Practice – No TV

10:35 a.m. – 11:25 a.m.: Truck Series Final Practice – No TV

2:35 p.m. – 3:25 p.m.: Xfinity Series First Practice – NBCSN/NBC Sports App

3:35 p.m. – 4:25 p.m.: Cup Series First Practice -CANCELED

4:35 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions) – FS1 – CANCELED – Lineup set by rulebook

5:35 p.m. – 6:25 p.m.: Xfinity Series Final Practice -CANCELED

6:30 p.m. – 7:20 p.m.: Cup Series Final Practice – CANCELED

9:35 p.m.: Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200 (Stages 30/60/134 Laps = 201 Miles ) – FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Saturday, November 16

12:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle / One Lap All Positions) – NBCSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

2:05 p.m.: Cup Series Final Practice (In place of qualifying, the lineup will be set by rule book) NBCSN/MRN/TSN

3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Ford EcoBoost 300 (Stages 45/90/200 Laps = 300 Miles) – NBCSN/MRN/TSN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Sunday, November 17

3:00 p.m.: Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 (Stages 80/160/267 Laps = 400.5 Miles) – NBC/MRN/TSN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

November 14, 2019
Weekend Schedule for ISM Raceway

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the Xfinity Series and the Gander Outdoors Truck Series will compete this weekend at ISM Raceway for the final races of the regular season. Kyle Busch (Cup), Christopher Bell (Xfinity) and Brett Moffitt (Truck) are the defending race winners.

Next week the top four in each division will battle for the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway as NASCAR closes out the 2019 season.

All times are Eastern.

Friday, Nov. 8

10:05 a.m. – 10:55 a.m.: Truck Series First Practice (No TV)

11:35 a.m. – 12:25 p.m.: Truck Series Final Practice (No TV)

3:05 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.: Xfinity Series First Practice (NBC Sports App)

4:05 p.m. – 4:55 p.m.: Cup Series First Practice (NBC Sports App/MRN/NBCSN joins in-progress at 4:30)

5:05 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying – Single Vehicle/Two Laps All Positions (FS1)

6:05 p.m. – 6:55 p.m.: Final Xfinity Series Practice (NBCSN/NBC Sports App)

7 p.m. – 7:50 p.m.: Cup Series Final Practice (NBCSN/NBC Sports App/MRN)

8:30 p.m.: Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 – (Stages 45/90/150 Laps = 150 Miles) (FS1/MRN/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Saturday, Nov. 9

12:35 p.m. – Xfinity Series Qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle/Two Laps All Positions) (NBCSN/NBC Sports App)

2 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle/Two Laps All Positions) (NBCSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 200 – (Stages 45/90/200 Laps = 200 Miles) (NBC/NBC Sports App/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Sunday, Nov. 10

2:30 p.m.: Cup Series Bluegreen Vacations 500 (Stages 75/150/312 Laps = 312 Miles) (NBC/NBC Sports App/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Playoff standings prior to ISM Raceway

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series:

1. Martin Truex Jr. – 4133 points

2. Kevin Harvick – 4113 points

3. Kyle Busch – 4113 points

4. Joey Logano – 4111 points

5. Denny Hamlin – 4091 points

6. Ryan Blaney – 4088 points

7. Kyle Larson – 4088 points

8. Chase Elliott – 4033 points

NASCAR Xfinity Series:

1. Christopher Bell – 3166 points

2. Cole Custer – 3135 points

3. Tyler Reddick – 3119 points

4. Justin Allgaier – 3101 points

5. Chase Briscoe – 3083 points

6.Michael Annett – 3073 points

7. Austin Cindric – 3070 points

8. Noah Gragson – 3054 points

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series:

1.Brett Moffitt – 3107

2. Stewart Friesen – 3097

3. Ross Chastain – 3082

4. Austin Hill – 3071

5. Matt Crafton – 3062

6. Tyler Ankrum – 3056

7. Johnny Sauter – 2172

8. Grant Enfinger – 2164

Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

November 7, 2019
Weekend Schedule for Texas Motor Speedway

This weekend the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the Xfinity Series head to the 1.5-mile oval at Texas Motor Speedway. The defending race winners are Kevin Harvick in the Cup Series and Cole Custer in the Xfinity Series. The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series is off but will return on Nov. 8 at ISM Raceway.

Only two races remain in the Playoffs Round of 8 to determine who will make it to the Championship 4 finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

See the current standings listed below for both series.

All times are Eastern.

Friday, November 1

2:05 – 2:55 p.m. – Xfinity Series First Practice (NBCSN)

3:05 – 3:55 p.m. – Cup Series First Practice (NBCSN)

4:05 – 4:55 p.m. – Xfinity Series Final Practice (NBC Sports App)

5:05 – 5:55 p.m. – Cup Series Final Practice (NBC Sports App)

Saturday, November 2

5:35 p.m. – Xfinity Series Qualifying (Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions) – CNBC

7:05 p.m. – Cup Series Qualifying impound (Single Vehicle/One Lap All Positions) – CNBC/ PRN

8:30 p.m. – Xfinity Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 Xfinity Series race (Stages 45/90/200 Laps) – NBCSN/PRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Sunday, November 3

3 p.m. – Cup Series AAA Texas 500 Cup Series race (Stages 85/170/334 Laps) – NBCSN/PRN/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Playoff standings prior to Texas Motor Speedway

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series:

1. Martin Truex Jr. – 4102 points

2. Denny Hamlin – 4082 points

3. Kyle Busch – 4075 points

4. Joey Logano – 4072 points

5. Kevin Harvick – 4058 points

6. Ryan Blaney – 4057 points

7. Kyle Larson – 4048 points

8. Chase Elliott – 4028 points

NASCAR Xfinity Series:

1. Christopher Bell – 3106 points

2. Cole Custer – 3095 points

3. Tyler Reddick – 3094 points

4. Justin Allgaier – 3059 points

5. Chase Briscoe – 3057 points

6.Michael Annett – 3047 points

7. Noah Gragson – 3042 points

8. Austin Cindric – 3029 points

Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

October 31, 2019
Exclusive: Bubba Wallace embraces Richard Petty legacy while forging his own path

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — In some ways, it was an unlikely pairing.

Petty, deemed “The King” of stock car racing, was instrumental in the development of the sport while Bubba Wallace epitomizes the future of NASCAR.

Wallace first connected with Richard Petty Motorsports in 2017 when he filled in for the injured Aric Almirola, competing in four races mid-season. After Almirola announced his departure from RPM at the end of 2017 Wallace was signed to drive the iconic No. 43 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Since then, he has handled being the face of the African American community in NASCAR with a maturity beyond his years. He has also risen to the challenge of representing the legacy of Petty with ease.

And though they come from different generations, they share a passion for racing and an appreciation for their fans that is reflected in their working relationship. Petty’s iconic status stems not only from his 200 wins in NASCAR’s top series but because of his dedication to those fans.

Some drivers look at signing autographs as an obligation. Today’s fans often have to jump through hoops just to be part of autograph sessions that are first-come, first-served and limited to a strict period of time. Petty is a different breed of driver and has never forgotten that without fans, there would be no racing.

Wallace shares Petty’s point of view.

“We’re here racing, putting on a show for them,” he told me. “There’s obviously boundaries and the right times for the right things.” But, he continued, “You’ve got to realize, you’ve got to put yourself in their shoes. They don’t get this opportunity but one time out of the year when we travel to their state. They get to see an athlete right in front of them having a meal and obviously at the track. NASCAR is second to none as far as fan access.”

Wallace has learned from the master, not through words, but by example.

“There’s been plenty of opportunities where it’s just been him and me going to appearances and you see the fan engagement with him and you’re just like, Hey, that’s pretty cool and you want to be that guy.”

“I don’t know if I’d ever be able to pull off the cowboy hat and the sunglasses,” he joked, “but yeah it’s pretty cool to see what he does for his fans.”

While Wallace’s respect for Petty and his heritage is profound, he remains grounded by striving above all else to be true to himself. He prefers to concentrate on what lies ahead rather than look backward.

“I think about it a lot. But times have definitely changed since then. Back when he was racing versus now, is a huge difference. The sport has totally changed since then. I look at it as driving an iconic number but rewriting history, no.”

Above all else, Wallace has found a team that embraces his values as he upholds their traditions.

His favorite aspect of driving for Petty, he said, “is that because it’s a small team, we’re all like family. We see the same people every day of the week around the shop. Everybody’s just there to bring you back up or cheer you on or keep you going so it’s super nice”.

The best thing, he reiterates, is, “The Petty’s are all about family.”

Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

October 29, 2019
Martin Truex Jr. dominates to win at Martinsville and advance to Championship 4

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Martin Truex Jr. led a record-setting 464 laps dominating the First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway to score his seventh victory of the season. It was his 26th NASCAR Cup Series win, the first at the .526-mile track and his 12th top-10 finish in 28 starts at Martinsville.

It also locks Truex into the Championship 4 for a shot at the series title at Homestead-Miami Speedway in three weeks.

“I’m just really happy about it, obviously,” said Truex. “I’ve been trying to work on getting a Martinsville win for a long time. It’s a tough track. It’s one that, you know, everybody I think wants to win at, the history here, and it’s such a big part of NASCAR.

“Really proud of everybody on our team for what they did and the car they brought, the pit stops today were incredible and the guys did a great job. So just all around a great day. To lead that many laps here is pretty incredible.”

While Truex stole the show in Victory Lane, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano provided the encore with an altercation after the race. The tension was a result of an incident on Lap 458 when the two made contact causing Logano to hit the outside wall. What started as a discussion quickly turned into a wrestling match.

“Yeah, I just wanted to talk to him about it and was pretty frustrated,” Logano explained.

“He just kind of came off the corner like there wasn’t another car on the outside of him and ruined our day, a shot at the win for sure. We probably weren’t going to beat the 19 but we had a top-five for sure coming our way, but we were just able to survive there.

“I don’t really know what happened because once he started hitting me, he didn’t lift, he just kept finishing me off. We ran each other fine all day, so I don’t know. I don’t really know what happened.”

The situation escalated when Logano shoved Hamlin and ended with both crews pulling the drivers apart. Not surprisingly, Hamlin’s take on the disagreement was quite different.

“We were having a discussion,” he said. “Everything was civil, and then, like Joey does, he does a little push and then runs away. So that’s Joey. Scared. He said, ‘Do you want to go?’ I said, ‘Yes, I’m here.’ But then he runs away.”

Hamlin also insinuated that the contact was incidental.

“I got close off of Turn 4,” he said. “It looks like we got together and it looks like collateral damage. He blew a tire.”

William Byron turned in a strong performance but had to settle for second place, his 13th top-10 finish this year.

“This isn’t a place that I’ve loved coming to,” said Byron, “and it just clicked this weekend. The things we did with the car going into qualifying and then obviously our race. So, I’m super excited, but second is not super fun either. So, we’ll try to get one spot better next time.”

Brad Keselowski finished third followed by Hamlin in fourth and Ryan Blaney in fifth. Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, Logano, Kyle Larson and Ryan Newman rounded out the top-10 at Martinsville.

Truex, Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Logano are currently the top four drivers in the points standings but Truex is the only driver locked into the Championship 4. Kevin Harvick (-14), Ryan Blaney (-15), Larson (-24) and Chase Elliott (-44) are all below the cut line with only two races remaining before the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 17.

Tune in next Sunday as the Cup Series heads to Texas Motor Speedway.

Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

October 27, 2019
Gilliland earns first Truck Series win at Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Todd Gilliland survived an unpredictable race filled with twists and turns to claim his first NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series victory in 46 starts. It is his sixth top five and 13th top-10 finish this season.

The Kyle Busch Motorsports driver led the last 11 laps of the NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 and held off a hard-charging Ross Chastain in an overtime drive to victory lane.

Gilliland described his emotions after the win.

“It feels amazing,” he said. “This place is really hard to win at. This Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra is not as pretty as we hoped it would be when we crossed the start-finish line, but man, it looks even better with water and Gatorade on it. Can’t thank JBL, Toyota, and all the fans enough. Thank you guys for sticking around. I think that was a good finish.”

He was also asked about a comment he made on the team radio concerning team owner Kyle Busch, saying Busch could “stay in his (expletive) motorhome.”

The remark was made in reference to remarks made by Busch earlier this year that indicated he was not pleased with Gilliland’s overall performance, telling him, “You have got to get up on top of the wheel and make it happen.”

Gilliland posted an apology to Busch on Twitter Saturday night.

“Like I’ve said before we should have won by now and it just hasn’t happened. I want to apologize to Kyle Busch for what I said after the race. My emotions got the best of me obviously and a lot went through my head as I took the checkered. Two more wins to chase.”

Ross Chastain finished second for his 17th top-10 of 2019 followed by Johnny Sauter in third, Grant Enfinger in fourth and Timmy Hill who rounded out the top five. It was Hill’s first top five in any of NASCAR’s top three series. Stewart Friesen, Jeb Burton, John Hunter Nemechek, Codie Rohrbaugh and Sheldon Creed placed sixth-10th, respectively.

While Gilliland celebrated, it was a tumultuous race for many of the competitors including most of the Playoff drivers. There were 12 cautions for a total of 80 laps.

Current points leader Brett Moffitt was involved in an accident on Lap 155 and his No. 24 GMS Racing Chevrolet was severely damaged. He was unable to finish the race and after completing only 122 laps, finished 29th. Moffitt currently has a 45-point margin over Matt Crafton who is fifth in the standings. Crafton had mechanical issues and finished a disappointing 23rd.

An accident on Lap 123 involved nine drivers including playoff drivers, Austin Hill (currently fourth) and Tyler Ankrum (sixth). Ankrum finished 25th followed by Hill in 26th.

The Truck Series heads to ISM Raceway for the Lucas Oil 150 on Nov. 8. The race will determine the four drivers who will contend for the series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

October 26, 2019
Hamlin captures Busch Pole Award at Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Denny Hamlin will lead the field to start the First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway after earning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole with a 97.840 mph lap Saturday afternoon. This is Hamlin’s 33rd career pole, his third this season and the fourth at the 526-mile track.

“It (qualifying run) was good,” said Hamlin. “We definitely didn’t expect to run that fast for sure. We didn’t make any mock run and the fastest in practice was something like a 59 or something like that, so certainly caught us off guard, but really I just drove it to its capability and that’s kind of all I had.

“I knew when I ran it, I was pretty happy with the lap, so to have the pole is obviously a huge, huge deal here.”

Chase Elliott was the second fastest with a lap speed of 97.694 but will have to drop to the rear of the field for the start of the race after he blew an engine in practice Saturday morning.

“We broke a motor there, five laps in,” he said, “and it’s obviously an unfortunate way to start the day, for sure. But, it’s one of those things really that it kind of is what it is at this point and everybody is working hard to try to get our car back put together to get some practice in this next one. At this point, that’s the most important thing.”

Martin Truex Jr. qualified third with a 97.694 lap followed by Aric Almirola and Michael McDowell.

Playoff driver Ryan Blaney (eighth in standings) will start sixth. Clint Bowyer, Erik Jones, and Daniel Suarez qualified seventh – ninth, respectively. Joey Logano who is currently fourth in the standings will start in 10th.

Of the remaining Playoff drivers, Kyle Busch qualified 13th, Kyle Larson 14th and Kevin Harvick will start 22nd.

Daniel Hemric was the fastest qualifying rookie, qualifying 18th, and is optimistic heading into the race.

“Since we unloaded, our Chevy Accessories ZL1 was good,” he said. “Looking forward to an opportunity to redeem ourselves from our run in the spring. It will be interesting. We had a solid lap. Looking forward to tomorrow.”

Sunday’s First Data 500 is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET Sunday afternoon on NBCSN with radio coverage by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

October 26, 2019
Todd Gilliland tops final Truck Series practice at Martinsville

Kyle Busch Motorsports dominated the two NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series practices Friday at Martinsville Speedway as Todd Gilliland posted the fasted lap in his No. 4 Toyota with a speed of 95.694 mph.

Harrison Burton was second fastest (95.247) followed by defending Truck Series champion Brett Moffitt (95.170), Johnny Sauter (95.141) and rookie Sam Mayer who rounded out the top-five with a 95.036 mph.

Kyle Busch Motorsports also topped the leader board during the first Truck Series practice with driver Christian Eckes who had the fastest lap in his No. 51 Toyota at a speed of 95.391 mph. Ross Chastain, Sheldon Creed, Ben Rhodes and Gilliland rounded out the top five in the first practice.

Matt Crafton had the best 10 consecutive lap average with a speed of 94.054 mph followed by Sheldon Creed, Grant Enfinger, Sam Mayer and Tyler Ankrum.

Mayer, in only his second series start, was the fastest driver in the 30-minute rookie practice session held Friday morning with a speed of 93.604 mph. Tanner Grey who will be making his first Truck Series start was second-fastest (92.969) and Codie Rohrbaugh was third (92.751 mph). Danny Bohn, also making his first series start, was fourth (92.466 mph) and Natalie Decker, in her first Truck Series race at Martinsville, was fifth fastest with a 90.833 mph lap.

Truck Series qualifying is Saturday at 10:05 a.m. ET followed by the NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 race at 1:30 p.m. ET, both on Fox Sports 1. This is the second race in the Playoffs Round of 6.

Moffitt is the current leader in the points standings. Stewart Friesen, Austin Hill, Crafton, Ankrum and Ross Chastain make up the remaining championship contenders in this round.

Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

October 25, 2019
Weekend Schedule for Martinsville

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the Gander Outdoors Truck Series head to Martinsville Speedway this weekend. The Xfinity Series is off.

The Playoffs continue with the first race in the Cup Series Round of 8 while the Truck Series drivers compete in the second race of their Round of 6.

Joey Logano is the defending Cup Series race winner while Johnny Sauter returns to defend his 2018 Truck Series victory at the 0.526-mile paperclip.

All times are Eastern.

Friday, October 25

11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.: Truck Series Rookie Practice (Rookie Drivers Only) – No TV

12:05 p.m. – 12:55 p.m.: Truck Series First Practice – No TV

2:05 p.m. – 2:55 p.m.: Truck Series Final Practice – No TV

Saturday, October 26

9:05 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.: Cup Series First Practice – CNBC/NBC Sports App/MRN

10:05 a.m.: Truck Series Qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle/Two Laps All Positions) – FS1

12 p.m. – 12:50 p.m.: Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN/NBC Sports App/MRN

1:30 p.m.: Truck Series NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 – (Stages 50/100/200 Laps = 105.2 Miles) – FS1/MRN

4:35 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle/Two Laps All Positions) – NBCSN/NBC Sports App/MRN

Sunday, October 27

3 p.m.: Cup Series First Data 500 – (Stages 130/260/500 Laps = 263 Miles) – NBCSN/NBC Sports App/MRN/ SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Cup Series Round of 8 Drivers:

1. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, 4,046 points
2. Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, 4,042 points
3. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, 4,037 points
4. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford, 4,030 points
5. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, 4,028 points
6. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, 4,024 points
7. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, 4,011 points
8. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford, 4,009 points

Truck Series Round of 6 Drivers:

1. Brett Moffitt, No. 24 GMS Racing Chevrolet, 3,085 points

2. Stewart Friesen, No.52, Halmar Friesen Racing Chevrolet, 3,062 points
3. Austin Hill, No.16, Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota, 3,052 points
4. Matt Crafton, No.88 ThorSport Racing Ford, 3,041 points
5. Tyler Ankrum, No.17 DGR-Crosley Toyota, 3,040 points
6. Ross Chastain, No.45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet, 3,039 points

Follow @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

October 25, 2019