Xfinity 500

Timing is everything and Kyle Larson is proving that old adage. With two races left in the Cup Series Chase, Larson has opened up a 73-point lead over Denny Hamlin. Larson hadn’t won a race during the season, but has three wins in eight Chase races, including last week at Talladega. Can he put a stamp on the season with a win in the Xfinity 500?

As mentioned lately, there has been a lot of driving for the team haulers, but this week’s trip from Talladega to Martinsville isn’t all that bad. The season concludes next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

How to Watch The Xfinity 500

When: Sunday, November 1, 2026

Where: Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, VA

Time: 2:00 p.m. ET

Channel: NBC

2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase Schedule

  • Cook Out Southern 500 (Darlington) – September 6
  • Enjoy Illinois 300 (World Wide Technology Raceway) – September 13
  • Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Bristol) – September 19
  • Hollywood Casino 400 (Kansas) – September 27
  • South Point 400 (Las Vegas) – October 4
  • Bank of America 400 (Charlotte) – October 11
  • Freeway Insurance 500 (Phoenix) – October 18
  • Yellawood 500 (Talladega) – October 25
  • Xfinity 500 (Martinsville) – November 1
  • Straight Talk Wireless 400 (Homestead-Miami) – November 8

2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase Standings

All 16 drivers who qualified for the Cup Series Chase will be in the running to win the championship for the duration of the postseason. The point totals were reset based on a new format, ranging from 2,100 to 2,000 to start the Chase. 

  • Kyle Larson – 2441
  • Denny Hamlin – 2368
  • Christopher Bell – 2367
  • Chase Briscoe – 2362
  • Joey Logano – 2341
  • Ryan Blaney – 2334
  • Tyler Reddick – 2315
  • Austin Cindric – 2258
  • Ty Gibbs – 2258
  • Carson Hocevar – 2243
  • William Byron – 2227
  • Chase Elliott – 2223
  • Bubba Wallace – 2223
  • Daniel Suarez – 2201
  • Ryan Preece – 2192
  • Chris Buescher – 2186

Through eight playoff races, the winners are Bell, Larson (3), Logano, Briscoe (2), and Reddick. Larson was one of the few playoff drivers to avoid danger at Talladega. Byron finished second in what was his best showing of the Chase. Byron was sixth and Hamlin was eighth. Nobody else finished in the top 12 and many of the top drivers finished in the 30s.

This is the first short-track race in a while, as Martinsville’s 0.526-mile “Paperclip” oval is the shortest track of the Chase, coming in just slightly below Bristol. Logano won at Bristol, while Larson was second and Hocevar was third.

The race winners from the regular season were Reddick (5), Hamlin (4), Blaney (3), Chase Elliott (2), Shane van Gisbergen (2), Corey Heim (2), Gibbs (2), Logano (2), Suarez, Carson Hocevar, Briscoe, and Preece.

Xfinity 500 Winners

We’ll have very tight racing here at Martinsville, but we shouldn’t see cautions or crashes like we’ve seen in some other events. Blaney has the best average finish over his last 10 starts here at 5.1, followed by Logano at 6.0, and Larson at 6.6. Elliott and Byron have also averaged a finish better than 10th over that span.

Elliott won back in the spring here, with Hamlin, Byron, Larson, and Byron again over the last five spring races. Byron won last year’s Chase race. Blaney has two wins over the last five, with Bell and Alex Bowman also on the winners list.

Xfinity 500 Predictions

For the latest odds and VSiN’s NASCAR Best Bets, head to our NASCAR Hub to see Steve Makinen’s simulation results and more stats on the drivers.

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