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November 3, 2024

NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs

Martinsville live blog: All the updates from the Round of 8 elimination race

By Steve Luvender

NASCAR.com

Published:

13 Minute Read

We’re bringing you live updates covering Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race from Martinsville Speedway, the Xfinity 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). Bookmark this page and check back often as we chronicle the action from what promises to be a thrilling Sunday.

Overview:

– Martinsville Speedway hosts the 500-lap Round of 8 playoff elimination race Sunday afternoon.

– Among the eight playoff contenders, four drivers will leave Martinsville eliminated from the championship fight. With a new, softer tire expected to offer a high degree of unpredictability, anything could happen — and anyone, except already locked-in drivers Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick, could be going home disappointed.

If it helps to get you in the mood, you can check out past Martinsville races ad-free on NASCAR Classics.

All times listed are Eastern.

Sunday, November 3

6:30 p.m., checkered flag: That’s it for our Martinsville live blog coverage. Thanks for following along! | Unofficial results

6:10 p.m., checkered flag: Last year, Ryan Blaney won at Martinsville and followed it up with a championship-winning performance at Phoenix. Can he do it again next week to become a two-time champ?

6:04 p.m., checkered flag: Your Championship 4: Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and William Byron.

6:00 p.m., checkered flag: Christopher Bell has been penalized with a safety violation for riding the wall on the final lap, dropping the No. 20 from 18th to a 22nd-place finish. The Bell penalty moves William Byron into the Championship 4.

Christopher Bell hit wall at Martinsville final lap

5:57 p.m., checkered flag: Add another grandfather clock to Ryan Blaney’s collection.

Ryan Blaney stands in Victory Lane with Martinsville grandfather clock trophy

5:37 p.m., checkered flag: Ryan Blaney’s emotions are palpable as he celebrates his victory. He certainly earned this one.

5:36 p.m., checkered flag: As of now, it appears William Byron, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott headed home.

5:34 p.m., Lap 500: In the final corner, Christopher Bell has passed Bubba Wallace – the point Bell needed to advance. Bell scrapped and dragged the Turn 4 wall heavily on his way to the checkered flag.

5:34 p.m., Lap 500: 🏁 Ryan Blaney has won the Xfinity 500! He’s going to Phoenix to defend his title.

5:33 p.m., Lap 499: ⚪️ Final lap for Ryan Blaney.

5:32 p.m., Lap 495: There’s a parking lot of Chevrolets behind William Byron, who can’t afford to lose a single position.

5:31 p.m., Lap 494: Ryan Blaney has set sail. He’s about two seconds ahead of Chase Elliott now.

5:31 p.m., Lap 492: With under 10 to go, William Byron’s hoping Austin Dillon doesn’t pass him – that would end the No. 24’s season.

5:29 p.m., Lap 486: New leader! Ryan Blaney has muscled past Chase Elliott. Meanwhile, William Byron has lost another position; he’s just a point to the good.

5:28 p.m., Lap 484: Ryan Blaney, running second, isn’t done yet. He needs to pass leader Chase Elliott … but Elliott can’t afford anything but first place. Both of them can’t advance together.

5:27 p.m., Lap 482: William Byron’s doing all he can to avoid losing spots in fifth; he’s just two points ahead of Christopher Bell with under 20 to go.

5:26 p.m., Lap 479: Ryan Blaney’s moved past Kyle Larson for second. Wow.

5:25 p.m., Lap 478: New leader! Chase Elliott has moved teammate Kyle Larson for the top spot. Larson wouldn’t make the Championship 4 as it now stands.

5:25 p.m., Lap 476: Third-place Ryan Blaney is absolutely on a mission. He’s closed up to the two leaders.

5:22 p.m., Lap 467: Good thing he’s already locked in to Phoenix! Tyler Reddick has pulled his flaming No. 45 car behind the wall; he’s done for the afternoon. Reddick never cracked the top 30 all race.

5:21 p.m., Lap 464: It’s Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney and William Byron out front. If the race ended now, Larson would be in from a win, and Byron would make it on points. There are still 36 laps to go, though, and a lot can happen.

5:20 p.m., Lap 462: Kyle Larson has lapped Bubba Wallace, effectively trapping Christopher Bell a lap down without help of a potential free pass if a caution were to come out.

5:15 p.m., Lap 448: Chase Elliott hasn’t tracked down Kyle Larson the way he’d hoped; Larson now holds a 1.2-second lead. That could change quickly, though, as the No. 5 approaches lapped traffic.

5:11 p.m., Lap 435: Ryan Blaney has passed Denny Hamlin for fifth, but it makes no difference for now in terms of championship contention; both drivers are well behind on points. The lap count is dwindling fast.

5:08 p.m., Lap 429: Back to the bubble battle: Bell’s behind by four points, but he’s a lap down. He needs a caution – and soon – to keep his championship hopes alive.

5:06 p.m., Lap 423: Chase Elliott has moved up to second place. He’s a second behind teammate Kyle Larson with 77 laps to go.

5:06 p.m., Lap 420: It’s a Hendrick Motorsports 1-2-3 up front – Kyle Larson, William Byron, Chase Elliott. Elliott’s on the freshest tires and he needs to win to advance.

5:03 p.m., Lap 413: 🟢 Everybody got their tires attached this time? Good. Back to green! Kyle Larson leads.

4:59 p.m., Lap 407: 🟡 Caution No. 9. That was quick. The right-front wheel has come off Kyle Busch’s car – but that was enough time for Kyle Larson to take over the lead from William Byron.

4:58 p.m., Lap 407: 🟢 Green flag for William Byron!

4:57 p.m., Lap 405: The sun is beginning to set at Martinsville Speedway. Daylight Saving Time will creep up on you.

4:54 p.m., Lap 402: William Byron and Kyle Larson stayed out under caution. It’s worth noting that this now traps Christopher Bell a lap down; he likely would have taken the wave around to get back on the lead lap had the leaders not remained on track.

4:51 p.m., Lap 398: 🟡 Caution No. 8. Carson Hocevar has spun, courtesy of Alex Bowman. This will make things interesting, strategy-wise. Expect Chase Elliott to lead much of the field to pit road – but will William Byron, Kyle Larson and others on fresher tires?

4:50 p.m., Lap 396: William Byron is quickly reeling in his teammate Chase Elliott for the race lead. Byron’s faster on fresher tires.

4:48 p.m., Lap 390: Wow! Kyle Larson’s pit entry just made his championship hopes flash before his eyes. The No. 5 runs fifth after pit stops.

Kyle Larson slide and avoid Erik Jones entering Martinsville pit road

4:45 p.m., Lap 380: Chase Elliott has inherited the race lead. Recall the No. 9 pitted sooner than most other cars on this round of pit stops. Depending on how cautions are timed – and expect them at Martinsville – this could benefit Elliott and keep his championship hopes alive.

4:43 p.m., Lap 376: Bubba Wallace has taken over the race lead amid pit stops. He and Michael McDowell haven’t stopped yet.

4:41 p.m., Lap 373: Much of the field is heading to pit road now.

4:40 p.m., Lap 370: Christopher Bell has gone a lap down. He’s OK on points for now, though.

4:34 p.m., Lap 350: Chase Elliott, running 10th, hits pit road under green, a bit earlier than fellow playoff competitors. Elliott will likely need to win this one, so the No. 9 team is trying something a little different.

4:32 p.m., Lap 347: Ryan Blaney just used lapped car Shane van Gisbergen as a pusher to move William Byron out of the way. Blaney’s taken over second spot with the aggressive move, and he’ll now work to chase down Brad Keselowski.

4:29 p.m., Lap 337: Still all Brad Keselowski out front, who’s led a race-high 134 laps today.

4:18 p.m., Lap 305: Christopher Bell is up to 22nd – enough to put him into a safe position by two points – but there are still about 200 laps to settle this one. As it stands, Kyle Larson (-2, running third), Denny Hamlin (-20, running fifth), Ryan Blaney (-32, running fourth) and Chase Elliott (-48, running 10th) are out.

4:10 p.m., Lap 283: Not much talk about Denny Hamlin’s practice crash and deep starting position anymore; he’s solidly settled into the top five on the same strategy as the cars around him. He’s still 16 points below the elimination line, though.

4:08 p.m., Lap 279: As they run, Christopher Bell is four points out of contention. He runs 29th, so there’s a lot of upside and a lot of time. Crew chief Adam Stevens told Bell he needs to finish 13th if a championship contender wins today.

4:05 p.m., Lap 270: 🟢 Green flag to begin the final stage!

4:05 p.m., Lap 269: Christopher Bell will restart at the back of the field after issues on pit road. Bell pitted his Toyota again for a left-front wheel on the No. 20 that wasn’t quite tight.

4:03 p.m., Lap 267: Close call for the No. 12 and No. 77 on pit road.

4:01 p.m., Lap 265: Kyle Larson and William Byron gained positions on pit road, and they’ll restart second and third behind leader Brad Keselowski, who held onto the top spot.

4:00 p.m., Lap 263: This caution – and the end of today’s stages – will stabilize pit strategies a bit as cars make their way to pit road. There are 31 cars on the lead lap, so it’s crucial for playoff teams to perform flawlessly now more than ever.

3:57 p.m., Lap 260: 🟡 Caution No. 7 for Stage 2 end. Brad Keselowski wins the stage ahead of five playoff drivers: Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, William Byron and Christopher Bell. Chase Elliott made his way up to 12th, but it’s not enough for stage points this time.

3:47 p.m., Lap 230: Fantasy Live players, don’t forget to finalize those garage picks before Stage 2 ends in 30 laps. I garaged Martin Truex Jr. after his pit-road issues early in the race, but I’m going to swap him in for Ty Gibbs, who’s struggling in 28th place. Hurry, though! Laps dwindle quickly at Martinsville and you’re almost out of time to make changes.

Steve Luvender Fantasy Live lineup

3:43 p.m., Lap 221: Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney are fighting hard for the top spot. Keselowski’s got control for now, but Blaney isn’t letting the No. 6 drive away.

3:41 p.m., Lap 214: All is not lost for Chase Elliott, who’s recovered to 15th place in short order.

3:38 p.m., Lap 205: Move Brad Keselowski to the top spot. Keselowski’s not in championship contention, which could make for an interesting points situation for the final two spots in the Championship 4. With the No. 6 out front – and keeping in mind we’ve got numerous strategies playing out and one more stage’s worth of points to award – Christopher Bell and William Byron are in.

3:37 p.m., Lap 203: 🟢 Green flag again for Ryan Blaney, with Brad Keselowski restarting on the outside.

3:32 p.m., Lap 196: 🟡 Caution No. 6. Carson Hocevar sent Daniel Hemric around, collecting Todd Gilliland in the process. Think the flagger’s arm is getting tired?

3:30 p.m., Lap 191: 🟢 Ryan Blaney leads the field back to green ahead of Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Christopher Bell and Austin Dillon. Former leader William Byron will restart 11th with fresh tires.

3:27 p.m., Lap 187: Chase Elliott had a miserable pit stop; the No. 9 team had to return to the right side of the car before Elliott could drive away. The second-place car that was dominant in Stage 1 will now restart well outside the top 20. Ouch. Luckily for Elliott fans, this one’s not even halfway over.

3:26 p.m., Lap 186: Looks like the leaders will take to pit road just before the halfway point in Stage 2. Championship contenders Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin lead those staying out.

3:24 p.m., Lap 183: 🟡 Caution No. 5. Martin Truex Jr.’s the latest to spin off Daniel Hemric’s bumper (with some help behind him). Things are starting to feel like a typical Martinsville race, wouldn’t you say?

3:19 p.m., Lap 168: Don’t look now, but last-place starter Denny Hamlin is now running 10th. There’s still plenty of time left in Stage 2 to earn stage points, too.

3:18 p.m., Lap 165. Back to green again.

3:12 p.m., Lap 157: 🟡 Caution No. 4. Harrison Burton’s around this time. Carson Hocevar sent the No. 21 spinning entering Turn 3. That’ll mean another restart momentarily.

3:10 p.m., Lap 152: 🟢 Green flag for leader William Byron following the No. 99 spin. Let’s do it again.

3:05 p.m., Lap 145: 🟡 Caution No. 3. Daniel Suárez is in the wall after running in the top 15. Suárez spun around after contact Daniel Hemric’s car, which was shoved into the corner by Austin Cindric. Just Martinsville stuff!

3:04 p.m., Lap 142: William Byron has quickly taken the lead from teammate Chase Elliott.

3:04 p.m., Lap 142: 🟢 Green flag to begin Stage 2.

2:57 p.m., Lap 134: Pit stops are again underway under caution. Not much change up front other than Ryan Blaney jumping to fourth place ahead of Ryan Preece. Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman made contact on pit road, but that’s just tight-quarters Martinsville for you.

2:56 p.m., Lap 133: Denny Hamlin (15th) and Christopher Bell (21st) did not collect any stage points. Bell entered the afternoon with a 29-point cushion.

2:55 p.m., Lap 130: 🟡 Caution No. 2 for Stage 1 end. Chase Elliott has won the stage, collecting 10 valuable points. William Byron finished second, ahead of Chase Briscoe and Ryan Preece, who paced playoff pair Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson.

2:49 p.m., Lap 115: Just 15 laps remain in Stage 1 and Chase Elliott has a 1.5-second lead.

2:41 p.m., Lap 91: Denny Hamlin’s up to 15th after the caution and restart. He’s digging.

2:39 p.m., Lap 88: 🟢 Back to green! Chase Elliott leads the way.

2:35 p.m., Lap 80: Pit stops are underway. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott and William Byron exit pit road first, ahead of Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe and Ryan Preece. It’s a solid day for SHR so far.

2:32 p.m., Lap 78: 🟡 Caution No. 1. Championship contender Christopher Bell has gone for a spin. Bell’s car got loose entering a corner and collected Corey LaJoie. Both cars continue with no visible damage.

2:29 p.m., Lap 70: Ouch. Martin Truex Jr. has sped on pit road, and he’ll serve a pass-through under green. It’s going to be a long afternoon for the No. 19 from here. (And, selfishly, my Fantasy Live team.)

2:27 p.m., Lap 67: Just past the halfway point in the stage, some cars have opted to split the stage (nearly) in half with a green-flag pit stop, most notably Tyler Reddick and Martin Truex Jr. We’ll see if fresh tires pay off; a green-flag stop at Martinsville typically costs two laps.

2:22 p.m., Lap 50: Tyler Reddick has gone a lap down in 34th place, but thanks to his win last week, it doesn’t matter. Reddick could pit for a Martinsville hot dog and still race for the title next Sunday.

2:20 p.m., Lap 46: Denny Hamlin is up to 28th. The repaired No. 11 car looks fast, despite tight turns and tumultuous traffic.

2:19 p.m., Lap 42: New leader! Chase Elliott has wrestled the top spot from pole winner Martin Truex Jr.

2:17 p.m., Lap 36: Martin Truex Jr. has led every lap so far, with a half-second lead over second-place Chase Elliott. Elliott quite likely will need to win today to advance. Truex’s cushion will likely evaporate when the No. 19 reaches the tail end of the field.

2:09 p.m., Lap 13: Sure, it’s early, but Denny Hamlin isn’t making much forward progress. Hamlin’s up three positions from the start, currently running 33rd. Stage 1 is 130 laps.

2:07 p.m., Lap 7: It’s worth noting that today’s race features a new, softer left-side tire compound from Goodyear.

2:05 p.m., Lap 1: 🟢 Green flag! Martin Truex Jr. leads the field to the start of the Xfinity 500.

1:55 p.m.: Engines are fired! Follow along on NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, the NBC Sports App and our NASCAR.com live leaderboard in Race Center.

1:54 p.m.: The only drivers resting easy today are Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick. No matter where they finish today, they’ll compete for a championship next week.

1:47 p.m.: Pre-race ceremonies are underway! The Isaacs have got the place moving with a lovely performance of the national anthem as planes soar overhead for this afternoon’s flyover.

1:45 p.m.: All eyes are on the playoffs this afternoon, but let’s hear it for Michael McDowell, starting his 500th Cup Series start this afternoon. McDowell made his first start at Martinsville in 2008.

1:42 p.m.: Speaking of Denny Hamlin, he’s my pick for NASCAR.com’s 36 for 36 this weekend. It’s been a fun season of strategy (and, let’s face it, luck), and I’m pretty pleased with my remaining picks for the year.

1:40 p.m.: My Fantasy Live lineup for this weekend features strong qualifiers … plus my garage pick of Denny Hamlin, who’s starting in last place after a crash in practice. (I’m locked in a tight points battle with some of my NASCAR.com teammates, so we’ll need a good afternoon.)

Steve Luvender Martinsville Fantasy Live lineup

1:35 p.m.: Here’s what the points look like for the remaining eight playoff drivers. Any of these drivers can secure their spot in next year’s championship race by winning today. At least one driver will advance solely on points; entering this afternoon, that’s Christopher Bell, who’s got a 29-point cushion.

1. Tyler Reddick: Advanced
2. Joey Logano: Advanced
3. Christopher Bell: +29
4. William Byron: +7
– Elimination Line –
5. Kyle Larson: -7
6. Denny Hamlin: -18
7: Ryan Blaney: -38
8: Chase Elliott: -43

1:30 p.m.: Howdy! It’s the final elimination race in the playoffs, and by the end of the afternoon we’ll know who will join Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick in this year’s Championship 4.

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