Posted on by Reid Spencer

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Aric Almirola and Kyle Busch were battling for the seventh position in Sunday’s First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway, and they weren’t doing each other any favors.

On Lap 361, Busch tapped Almirola’s No. 10 Ford in Turn 3. Almirola returned the favor in the next corner, and Busch turned his No. 18 Toyota down on Almirola as the cars sped off Turn 4.

RELATED: Race results | Playoff standings

Busch and Almirola spun and cars collided behind them as they tried to avoid the wreck. The accident knocked Almirola and Jimmie Johnson out of the race and damaged the cars of Busch, Ryan Preece, Matt DiBenedetto and Kyle Larson.

“We just got together,” Almirola said. “I got inside of him (Kyle Busch) getting down in Turn 3, and he chopped me, and I got in his left-rear and moved him up a little bit and got inside of him, and then we hooked and got tangled up off of turn four.

“It’s disappointing. I had a really good Smithfield Ford Mustang and felt like we were maybe one adjustment away from being maybe a second or third-place car, so I’m proud of my guys, proud of the effort. We’ve got three more weeks, and I’m going to make it hell for him.”

Busch finished 14th but remains third in the Playoff standings, 17 points above the cut line for the Championship 4 finale.

“He ran over me, so I chopped him, and we got hooked together,” Busch said tersely after the race.

Informed of Almirola’s threat, Busch replied, “Sounds good.”

Posted on by Staff Report

The race-winning No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driven by Martin Truex Jr. passed post-race technical inspection Sunday at Martinsville Speedway with no issues.

The No. 19 Toyota was found to be compliant with the 2019 NASCAR Rule Book after Truex won the first of three races in the Round of 8 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, punching his ticket into the Championship 4 finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The following cars had one lug nut not safe and secure:

  • No. 12 Team Penske Ford of Ryan Blaney (finished fifth)
  • No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (finished 15th)
  • No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Kyle Busch (finished 14th)
  • No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of William Byron (finished second)

Also, the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Denny Hamlin will go back to the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina.

With post-race teardown complete, the race results are official.

RELATED: Official race results

The post-race process is part of a new, more timely approach to inspection for all three NASCAR national series. Competition officials announced in February that thorough post-race inspections would take place shortly after the checkered flag at the track instead of midweek at the Research & Development Center.

Those inspections come with a stiffer deterrence structure that includes disqualification for significant rules infractions — “a total culture change,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer. In the past, race-winning teams found in violation of the rules were penalized with post-race fines, points deductions and/or suspensions, but victories were allowed to stand.

Competition officials introduced the quicker post-race inspection timetable in an effort to make the results official on race day, aiming for a 90-minute target time frame to complete their scrutineering. The new post-race inspection process was also designed to deal with potential violations more promptly, avoiding any midweek news that might cloud the previous week’s results or the build-up to the following week’s event.

NASCAR will still inspect cars and parts at the R&D Center as needed, but the more comprehensive at-track inspection will take priority.

According to NASCAR statistical archives, the last time a premier-series driver was disqualified occurred in 1973, when early retiree Buddy Baker was demoted to last place in the National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The last time an apparent race winner in NASCAR’s top division was disqualified came on April 17, 1960, when Emanuel Zervakis’ victory at Wilson (N.C.) Speedway was thrown out because of an oversized fuel tank on his No. 85 Chevrolet.

Posted on by Zack Albert

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — A half-a-minute post-race discussion between Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano was civilized, at least for the first 29 seconds. But it was the last-second ending that touched off the latest chapter in their off-and-on rivalry Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.

The two drivers had a pointed but relatively calm talk after Sunday’s First Data 500, attempting to sort out the late-race contact that caused a tire rub and eventually a spin for Logano’s Team Penske No. 22 Ford. The difference of opinion seemed to reach a stalemate until Logano added a chat-ending smack to Hamlin’s right shoulder.

Hamlin took exception, lunging toward the retreating Logano as crewmembers interceded. Both expressed their intent to fight it out before cooling off.

“I was frustrated about the situation obviously,” said Logano, who rallied from 19th to eighth in the final 35 laps. “I just really wanted to go over there to talk to him and get his side of the story on what happened, and he just said ‘I ran you up in the wall’ basically. It wasn’t as apologetic as I was looking for, and that probably escalated the situation too much. I shouldn’t have shoved him. For all the kids watching, that wasn’t the best thing to do. But I was frustrated, tempers were high and it’s the playoffs, so that’s what happens.”

LOGANO: Where’s the apology?

Hamlin said he was fine with the two drivers’ discussion until the end.

“It was a discussion. I understand him coming over and talking,” said Hamlin, who started from the pole and settled for fourth. “Standing there and having a discussion with him, everything was fine and I think he didn’t get me agitated enough, so he said something and then pokes a little bit and then runs away, trying to get me to come so he could hide behind his guys. He’s just not that tough. He won’t stand face to face, and that’s just his style.”

HAMLIN: ‘He ran away’

Hamlin and Logano were battling in close quarters among the top five when Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota drifted up into the side of Logano’s No. 22, squeezing him into the outside wall off Turn 4. Two laps later, Logano spun as his tire gave way, prompting a caution period with 40 laps left. That left Logano as the last driver on the lead lap before his comeback salvaged a top 10.

Sunday’s post-race scuffle was another episode for Logano and Hamlin, who most recently called Logano “an idiot” for racing hard multiple laps down earlier this month at Dover — although he later walked those comments back. The two also clashed early in the 2013 season, with a post-race skirmish at Bristol Motor Speedway and last-lap contact at Auto Club Speedway that forced Hamlin to miss four races with a compression fracture in his back.

The latest incident — and their words afterward — underscored that their simmering issues remained.

“Denny’s Denny, you know. He’s a little bit arrogant sometimes,” Logano said. “I should be stronger than let that get underneath me when he does that.”

Added Hamlin: “I told him that it was my fault. I came up the race track and made contact, but obviously the end part is his fault. We can have a discussion with him over two or three times about him blocking me and what is he doing at Dover, this, that and the other. That’s a discussion that men have, but he handles it differently because he’s immature.”

Posted on by Staff Report

After the opening race of the Round of 8 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Martinsville Speedway, here’s a brief look at the playoff picture. There are two races remaining in the Round of 8 before the field is whittled to the Championship 4, with four drivers eliminated from the postseason following the race at ISM Raceway near Phoenix on Nov. 10.

Winner

Martin Truex Jr. dominated Sunday at Martinsville, claiming his seventh win of the season. The victory also adds five playoff points to his total (along with two more he got for winning Stage 1 and Stage 2) and locks him into the Championship 4. He is the first driver to clinch a spot in the championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

RELATED: Official race results

Who’s hot

Ryan Blaney. Blaney was not pushed around at the .526-mile track. The driver of the No. 12 looked every bit like a short-track veteran during the frenetic closing laps, using his chrome horn when appropriate and showing restraint when necessary. He finished fifth and gained a bit of ground in the process.

Denny Hamlin. Hamlin won the Busch Pole Award, and although the No. 11 team lost the point early on a slow pit stop, the Virginia native drove his way back through the field, even as track conditions changed and his car lost some of its bite. A fourth-place run puts him comfortably ahead of the cutline.

Who’s not

Chase Elliott. A horrible turn of events ruined Elliott’s hot start at Martinsville. Whether or not it ruins his entire Round of 8 remains to be seen. An apparent broken axle on the No. 9 Chevrolet put Elliott from running in the top five early in Stage 2 — after starting from the rear, no less — to behind the wall, in last place. His day ruined, Elliott must win one of the next two races to advance to the Championship 4.

Kyle Busch. He’s above the cutline, but this seven-race playoff stretch has not been kind to Busch and the No. 18 team. Something seems off with this group. Busch had finally started to move up into the top five midway through the final stage when he was ensnared in a wreck with Aric Almirola — who later said “I’m going to make it hell for him” in reference to Kyle Busch’s race for the championship.

BUBBLE WATCH

Rank Driver Points to cutoff
1. Martin Truex Jr. WIN
2. Denny Hamlin +24
3. Kyle Busch +17
4. Joey Logano +14
————— CUT-OFF LINE —————
5. Kevin Harvick -14
6. Ryan Blaney -15
7. Kyle Larson -24
8. Chase Elliott -44

Next race

The Monster Energy Series travels to Texas Motor Speedway for the second race in the Round of 8 at the 1.5-mile facility on Nov. 3 (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Who it favors

Kevin Harvick. There have been five races at Texas since its repave and reconfiguration, so we’re only looking at the last five races there. And the driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford emerges as the clear favorite. He has four top-five finishes and five top 10s during that stretch, with an average finish of 3.2. He’s the favorite next weekend.

Who it hurts

Kyle Larson. Texas has been a total boom-or-bust for the 27-year-old since 2017. Larson has one runner-up finish, another fifth-place finish … and then three finishes of 36th or worse due to wrecks. Truth be told, most of the playoff drivers have been good at Texas. Larson’s average finish of 23.8 is easily the worst, but he’s also capable of winning the race outright.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – It took a post-race fracas on pit road to distract from the dominance of Martin Truex Jr., who led a career-best 464 laps in winning Sunday’s First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway and punched his ticket for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 race.

The 2017 Cup Series champion took the lead from pole winner Denny Hamlin off pit road on Lap 30 under the first of 11 cautions and held it the rest of the way, save for a six-lap stint where Kyle Larson stayed out on old tires near the end of the second 130-lap stage.

Denied victory by Joey Logano’s bump-and-run in last year’s playoff race at the .526-mile track, Truex won for the first time at the venerable short track. It was his seventh win this season and the 26th time in this career.

RELATED: Race results | Series standings
MORE: Shop for Truex gear

Byron chased Truex all the way to the checkered flag but couldn’t get close enough to make a move in the final laps.

“I can’t believe we just won Martinsville, man,” said Truex, who finished .489 seconds ahead of William Byron after a restart with 24 laps left. “Miami (site of the season finale) is awesome, but we’ve wanted to win here for a long time.”

As strong as his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was, Truex didn’t expect the level of domination he showed Sunday.

“I don’t think anyone expected that,” said Truex, who opened a 20-point lead over second-place Hamlin in the standings. “This race track, in general, you don’t see that. Hats off to my guys. Pit crew was stellar today, and we didn’t make many adjustments. We adjusted on early and it came to life, and that was a lot of fun.

“I don’t know, maybe now I’ve got this place figured out. Who knows? But just really proud of everybody, and after last year, we talked earlier, everybody wants to keep talking about last year, and I’m like, ‘We’ve got work to do.’ I’m just proud of everybody for giving me a race car like that and being able to put it all together today when it counted.”

RELATED: Logano, Hamlin square off on pit road

A post-race discussion between Hamlin and Logano started with civility and ended in a wrestling match between the drivers and their crews. The point of contention was an incident on Lap 458 when Hamlin’s Toyota and Logano’s Ford made side-to-side contact off Turn 4 and Logano’s car banged into the outside wall.

Logano spun in Turn 1 to bring out the 10th caution, and he recovered to finish seventh, but he wanted answers from Hamlin after the race.

“We were having a discussion,” Hamlin 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.”

“I just wanted to see what his thoughts were, and it wasn’t quite the answer I was looking for,” said Logano, who initiated the physicality with a light push to Hamlin’s right shoulder.

Seeking his first win in NASCAR’s top series, Byron ran consistently in the top 10 all afternoon but was no match for Truex.

“He was really strong,” said Byron, who had not finished on the lead lap in three previous starts at Martinsville. “I could work my brake bias a little bit in the car and gain a little bit, and then I’d get to him and I’d heat up a lot and then kind of fall back. I don’t really know. He was super strong. Our car bounced a little bit on the short run, which was tough to kind of get around. But overall, it was a really good day.

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

Brad Keselowski ran third, followed by Hamlin, Ryan Blaney and Kurt Busch. Kevin Harvick, Logano, Kyle Larson and Ryan Newman completed the top 10.

With Truex locked into the Championship 4 — winning a Round of 8 race for the first time — Hamlin, 14th-place finisher Kyle Busch and Logano remain above the cut line for the season finale, with the playoff field to be cut from eight drivers to four, two races hence at ISM Raceway in Phoenix.

Harvick is fifth in the standings, 1 point behind Logano in fourth. Blaney is one point behind Harvick with Larson another nine back. Chase Elliott finished 36th on Sunday, 55 laps down after his rear axle broke on Lap 180, and is 44 points below the cut line—likely needing a victory in one of the next two races to make the Championship 4.

ALMIROLA: Will ‘make it hell’ for Ky. Busch

Posted on by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: How to find NBCSN | Get the NBC Sports App | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App

Monday, October 28
2 p.m., NASCAR 120: Kansas, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5 p.m., NASCAR America: Monday, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

Tuesday, October 29
2 p.m., Glory Road: Modified to Cup (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2:30 p.m., Glory Road: Endurance Racing (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5 p.m., Dale Jr. Download: Brad Keselowski, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App

On MRN
7 p.m., NASCAR Live

Wednesday, October 30
Midnight, Dale Jr. Download: Brad Keselowski (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
5 p.m., NASCAR America: Motormouths, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., Glory Road: The Winston Million, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6:30 p.m., Glory Road: Controversial Finishes (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On MRN
Noon, NASCAR Coast to Coast

Thursday, October 31
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR K&N Pro Series West: Bakersfield (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App

Friday, November 1
1 p.m., Racing Roots: Denny Hamlin (re-air), NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
3 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
4 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
5 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)

Saturday, November 2
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, CNBC/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
6:30 p.m., NASCAR America, CNBC/NBC Sports App
7 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying, CNBC/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN App)
8 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN2)
11 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Post Race, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On PRN
7 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Qualifying
8 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300

Sunday, November 3
11:30 p.m., Empty Cup: Quest for the 1992 NASCAR Championship (re-air), FS1/FOX Sports App
Noon, NASCAR RaceDay: MENCS, FS1/FOX Sports App
1:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
2:30 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
3 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA Texas 500, NBCSN/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN1, 4)
7 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Post Race, NBCSN/NBC Sports App
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lap, NBCSN/NBC Sports App

On PRN
2 p.m., Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA Texas 500

Posted on by Staff Report

Chase Elliott’s exceptional start in Sunday’s Round of 8 opener at Martinsville Speedway was undone by an apparent broken axle in his No. 9 Chevrolet.

The issue became clear after pit stops during a Stage 2 caution. After a four-tire stop, Elliott’s No. 9 didn’t fire off just right, and the Hendrick Motorsports driver immediately brought his machine back down pit road.

The team further diagnosed the issue as the race went green, dropping Elliott from a potential top-five position to 37th and more than 10 laps down. The team eventually took the car to the garage in an attempt to repair it, changing the rear gearing.

RELATED: Race results

Elliott returned to the track on Lap 236, 52 laps down and in last place. He finished 36th and exits Martinsville 44 points behind the cutoff line and last among the remaining eight title-eligible drivers.

“Just disappointing for a day like that,” Elliott said. “We know better and we can do better than that.”

Elliott qualified second for Sunday’s race at the .526-mile track, but started at the rear of the field after a blown engine in Saturday practice forced the team to make a swap. He drove his way through the field in impressive fashion, earning three stage points in Stage 1 by finishing eighth and clawing his way into the top five before the issue.

MORE: Playoff picture outlook

The two mechanical issues during Martinsville weekend comes on the heels of an early exit at Dover during the opening race in the postseason’s Round of 12. Now the Hendrick Motorsports No. 9 group has opened the Round of 8 with a thud, which crew chief Alan Gustafson said was cause for concern.

“We can’t break parts,” Gustafson told NASCAR.com. “You can’t win these races if you don’t finish them. Certainly can’t gain any points if you don’t finish them. Yeah, we gotta finish races. We can’t continue to do this. This is not acceptable and we’re not going to get very far if we don’t finish, so that’s a lot to clean up in my opinion. Yeah, not good.”

Asked if next weekend’s event at Texas Motor Speedway was a must-win, Elliott said it was “certainly the case.” Elliott hasn’t finished worse than 13th in seven Monster Energy Series starts at the Fort Worth venue, but Gustafson said execution meant more than any track record there.

“All you can do, in my opinion, is do the best you can do, right?” Gustafson said. “Optimism, stats, history — all that (expletive) does not matter. It doesn’t pay any points. You’ve got to go, and you’ve got to perform.”

Contributing: Zack Albert in Martinsville

Posted on by Staff Report

Martin Truex Jr. completed the sweep of stage wins in Sunday’s First Data 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8 opener at Martinsville Speedway.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver dominated the opening stage and once again took the green and white checkered flag in Stage 2 for his eighth stage win of the season. He led a total of 224 of 260 laps through two stages.

Right behind him was Kyle Larson in the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, after Larson had stayed out during a late caution to assume the lead and go for stage points. Truex passed him in the final turn to re-take his lead.

RELATED: Stage 2 results

Rounding out the top five were Ryan Blaney in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford, defending winner Joey Logano in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford and Aric Almirola in the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.

With a tire going down, Clint Bowyer came down pit road on Lap 247 while running second, but his team swapped out his left sides. The only problem? It was a right-side tire going down. Bowyer quickly brought out a caution shortly after getting back on track, as his tire eventually went flat and sparks flew. He fell all the way to 29th.

The big news from the stage came after Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was forced to the garage with a broken axle discovered during a pit stop during the stage’s first caution (for a Ty Dillon spin.) Elliott, one of eight remaining playoff drivers, had started from the rear and worked his way into the top 10 before the issues.

RELATED: Car trouble derails Elliott

Elliott returned to the race on Lap 236, 53 laps down. He’ll look to work his way out of a massive hole at next week’s Texas Motors Speedway and the elimination race at ISM Raceway near Phoenix.

Series points leader Kyle Busch placed seventh.

Place Driver Team Pts
1 Martin Truex Jr. (P) Joe Gibbs Racing 10
2 Kyle Larson (P) Chip Ganassi Racing 9
3 Ryan Blaney (P) Team Penske 8
4 Joey Logano (P) Team Penske 7
5 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing 6
6 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports 5
7 Kyle Busch (P) Joe Gibbs Racing 4
8 Denny Hamlin (P) Joe Gibbs Racing 3
9 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing 2
10 Brad Keselowski Team Penske 1

STAGE 1

Martin Truex Jr. led 100 of 130 laps en route to winning Stage 1 in Sunday’s First Data 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8 opener at Martinsville Speedway.

It was the driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota’s seventh stage win of the season.

Truex took the lead from teammate and pole-sitter Denny Hamlin early in the stage after getting off pit road first during the stage’s only caution for debris on Lap 27. Hamlin lost four spots on pit road but worked his way back up to finish second.

RELATED: Stage 1 results

Rounding out the top five were Ryan Blaney in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford, Clint Bowyer in the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford and defending race-winner Joey Logano in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

Series points leader Kyle Busch placed ninth. Chase Elliott started in the rear with a backup No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, but worked his way to eighth by stage end.

Just over 10 laps in, playoff drivers Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson made contact, with the No. 42 Chevrolet of the latter getting sideways. Each recovered well to finish 12th and 17th, respectively, though Larson went a lap down just before the stage ended.

Place Driver Team Pts
1 Martin Truex Jr. (P) Joe Gibbs Racing 10
2 Denny Hamlin (P) Joe Gibbs Racing 9
3 Ryan Blaney (P) Team Penske 8
4 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing 7
5 Joey Logano (P) Team Penske 6
6 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports 5
7 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing 4
8 Chase Elliott (P) Hendrick Motorsports 3
9 Kyle Busch (P) Joe Gibbs Racing 2
10 Daniel Suarez Stewart-Haas Racing 1
Posted on by Staff Report

Chip Ganassi Racing driver Kyle Larson told reporters at Martinsville Speedway that he’s racing with a broken rib suffered during a crash at Talladega Superspeedway.

The 27-year-old said he went for X-rays following a painful race at Kansas Speedway, which confirmed the lower rib fracture.

“It still hurts,” Larson said. “I modified my seat quite a bit this week. I feel good in the car this week because the G forces, you don’t really have any (at Martinsville). My ribs feel fine in there.

” … Just something I’m kind of going to have to deal with the rest of the season. Stinks but we’ll get through.”

RELATED: Key story lines to watch

“It’s just going to be a little painful at times,” Larson added.

Larson qualified for the Round of 8 for the first time in his career. He enters Sunday’s race in seventh place among the eight remaining playoff drivers, 19 points behind the cutline.

Larson lines up 14th for today’s race (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).