MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Ryan Blaney did what Denny Hamlin couldn’t do in Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
As a result, Blaney will race for the NASCAR Cup Series championship next Sunday at Phoenix Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, Peacock, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), and Hamlin exits the playoffs after a hard-luck Round of 8.
During a 168-lap green-flag run to the finish, Blaney tracked down Aric Almirola and passed him for the lead on Lap 478 of 500. Twenty-two laps later, Blaney took the checkered flag 0.899 seconds ahead of Almirola to earn advancement to the Championship 4 race.
Blaney joins fellow Round of 8 winners Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell in the race for the title, along with William Byron, who fought an ill-handling car all day but edged Hamlin for the final playoff spot by eight points after finishing 13th.
Hamlin came home third, 4.149 seconds behind the race winner.
Chris Buescher, Martin Truex Jr. and Tyler Reddick joined Hamlin on the sidelines after finishing eighth, 12th and 26th, respectively.
The victory was Blaney’s third of the season, his first at Martinsville, and the 10th of his career, and it propelled him into the Championship 4 for the first time. Blaney aced the Round of 8 with a sixth-place finish at Las Vegas, a runner-up result at Homestead and a win at Martinsville.
“Well, I mean, felt like we put together really strong playoffs—especially the Round of 8… we had a good run in the whole Round of 8,” Blaney said. “Yeah, just overall really proud of the whole effort. RP (Team Penske owner Roger Penske) couldn’t be here, unfortunately, but I know he’s watching. This is awesome. Can’t wait to get to Phoenix next week.”
In front of a sold-out crowd at the .526-mile short track, Blaney earned the grandfather clock trophy he has long coveted.
“I grew up in High Point, not too far from here,” Blaney said. “Really cool. Wanting to win here for a long time. Been super close for many years. Awesome to close it out.”
Hamlin won the 130-lap first stage, finished second to Blaney in Stage 2 and was in position to advance to the title race until the race turned under caution for Michael McDowell’s spin in Turn 2 on Lap 323. Blaney pitted from the lead, with Hamlin behind.
But 10 cars stayed on the track under the yellow, among them Almirola and Chase Elliott, who led 77 consecutive laps before Almirola passed him for the top spot on Lap 412. On newer tires, Blaney was able to work his way through traffic and take the lead, where Hamlin could only advance to third.
Hamlin entered the race 17 points below the cutoff for the final round because of a power steering failure that cost him dearly at Homestead the week before.
“The mechanical failure last week with the power steering, that sealed our fate,” said the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, who led a race-high 156 laps to Blaney’s 145. “Really proud of this whole FedEx Toyota team for showing up today when we really needed to, having probably a mid-50-point day. They did great. They did absolutely great.
“The 12 car (Blaney) was the best car today, so congrats to them—all the final four that made it. It’s going to be great. Hate we’re not in it. Definitely, I was happy with the performance we had today. Really all-around.
“Just in the Round of 8, you can’t have one bad week. Unfortunately, mechanical failure takes us from running really well to in the 30s. That’s it.”
Truex, the regular-season champion, led the first 47 laps from the pole, but a pit-road speeding penalty on Lap 219 mired him in traffic, a circumstance he couldn’t overcome.
“I felt like we did really good to get back to where we did,” Truex said. “You just burn the tires off so much worse back there in the hot, dirty track, dirty air. You’re in more rubber. It’s just a dogfight.
“I don’t know. We gave it a hell of an effort. I felt like we had a really strong car. I don’t think we could have beaten the 12 (Blaney). He was really, really strong. We were definitely close.”
When Hamlin or Truex led the race, Byron was out of the Championship 4 as they ran. But the driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet held onto the final berth with a determined effort over the final green-flag run. Byron was 13th at the finish, the first driver one lap down.
“Obviously we were not very good,” Byron said. “Our worst race of the year. These guys deserve it so much. They work so hard. Honestly, probably with 50 to go I felt really, really bad. I just had to drive the hell out of it. The guys stuck with me, they kept motivating me through little bits and pieces, just kind of keeping my mind straight.”
“I’m just really thankful for them. It was just, yeah, a slugfest. Everyone raced me good there at the end. Congrats to Ryan. I was really happy for him… but, man, we just had to hang on. Just had to dig a little bit deeper.
“I knew when I got out of the car I was just beat. But the result means more than anything. These guys work so hard. We’ve worked so hard all season. I’m just really proud of them.”
Chase Briscoe and Joey Logano finished fourth and fifth. Larson, Bell, Buescher, Austin Cindric and Todd Gilliland completed the top 10.
Note: Post-race inspection in the Cup Series garage concluded without issue, confirming Blaney as the race winner.
The last two race winners at Martinsville Speedway are also the first two drivers who made it into this year’s Championship 4. So don’t be surprised if Sunday’s Xfinity 500 in Virginia acts as an appetizer for the Kyle Larson-Christopher Bell main course one week later at Phoenix Raceway.
Not only did Larson win the Martinsville race in the spring, but he also was the runner-up to Bell last fall in the classic that saw Ross Chastain ride the wall in desperation to the next round. Of course, for Bell, that fall Martinsville race was his second straight win in an elimination race, following up the one he had at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course.
It was then that Bell’s reputation for coming through with pressure-packed wins started to build momentum, and it’s something that has carried over to this season and last week at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver showed remarkable resiliency, rebounding from 22nd place after Stage 2 to make it to Victory Lane and earning a ticket to Phoenix.
In the Next Gen car, Larson and Bell rank second and third, respectively, in points scored on short tracks, further proof that they could spoil the other playoff contenders’ chances of a Championship 4-clinching win on Sunday. Can anyone stop the dynamic dirt-track duo? Let’s find out by diving into the numbers of some of the other playoff drivers.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
DENNY HAMLIN: Hamlin’s playoff fortunes took a harsh turn last week when his steering went out late in the race, relegating him to a 30th-place finish and a spot 17 points beneath the elimination line. But he’s the only driver who has scored more points than Larson and Bell on short tracks in the Next Gen car era with 167.
RYAN BLANEY: Blaney made an improbable 27-point turnaround in the standings with his second-place run at Homestead. He now sits 10 points above the elimination line and oh-so-close to his first Championship 4 appearance. Also going for him is the fact he has the best average finish at Martinsville among active drivers at 9.5.
MARTIN TRUEX JR.: Minutes after Hamlin’s mishap, Truex Jr.’s engine blew up, and so went his hopes of being in a safe position entering Martinsville. Like Hamlin, the Regular Season Champ is also in a 17-point hole and hoping to recapture past glory at Martinsville, where he’s won three times. MTJ’s weekend got off to a great start with him qualifying on the pole.
TYLER REDDICK: Simply put, he’s going to need to pull an upset to overcome a 10-point hole and a short-track history that includes only one top-10 finish in seven Martinsville starts. It did not help matters that he qualified 19th on Saturday, the worst of all playoff drivers.
CHRIS BUESCHER: It’s win-or-go-home for Buescher, who is 43 points below the elimination line after Homestead. The thing is, he could do just that as he’s won two of the last six short-track races. He’ll have to come from the 18th starting position, however, to pull off the desperation win.
Projections as of Sunday, Oct. 29:
RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR THE XFINITY 500
Racing Insights’ advanced statistical formula includes current track, current track type, recent performance, team data and pit-crew data to arrive at a projected winner and full race results.
MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Austin Hill’s long walk to the infield care center after a last-lap crash in overtime at Martinsville Speedway included a swipe at a soon-to-be-former teammate. Hill directed mock applause at the pit box for the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing team of lame-duck driver Sheldon Creed. The response from No. 2 crew chief Jeff Stankiewicz was an arms-up shrug, adding “we’re not driving the car, Austin.”
The on-track tension between the friends-turned-rivals rose to a boil in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs race with a slam-bang finish that left fans wondering which RCR driver would make the Championship 4 field. In the end, neither one did. Their repeated fender-bashing erupted into a melee in sight of the checkered flag, allowing JR Motorsports veteran Justin Allgaier to scoot through and edge Creed by a fender in the Dead On Tools 250 for the final title-shot berth.
Hill did not make it to the finish after his No. 21 Chevrolet’s radiator busted from contact in the final set of corners. He wound up seven points short of advancing, a deficit that allowed Cole Custer to land the final spot in the title-eligible quartet for the Nov. 4 finale at Phoenix Raceway. Allgaier and Custer will join Sam Mayer and John Hunter Nemechek in the championship fight.
“I know Sheldon has to win to get in, but I mean, at least give me a chance,” said Hill, noting Creed’s 65-point gap entering the event. “I didn’t feel like I was given a chance, and then when he got shoved up the race track or whatever happened — I haven’t seen the replay getting into (turn) three — but whenever he went up the race track, he just parked it in the center of the corner and blew the radiator out of it. So I had no power coming off of (turn) four and that’s why I wrecked. I cannot wait for him to get out of RCR. Can’t wait to have Jesse Love as a teammate. Maybe he’ll work better with me.”
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios
Creed announced Oct. 11 that he would not return to the No. 2 Chevy after two seasons with the Richard Childress-owned organization. As he leaned against his car post-race, Creed was approached by Andy Petree, RCR’s vice president of competition, who delivered a scathing review of his late-race tactics. That assessment was shared by Childress himself, who told NBC Sports’ Dustin Long, “I’ve had drivers drive for me before but nobody as stupid as Sheldon Creed. You don’t do that as a team player. What else do you want me to tell you?”
Creed’s battered car was just 0.032 seconds shy of a clinching win, which would have been an Xfinity Series first.
“He was just mad at how I raced the 21, but the roles reverse, they don’t say anything,” Creed said of Petree’s tirade. “That’s probably part of the reason I’m leaving. Obviously, they’re going to be mad, but I felt like I got him up off the bottom (lane) and I gave him a chance to finish second or third.”
He added: “I beat him into (turn) one on the restart. He spun the tires and hit the rev limiter. And then he doors me in the middle of (turns) one and two to keep me even with him. I feel like gloves are off after that, right? I’m trying to play nice but yeah, he kind of opened the door for us to get a little rougher.”
The two had a run-in during the Xfinity regular-season finale at Bristol Motor Speedway, a collision where Hill got the short end. So there’s some history to the feud.
“He just drives over his head. He always has,” Hill said. “Back in the truck days he did. We became buddies last year and we became buddies this year and all, and it’s just uncalled for. I know he’s trying to win the race, obviously, and the problem is, I kind of felt like I was in a position where I needed to win the race because if he won, I thought that it might possibly knock me out. Because I didn’t know where Custer was; I just knew that I had to be like five spots in front of Custer. So yeah, it’s just frustrating. I mean, nothing I can really say. Everyone on this 21 team needs to hold their head up, though, going to Phoenix. We fought really hard this year. Should be in the final four just as much as the final four that’s in it.”
Rough play between teammates was the theme of the Round of 8 finale at Martinsville for the second consecutive season, on the heels of Ty Gibbs shoving aside the departing Brandon Jones in an in-house clash under the Joe Gibbs Racing banner. In that case, the younger Gibbs went on to claim the title at Phoenix. Neither Childress driver will get the opportunity this year.
Nemechek clinched after Stage 2, building on his solid points buffer to secure his spot. A victory the previous weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway propelled Mayer into Phoenix with a shot at the title. Besides Hill and Creed on the elimination block were Sammy Smith and Chandler Smith, no relation, both of whom entered Martinsville in must-win scenarios.
Chandler Smith’s next-to-last drive with Kaulig Racing ended early as his crunched and overheating No. 16 Chevrolet gave out after 187 of the 256 laps. “Just Martinsville stuff,” he said of the full-contact racing, a Saturday afternoon statement that held true for many.
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – At the end of Saturday’s chaotic Dead on Tools 250, Justin Allgaier rescued his season with an improbable victory that earned the driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet a berth in the Nov. 4 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship 4 event at Phoenix Raceway.
Allgaier’s Camaro crossed the finish line glued to the side of Sheldon Creed’s No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, scoring his first win at Martinsville, his fourth of the season and the 23rd of his career by 0.032 seconds over Creed, who needed a victory to advance to the title race.
Allgaier joins Sam Mayer, John Hunter Nemechek and Cole Custer in the battle for the Xfinity Series crown at Phoenix Raceway next Saturday (7 p.m. ET, USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
Repeated contact between Creed’s car and the Chevrolet of teammate Austin Hill during two overtime laps eventually victimized Hill, the regular-season champion, in a chain-reaction wreck in the final corner and deprived Hill of a chance to race for the championship next weekend.
Before the final restart, Allgaier’s chances of qualifying for the title race had dimmed, as both Hill, the race leader at the time, and Cole Custer (seventh for the restart) had control of the final two Championship 4 spots.
Though Custer was collected in the last-lap wreck, which produced the 16th caution of the race, he was credited with a 19th-place finish to Hill’s 21st and bumped the RCR driver out of the Playoffs by seven points.
But no one benefited from the closing mayhem more than Allgaier, who got repeated encouragement from spotter Eddie D’Hondt and crew chief Jim Pohlman during the late stages of the race.
“Both of those guys kept telling me, ‘It’s not over,’” Allgaier said. “Coming to the start/finish line, I don’t think I saw a single person sitting down. I was just hanging on… This car has been lights-out fast all year.
“We’ve got a shot at going for a championship at Phoenix. This is an emotional one. I’ve wanted to win at Martinsville for a long time, and I’ve been on the other end of that (pointing at the crashed cars on the frontstretch) too many times.”
The overtime restart was a recipe for disaster. Hill had lane choice and picked the bottom, with Creed lined up to his outside. Hill initially cleared Creed’s Chevrolet, but the driver of the No. 2 Chevy used his bumper to force Hill up the track and draw alongside.
As the cars ran through Turns 3 and 4 for the final time, John Hunter Nemechek turned Hill’s Camaro and ignited the last-lap wreck that ultimately settled the field for the Championship 4.
Creed, who is leaving RCR at the end of the season, was subdued but unapologetic.
“I’m not proud of racing like that, but I didn’t blast him,” Creed said. “He was still with me (on the final lap)… I feel like I raced pretty fair for the situation, and he’s going to be mad, but it’s for a Championship 4 spot, and I’m going to fight for my guys all the way to the end.”
As might be expected, Hill had a different view of the final two laps.
“Man, it’s uncalled for for that to happen, and then for neither of the RCR guys to make it to the final four,” Hill said. “It’s frustrating. I’m pretty excited for him to go to his next adventure over at Gibbs, and I don’t have to put up with him anymore.”
(Hill may have anticipated Creed’s next move, which is yet to be announced.)
Pole winner Sammy Smith, another driver in a must-win situation to continue in the Playoffs, led 147 of the 256 laps and finished third. But Smith also left Martinsville with a grudge against a teammate—John Hunter Nemechek, who had clinched a Championship 4 berth on points by the end of the second stage.
In Smith’s view, Nemechek made it impossible for him to fight for the win in overtime.
“They were telling me that he wasn’t going to make any enemies,” Smith said. “I asked him if he was going to choose the top, and he said he wasn’t going to do that. I had a good run on him, and he went to block me down to the bottom.
“He didn’t want to make any enemies, but I’m really frustrated right now. He definitely made one. I’m not going to let that one go, and we will see how things go.”
In a race that started in daylight and ended under a full moon after a 28-minute stoppage to clear the track after a 12-car wreck on Lap 244, Riley Herbst ran fourth, followed by Josh Berry and Daniel Hemric.
Parker Retzlaff, Anthony Alfredo, Jeb Burton and Parker Kligerman completed the top 10.
Sam Mayer, already part of the Championship 4 by virtue of last week’s victory at Homestead, was knocked out of the race in the Lap 244 wreck and finished 25th. Playoff driver Chandler Smith completed 187 laps before being sidelined by an accident and eliminated from the postseason.
Note: Post-race inspection in the Xfinity Series garage concluded with no issues, confirming Allgaier as the race winner.
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Twenty seconds and change. Every qualifier for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at tricky Martinsville Speedway posted a lap in that amount of time.
The difference in small shreds of seconds during Saturday’s qualifying session meant a precious plenty for the remaining Cup Series Playoffs hopefuls still hoping to clinch a spot in next week’s championship round. Some left smiling, others left frustrated, and most were sweating it – either based on the unseasonably warm temperatures or the mounting pressure.
Sunday’s Xfinity 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) will determine the two remaining spots in the Championship 4 field for next weekend’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway. Only Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell — established winners in this Round of 8 — have sealed their berths in the final four, leaving only room for a pair of drivers to advance either by points or by a win in Sunday’s 500-lapper. Four will be eliminated.
The dominant topics on the eve of the race were qualifying and how it can affect strategy; the unusually searing weather and how it might alter track conditions and grip; and just how far drivers might go to deliver a Championship 4 slot, knowing that the desperation “Hail Melon” move that Ross Chastain invented in this race last year — since outlawed – isn’t an option.
Time trials, however, left the remaining six drivers in the postseason hunt with a mixed lot. Martin Truex Jr. and the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing team — who have struggled to get much to go their way during the playoffs after claiming the Regular Season Championship — put their mark on the day by scoring the Busch Light Pole for the second consecutive week.
Truex will start from the No. 1 spot on the grid, putting him in prime position to control the early going and potentially gather stage points that might help him erase his 17-point deficit relative to the provisional elimination line. A victory would make the math a moot point and would provide a needed boost after he eked his way through the postseason’s earlier rounds.
“We’ve been living on the edge, that’s for sure,” Truex said. “We barely made it through the first two rounds, so that’s been tough for sure — but tomorrow is a new day and a new opportunity. We are in a position where I think we can go and win the race, and we will see what happens. I try not to overthink it – just go out and race, and that is my plan for tomorrow.”
Three JGR drivers were among the top four qualifiers, and Denny Hamlin — also 17 points back of the elimination line — sealed the fourth spot on the grid despite a small dose of left-front tire lockup during his run. Larson (starting fifth) and Bell (seventh) were the only other playoff drivers among the top 10.
Jonathan Bachman | Getty Images
The rest of the Phoenix hopefuls were in the next 10 after missing the final round of qualifying: Ryan Blaney 11th, William Byron 16th, Chris Buescher 18th and Tyler Reddick rounding the group out in 19th. Byron, a former Martinsville winner, was flustered in the moments just after his qualifying effort but acknowledged that the mood could change for Sunday.
“I think eventually you’ve got to get over qualifying,” said Byron, who sits plus-30 on the playoff bubble. “I just came off the track, so it … eventually, you have to think about the task tomorrow and what the race is going to be like, and we’re gonna have some work to do.”
Asked if stage points were an achievable goal from the 16th starting spot, Byron was direct: “They’ll have to be, yeah.”
Reddick’s fall to a midpack start was more dramatic. The 27-year-old driver overheated his Turn 1 entry on his second timed lap and looped the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota through Turn 2. He enters Sunday’s race minus-10 to the cut, and he’ll fire off from Row 10.
“Certainly, gonna change the strategy. We’re going to need to get some track position back the first chance we get,” No. 45 crew chief Billy Scott told NASCAR.com. “The spin, in particular, was just him trying to get something different out of it because Lap 1 didn’t work, and he knew what he had there for balance and what the approach was. You’re just trying to get more out of it, so that’s just a one-off deal.”
A near carbon-copy of Saturday’s weather is expected for Sunday’s main event, with temperatures creeping into the low 80s. Martinsville’s annual autumn date traditionally comes with the backdrop of changing leaves and a frost-on-the-pumpkin chill. The fall foliage is indeed near its peak on the southern Virginia hillsides this weekend, but the balmy conditions have thrown the field a curve.
“It’s crazy that we’re almost in November, and it’s still this hot. I think a couple of years ago it was snowing this weekend,” Larson said. “So yeah, it’s crazy. It feels like the middle of summer — maybe locals might argue that – but yeah, it’s hot out there, and I think it will hopefully make for a little bit better race tomorrow. Maybe you’ll see a little bit more tire fall-off and rubber laid down on the track. Us drivers, I think, always like the hotter temps, even though we may suffer a little bit more in the car. I think for the racing, it’s usually better.”
Straight up, Martinsville is going to be among the hardest lineups to gauge this season. It was a clear advantage for drivers to put down a better lap in Group A of practice as opposed to Group B due to the track being cooler. That also isn’t a true indicator of which cars look to be the best and which cars will struggle. So, we’re going to go by the eye test this weekend. If you notice, there are no changes in my lineup from earlier this week.
NEXT IN LINE: Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs, Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe
RISING: Gibbs is one week away from having completed his rookie season. He’s continued to improve throughout the year and will start from the front row for the first time on Sunday at Martinsville. The last time the Cup Series visited a short track (Bristol Motor Speedway), the No. 54 car led more than 100 laps and took home a top-five finish.
Stewart-Haas Racing dominated the first half of the spring Martinsville race, with Ryan Preece leading the opening 135 laps from the pole. Briscoe added 109 laps out front later in the race, and Harvick paced the field for 20 circuits. It’s evident that SHR brought back similar speed in the fall, with all four of its cars cracking the top 10. Three of them made the final qualifying round, led by Briscoe’s third-place effort. Track position will be pivotal on Sunday, and SHR has a bunch of it early.
FALLING: Tyler Reddick ranked eighth in single-lap speed and sixth on 10-lap averages but then spun during the second lap of his qualifying attempt and will start 19th. It’s a setback for the No. 45 team, which needs to maximize earning points, entering Martinsville 10 points below the elimination line. Since joining 23XI Racing, Reddick’s tendency has been to qualify well on short tracks and drop off throughout the race. Sunday will have to be the opposite.
Another driver that was all over the leaderboard was Kyle Busch. His 31st-place qualifying position is his worst of the season in which he turned a lap. If you look at the 20-lap averages, however, it’s the No. 8 Chevrolet that ranks the best. Richard Childress Racing has tussled with its short-track program all season, and Saturday at Martinsville sums that up perfectly.
FEATURED MATCHUPS:
Tyler Reddick vs. Chris Buescher
Whereas Reddick showed glimpses of speed on Saturday, it was an overall struggle for Buescher compared to the remaining playoff drivers. It’s been a tough round for the No. 17 team, and Buescher has only one top-10 finish in 16 Martinsville starts. Reddick’s car looked to have more potential on long runs (ranked second on 20-lap average), so I’m going to remain leaning in his direction. It would be hard to consider either for your lineup with mediocre starting positions.
Ryan Blaney vs. Denny Hamlin
Both cars were competitive in practice, and Team Penske looked particularly good early on. Hamlin never made a run of more than 10 laps, which could mean he’s not showing his hand on the long run, especially after dominating the last two fall races. I’m sticking with Hamlin this weekend because he’s among the few masters of the track. Come the checkered flag, it still might not be enough to gain 17 points on Blaney.
Martin Truex Jr. vs. William Byron
This is starting to feel like Truex could come up clutch when the pressure is on the most. The 2017 Cup champion has been a part of five Championship 4 battles and needs to gain a plethora of stage points or win on Sunday to advance again this year. The playoffs have been atrocious for the No. 19 team, having just about everything go wrong. But there is still hope until the last lap on Sunday, and he’s going to be among the pre-race favorites to win. Meanwhile, Hendrick Motorsports lacked speed, with just one of its drivers making the final round of qualifying.
Christopher Bell vs. Kyle Larson
Neither driver is historically spectacular at Martinsville despite combining to win the last two Martinsville races. Larson got the leg up on Saturday, out-qualifying Bell by two positions. With both drivers having already clinched a spot into the Championship 4, it will be a stress-free day on Sunday. This is tougher than anticipated, but let’s take Larson, who has top-five finishes – and dominated the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro – in three of the four short-track races in 2023.
We’re bringing you live updates covering Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8 elimination 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 the Virginia short track.
Overview:
The 0.526-mile Martinsville Speedway hosts the 500-lap Round of 8 playoff elimination race on Sunday afternoon. Leaving the weekend, we’ll have our 2023 Championship 4.
Kyle Larson (Las Vegas) and Christopher Bell (Homestead-Miami) have already clinched their spots in the championship race with Round of 8 victories, leaving two entries up for grabs among six remaining contenders.
At least one driver will advance to the Championship 4 based on points. At 30 points above fifth place, William Byron’s in the best position to advance without a win, but at Martinsville, that’s far from a guarantee.
Ryan Blaney enters the weekend as the fourth-ranked driver 10 points above Tyler Reddick in fifth. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin are 17 points below the elimination line after a pair of DNFs last week in Miami. Chris Buescher is 43 points shy of the current top four, a virtual must-win situation.
Keep up with the action on the go with NASCAR Mobile, watch live in-car cameras with NASCAR Drive and follow along with live leaderboards and scanner audio with Race Center.
Live standings to answer the question of who’s in and who’s out all race long.
All times listed are Eastern.
Sunday, October 29
6:30 p.m., checkered flag: Thanks for following along with our live blog! We’ll be back at it again next Sunday for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race, where Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, William Byron and Kyle Larson will battle it out for the 2023 title crown and the Bill France Cup trophy.
6:11 p.m., checkered flag: It’s hard to think of a cooler trophy than the Martinsville grandfather clock.
6:02 p.m., checkered flag: Ryan Blaney was seeded 12th to start the playoffs and now he’s in the Championship 4. It pays to perform under pressure.
James Thomas | NASCAR
5:55 p.m., checkered flag: Two drivers are making their first-ever Championship 4 appearance: William Byron and Ryan Blaney. Want to guess the top-two finishers from the Phoenix spring race? Yep … Byron and Blaney.
5:50 p.m., checkered flag: Overshadowed by all the championship talk, a few drivers had much-needed strong finishes. Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Aric Almirola (second) and Chase Briscoe (fourth) scored their best finishes of the season. Austin Cindric (ninth) scored his fifth top 10 of the year, and Todd Gilliland (10th) picked up his fourth top 10 of 2023.
5:45 p.m., checkered flag: Chris Buescher, Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick and Martin Truex Jr. are the four drivers eliminated. This is the second year in a row Hamlin’s had a late-race heartbreak at Martinsville keeping him out of the Championship 4.
5:42 p.m., checkered flag: No burnout for YRB this time, back to his usual celebration. He’s downright ecstatic after climbing out of the car. This is his 10th career win and his first at a track shorter than 1.5 miles. And now he gets a sweet grandfather clock!
5:40 p.m., checkered flag: Ryan Blaney is making laps around the speedway in reverse, waving at the fans after his victory —— Alan Kulwicki’s “Polish Victory Lap.”
5:37 p.m., Lap 500: Ryan Blaney wins at Martinsville! He’ll advance to the Championship 4, joining Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson. William Byron also advances on points.
5:36 p.m., Lap 496: Tyler Reddick has stopped for a splash of fuel. Stick a fork in the No. 45’s season.
5:34 p.m., Lap 491: Chase Elliott has finally made his way to pit road. That’s another spot for his teammate, William Byron. Meanwhile up front, Blaney’s got things under control.
5:32 p.m., Lap 485: Leader Ryan Blaney has caught and lapped William Byron, who runs 14th. Byron’s safe to advance running there at the expense of Hamlin.
5:29 p.m., Lap 477: New leader, Ryan Blaney. Blaney made another outside-lane pass, this time by Aric Almirola.
5:28 p.m., Lap 475: Just 25 to go. Ryan Blaney has caught Aric Almirola for the lead. Meanwhile, William Byron is picking up positions mid-pack. This is all bad news for Denny Hamlin, who’s desperately clinging to fourth spot.
5:24 p.m., Lap 464: Ryan Blaney is carving through the field, now running second and running down leader Aric Almirola. Denny Hamlin is six seconds behind Blaney.
5:23 p.m., Lap 460: Forty to go. The Championship 4 as it stands is Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney and William Byron. Denny Hamlin’s three points out, while Chris Buescher (11th), Martin Truex Jr. (18th) and Tyler Reddick (22nd) need to win to keep their championship hopes alive.
5:18 p.m., Lap 448: William Byron runs 18th, but that’s still enough to advance … assuming Denny Hamlin doesn’t win. Hamlin runs fifth currently, second of cars that have enough fuel to finish, behind third-place Ryan Blaney.
5:16 p.m., Lap 440: Fascinatingly, the drivers haven’t gone totally unhinged yet, using bumpers only sparingly. But, I’d bet when the caution inevitably falls, it will trigger a flurry of follow-ups.
5:08 p.m., Lap 420: It’s looking increasingly unlikely that Tyler Reddick (22nd) and Martin Truex Jr. (19th) will advance. They need a miracle.
5:05 p.m., Lap 411: Aric Almirola has moved past Chase Elliott for the lead. Both cars are likely short on fuel, but this has to feel good for Almirola.
5:02 p.m., Lap 400: We’re down to 100 to go. That’s when things tend to get chaotic here.
4:57 p.m., Lap 389: It’s likely that the top four cars —— Chase Elliott, Corey LaJoie, Aric Almirola and Erik Jones —— will need to pit for fuel before the end of the race. If so, the battle could be between Kyle Larson, Chris Buescher, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney when all is said and done.
4:48 p.m., Lap 363: Chase Elliott has grown his lead to 2.5 seconds over Corey LaJoie. Former leaders Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney are running seventh and eighth.
4:41 p.m., Lap 343: Aric Almirola runs third after the No. 10 team’s pit-strategy call. Almirola announced Saturday that he won’t return to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2024.
4:37 p.m., Lap 332: Chase Elliott and Corey LaJoie lead the field to the green. They last pitted on Lap 304, so they opted not to pit under caution.
4:36 p.m., Lap 330: Oh, boy. Here’s a new one: the pace car has stalled on the track. You never know what’s going to happen at Martinsville. The original pace car has been towed behind the wall and they’re preparing the backup.
4:32 p.m., Lap 326: Pit stops! Numerous cars opted for fuel only, including Aric Almirola and Kyle Larson, who exit pit road at the front of the field. Track position is king today, so it could prove fruitful. Chris Buescher was among those who changed no tires, and it appears he’ll restart in the top 10. That championship berth-day win for the birthday boy could happen.
4:30 p.m., Lap 323: Caution No. 7. Erik Jones and Michael McDowell made contact, sending McDowell’s Ford spinning. Typical Martinsville stuff. This won’t be the last incident of that sort today.
4:29 p.m., Lap 322: William Byron’s car seems to be coming back to life. He’s now running 13th after some adjustments, the highest he’s run all day. That’s bad news for Denny Hamlin, who’s just moved back into second place.
4:26 p.m., Lap 311: Green flag! Behind leader Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace moves past Denny Hamlin for second. (Yeah, I said I kept Bubba in my Fantasy Live garage at the 3:46 p.m. update. I never said I was perfect.)
4:19 p.m., Lap 303: Caution No. 6. Ty Gibbs is in the wall again.
4:17 p.m., Lap 300: Let’s take inventory of the points situation with 200 laps to go, shall we?
1. Christopher Bell: Advanced (Miami win)
2. Kyle Larson: Advanced (Las Vegas win)
3. Ryan Blaney: Current leader
4. William Byron: +4 points (running 16th) —— Four drivers advance ——
5. Denny Hamlin: -4 points (running second)
6. Tyler Reddick: -20 points (running sixth)
7. Martin Truex Jr.: -30 points (running 17th)
8. Chris Buescher: -59 points (running 12th)
4:13 p.m., Lap 285: We’re green again. Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin are still battling it out for the lead.
4:10 p.m., Lap 281: The No. 99 car is rolling again … but not well.
4:04 p.m., Lap 275: Daniel Suárez’s car is beached on the apron, immobile on the curb with flat tires to boot. The No. 99 has quite a bit of damage. Among those on the damaged-vehicle policy clock are Denny Hamlin (no damage, don’t worry), Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, Michael McDowell, Todd Gilliland, Ross Chastain, Brad Keselowski, Ty Gibbs and Suárez.
4:03 p.m., Lap 274: Caution No. 5. Joey Logano sends Ty Gibbs for a spin racing for second. Numerous other cars were involved in the stack-up, but it seems no playoff contenders were involved … somehow.
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR
4:03 p.m., Lap 273: We’re yellow!
4:02 p.m., Lap 270: We’re green!
3:59 p.m., Lap 266: Martin Truex Jr.’s pit-road woes continue. The jack dropped on the No. 19 on pit road, and he’ll line up 25th on the restart.
3:57 p.m., Lap 265: We’ve got split pit strategies as the final stage begins under caution. Blaney and Hamlin are among those who stay out. Tyler Reddick vaulted from 21st to seventh after opting not to pit. We’ll see what track position means to the No. 45.
3:55 p.m., Lap 262: Other than Blaney and Hamlin, Stage 2 was not kind to playoff contenders. Already-advanced Christopher Bell finished 10th in the stage. Chris Buescher was 14th, Kyle Larson (already clinched) crossed the line 17th, and the hard-luck trio of William Byron, Tyler Reddick and Martin Truex Jr. finished Stage 2 20th, 21st and 22nd, respectively.
3:53 p.m., Lap 260: Caution No. 4. Stage 2 belongs to Ryan Blaney. That means 10 points to the No. 12, and nine more for Denny Hamlin’s total after finishing second in the stage.
3:49 p.m., Lap 250: We’re halfway home. Ryan Blaney’s got a half-second cushion over Denny Hamlin, who’s a half second ahead of Chase Briscoe, who’s not far off from following his performance in the Martinsville spring race, where he led 109 laps.
3:46 p.m., Lap 240: If you’re a Fantasy Live player, don’t forget to finalize your lineup and swap out your garage pick if needed before Stage 2 ends in 20 laps. I’m keeping my lineup as-is; I had Bubba Wallace on deck in my garage, but I’m keeping him there since the No. 23 team had a penalty on the last round of pit stops and passing is so, so tough today.
3:43 p.m., Lap 233: Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin are trading the lead back and forth, a terrific race among two championship hopefuls. Blaney will come out on top for now.
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR
3:41 p.m., Lap 226: Green flag! Just 35 laps remain in Stage 2, the last opportunity to grab stage points for playoff contenders this season.
3:38 p.m., Lap 222: Look away, No. 19 fans. Martin Truex Jr.’s been busted for speeding on pit road. He’ll go from third to the back of the field. That’s going to be incredibly costly for his championship hopes.
3:24 p.m., Lap 193: Move Ryan Blaney to the lead. He makes a slick pass on Denny Hamlin’s outside. You don’t see that all the time at Martinsville.
3:19 p.m., Lap 176: Ryan Blaney has closed in to the back bumper of Denny Hamlin’s car as Hamlin navigates lapped traffic. Both drivers are in the Championship 4 as they run, but there’s a long way to go.
3:11 p.m., Lap 155: Close call for Tyler Reddick, who nearly went for a spin the same way he spun out in qualifying. The No. 45 has been shuffled back to 23rd. He’s going to need this day to turn around quickly.
3:07 p.m., Lap 145: Back to green! It hasn’t been a great start to Stage 2 for William Byron, who’s been shuffled out to the high line and is going backwards quickly. He’s fallen out of the top 20. That 30-point cushion entering today is basically gone right now.
3:02 p.m., Lap 135: To pit road we go again … kind of. Many leaders opted to stay out and retain track position, which seems to be at a premium today. For the top three — Hamlin, Blaney and Truex — it’s all about stage points for 125 more laps.
2:58 p.m., Lap 130: Caution No. 2. Stage 1 is in the books; Denny Hamlin picks up the stage win and 10 valuable points. Blaney (second), Truex (third) and Bell (sixth) also pick up points. Not like Bell needed them, though, as he’s already locked in to Phoenix after winning last week in Miami. Kyle Larson (11th), William Byron (12th), Chris Buescher (17th) and Tyler Reddick (19th) did not pick up points in this stage.
2:55 p.m., Lap 122: Ryan Blaney’s on a mission lately. YRB is up to second and he’s in a good place in terms of points … for now.
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR
2:47 p.m., Lap 106: Drivers have pulled onto pit road under caution, the first stops of the day. Hamlin and Truex keep the top two spots on exit.
2:44 p.m., Lap 104: Caution No. 1. Alex Bowman and Harrison Burton tussle deep in the field just ahead of leader Denny Hamlin, sending both cars spinning. That could have been big trouble for Hamlin. Corey LaJoie was also involved.
2:43 p.m., Lap 100: Chris Buescher needs to win today in order to advance to the Championship 4. Today is also his 31st birthday. If he can pull off the win today, he’d become the fourth-ever driver to win on his birthday, following Cale Yarborough, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth. Buescher runs 19th currently.
2:38 p.m., Lap 85: Now in the second half of Stage 1, William Byron’s running 14th, just out of the points-paying window. He entered the day 30 points safe, but it’s no sure thing, especially when he’s running sixth of eight in terms of playoff contenders, ahead of only Tyler Reddick (17th) and Chris Buescher (19th).
2:25 p.m., Lap 48: Denny Hamlin has taken over the top spot from his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, the first lead change of the day.
2:20 p.m., Lap 30: Leader Martin Truex Jr. has caught lapped traffic. That’ll be a theme this afternoon.
2:16 p.m., Lap 20: Tyler Reddick needs to get moving soon if he wants to collect stage points. He’s only passed one car since starting 19th, but there are still over 100 laps to go in the first stage. Plan B, of course, is to go for the win, but that checkered flag is a hot commodity today.
James Thomas | NASCAR
2:08 p.m., Lap 1: Green flag is in the air! Martin Truex Jr. leads his rookie teammate Ty Gibbs to kick off this 500-lapper.
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR
2:05 p.m.: Here’s who I’ve got in my Fantasy Live lineup today. I think we’ll see some of these drivers with playoff pressure perform.
2:05 p.m.: Martinsville Speedway is sold out this afternoon. Cars are rolling and there’s no turning back now. (Sorry, didn’t mean to sound so dramatic … it’s a big race, though.)
2:33 p.m.: Playoff contenders’ qualifying positions:
Martin Truex Jr: first
Denny Hamlin: fourth
Kyle Larson: fifth
Christopher Bell: seventh
Ryan Blaney: 11th
William Byron: 16th
Chris Buescher: 18th
Tyler Reddick: 19th
2:30 p.m.: Pole position! The final car on track, Martin Truex Jr., sends his No. 19 to the top of the charts on his first lap with a speedy 20.112-second heater. He’ll need a great run tomorrow to make up 17 points to advance to the Championship 4. And what better place to make it happen than, well, Martin’s Ville? OK, I promise that’s the only time I say that this weekend. (Lineup)
2:18 p.m.: The final round of qualifying has begun. Three Stewart-Haas Racing Fords are among the drivers competing for the pole.
2:10 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe, Ryan Preece and Christopher Bell advance from Group B. Let’s see who qualifies on pole.
1:45 p.m.: Ty Gibbs, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Bubba Wallace and Kevin Harvick set the five quickest laps in Group A. They’ll advance to the final round of qualifying, joining the upcoming Group B’s fast five.
1:42 p.m.: Tyler Reddick goes for a spin out of Turn 4 on his second qualifying lap, but the No. 45 car is safe and appears to be damage-free. But, he won’t start in the top 10 tomorrow, meaning stage points won’t come easy for a driver 10 points out of the championship picture.
1:18 p.m.: That’s it for Group B practice. Martin Truex Jr. was quickest of the bunch with a 20.367-second lap, followed by fellow championship hopeful Ryan Blaney in second. Christopher Bell was seventh and Kyle Larson was eighth, but they’ve got relatively easy weekends since they’re already locked into Phoenix. Denny Hamlin’s Group A time was the fastest overall. On to qualifying!
1:15 p.m.: You might notice the cars are outfitted with windshield wipers this weekend. That’s due to a 2023 rule where a wet-weather package is in place on road courses and some short oval tracks, including Martinsville. No, there’s no precipitation in the forecast — but, if it happens, these cars are good to go.
1:00 p.m.: Group B cars are on track, featuring championship contenders Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr.
12:56 p.m.: Group A practice is in the books. Denny Hamlin was quickest with a 20.160-second lap. Of the other championship contenders, William Byron was third, Tyler Reddick was eighth, and Chris Buescher was 13th out of 18.
12:50 p.m.: One surprise in Group A practice with five minutes remaining is second-quickest Corey LaJoie, who joins current leader Denny Hamlin as the only driver to turn a lap under the 20.2-second barrier.
12:35 p.m.: Group A cars are rolling off pit road for practice. That group includes championship contenders Chris Buescher, William Byron, Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick.
10:35 a.m.: By tomorrow night, we’ll know this year’s Championship 4. Exciting, right? Practice takes place today at 12:35 p.m. ET, aired on USA Network. Qualifying will follow at 1:20 p.m. ET.
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Likely needing a victory in Sunday’s Xfinity 500 to qualify for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4, Martin Truex Jr. took the first step in the right direction on Saturday, winning the pole position for the Round of 8 elimination race (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
Truex turned a lap in 20.112 seconds (94.153 mph) in the final round of time trials to edge Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs (94.115 mph) for the top starting spot by 0.008 seconds. The Busch Light Pole Award was Truex’s third of the season, his second at Martinsville and the 23rd of his career.
Truex has won three of the last eight races at the 0.526-mile short track but none since the introduction of NASCAR’s Next Gen race car in 2022.
“The first round I wasn’t really sure how hard to go and how hard to push it or what the balance was going to be like,” said Truex, who nevertheless posted the fastest lap of the day in Round 1 (20.018 seconds). “The last time we ran here, the tires were different—a lot was different.
“Our car was pretty free in practice, and I was a little concerned about that, but the guys made good adjustments, and the car was really close. Round 2, we just made a small adjustment and made the car more comfortable. It gave me a little more confidence on throttle, and that’s where the time was.”
The margin between Gibbs and third-place qualifier Chase Briscoe (94.106 mph ) was even tighter than the gap between first and second—0.002 seconds. Denny Hamlin qualified fourth at 94.055 mph to give JGR three of the top four starting positions.
Like Truex, Hamlin almost certainly needs a victory on Sunday to advance to the Championship 4. Gibbs and Briscoe did not qualify for the playoffs this season.
Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, already locked into the title race with their respective victories at Las Vegas and Homestead, will start fifth and seventh, respectively, with non-playoff driver Bubba Wallace taking the sixth position on the grid.
In his final Cup season, Kevin Harvick will start his final Martinsville race from the eighth position, followed by fellow Ford drivers Ryan Preece and Brad Keselowski. The starting field includes five Toyotas, four Fords and one Chevrolet (Larson).
In the first round of Group A qualifying, three playoff drivers made the possibility of advancement to the Championship 4 relatively more difficult. Tyler Reddick, fifth in the standings and 10 points below the current cut line for Championship 4, spun in Turn 4 on his second qualifying lap and will start 19th.
Chris Buescher, needing a victory to advance, will start one position ahead of Reddick. William Byron, with a 30-point edge over Reddick and likely to earn a Championship 4 spot on points, qualified 16th.
“We just can’t qualify here,” lamented Byron. “Chattered tires—last year it was front, this year it’s rear. Just can’t hit it, weather changes… not happy about qualifying, just the way we’ve been right on the edge of the bubble here the last few times.
“But I think our race car in race trim is honestly pretty good, so we’ve just got to focus on that now. We can’t change qualifying…but we’ll fight from there.”
In Group B, Ryan Blaney, fourth in the standings and trailing Byron by 20 points, will start 11th.
Hamlin fastest in Martinsville practice
Denny Hamlin topped the leaderboard in Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series practice at Martinsville Speedway.
Hamlin drove the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota straight to the top of the single-lap speed chart with a 93.929 mph. Hamlin owns five wins at the 0.526-mile paperclip, which is the most among current drivers.
Track conditions were favorable for Group A as right behind Hamlin was Corey Lajoie in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet who punched in a 93.747 mph.
William Byron was third fastest overall with a speed of 93.696 mph in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Byron has a 30-point cushion in the playoff standings with a 5.5-average finish in the playoffs this year.
Rookie driver Ty Gibbs continues to impress as he had another strong showing practice going fourth fastest. Austin Cindric rounded out the top five in Saturday’s practice
Reddick who is 10 points below the elimination line showed great pace in practice. Since joining 23XI racing, Reddick has improved his short-track skills and walked away eighth fastest overall and was one of only three playoff drivers to crack the top 10 in practice.
Citing he’s “ready for the next adventure,” Aric Almirola announced Saturday on social media that he will not return to Stewart-Haas Racing following the 2023 season.
The 39-year-old is finishing out his sixth season as driver of the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series. Two of his three Cup Series victories came with the Tony Stewart and Gene Haas-led organization.
“It’s been great,” Almirola said Saturday before Cup Series practice and qualifying at Martinsville Speedway, the site of Sunday’s Xfinity 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). “Obviously, as a race car driver and as a competitor, you always want more. I would have loved to have won more races and won a championship. That’s what I went over there for. I have won some races, so I’m proud of that, and we’ve had a lot of success, but I think at the end of the day that’s temporary. The friendships that I’ve made. The relationships that I’ve made, all of that will last forever, and I’m grateful for that. I really am. I’m very grateful for the six years that I’ve showed up to work every day there, and they treat me like family. I feel extremely close to all of the employees over there, and they brought me in with welcoming arms when I showed up in 2018, and it has been a really fun ride ever since.”
In addition to his three Cup wins, Almirola has also scored four victories in the Xfinity Series and two in his lone full-time campaign in the Craftsman Truck Series. The most recent of those wins came this year in Xfinity competition at Sonoma Raceway in June.
The announcement ends more than a yearlong process in which Almirola’s future changed multiple times. In January 2022, the Florida native set forth plans to end his driving career after the 2022 season. Almirola changed course in late August, announcing before the regular-season finale in Daytona that he and sponsor Smithfield would return to the No. 10 Ford for 2023.
Almirola’s departure leaves open a Cup Series ride in the No. 10 for next year. Stewart indicated in a statement that Stewart-Haas Racing would remain a four-car operation in the NASCAR Cup Series and that a new driver and new partners would be announced for the No. 10 group “in the near future.” Stewart also made a note of appreciation for Smithfield, which announced Saturday morning that it would end its sponsorship in the sport.
Almirola indicated Saturday at Martinsville that he hoped to step back into a part-time role with SHR, but that such a deal did not materialize after talks throughout the summer with the organization. Almirola did not specify what his plans for 2024 were but said that participating in the Xfinity Series was an option.
“I’d like to not quit cold turkey,” Almirola said. “I think there are some opportunities, but it’s hard. It’s challenging to figure out things that make sense for race teams to do it part-time. Most race teams want somebody to run full-time and race for a championship, so we’ll see if we can get it worked out. I’d love to still scratch the itch, but just don’t want to do it like I have been doing it for the last 12 years, where it’s 38 weeks, and it’s a grind. I’m not complaining that it’s a grind because I’ve loved it and I signed up for it, but I think, for me, as I look toward the future and what my life looks like, I would like to find a better work-life balance than what I have currently.”
Stewart met Almirola in 2004 when the two were under the Joe Gibbs Racing banner. By then, Stewart had the first of his three Cup Series championships, and Almirola was a prospect in JGR’s diversity pipeline.
“I’m proud of everything Aric has accomplished and am especially proud that his last six years have been with Stewart-Haas Racing,” Stewart said in the team statement. “He and Smithfield formed an incredible partnership that resonated on and off the race track, and a lot of that is a testament to Aric. He always puts forth maximum effort, and he makes everyone around him better. Simply put, he’s a great person – an awesome dad to Alex and Abby and an exceptional husband to Janice. I know all of them really well and am genuinely happy for their next steps together as a family. Smithfield has been an outstanding partner and a NASCAR staple for more than a decade. Their platform with Aric was a model for the sport, and it was an honor to represent them.”
Almirola is the second Stewart-Haas driver to announce a change in plans for next season. Kevin Harvick announced before the 2023 campaign that he would end his driving career, transitioning to the FOX Sports broadcast booth next year.
Almirola currently ranks 22nd in the Cup Series standings, scoring just one top-five finish so far and missing out on playoff eligibility for the second consecutive year. His season highlights include notching two pole positions (at Atlanta in July and Talladega in September) and winning a 150-mile qualifying race in the run-up to the season-opening Daytona 500.
When asked about his decision to return this season, Almirola said he had no misgivings – “not one bit.” He noted his Xfinity Series victory at Sonoma as one of the more special occasions this year and that he took extra care to savor the celebration with his family.
“That moment, several other moments throughout the year like that, we would have never had that, and I do not regret one minute of this season,” Almirola said. “There’s been trials, absolutely. But who doesn’t go through trials in life? I didn’t expect this year to be easy. I didn’t expect it to be all rainbows and kittens. I knew it would be a challenge. I knew that there would be ups and downs, but I signed up for it, and I don’t regret one minute.”
Contributing: Zack Albert from Martinsville, Virginia
