Posted on by Reid Spencer

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Christopher Bell had another miracle in his pocket, but Ross Chastain stole the show with a scarcely believable video-game move in the final corners of the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

For the second time in as many rounds in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Bell won a race he had to win. After beating pole winner Kyle Larson to the finish line by 0.869 seconds, Bell will race for the series title next Sunday at Phoenix Raceway.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

“Mom and dad, we did it — wow,” an emotional Bell said after the race. “I can’t believe it, man. To come here in Martinsville, this place has always been so tough on me. Just pre-race looking up, seeing all the fans, this place is packed… I don’t even know what to say.

“Man, I say it all the time, but the driver is just a small piece of the puzzle for these races. The reason why this car won today is because it was the best car on the race track. (Crew chief) Adam Stevens… this entire 20 group, they just never give up. When our back is against the wall, looks like it’s over, they show up and give me the fastest car out here.”

The victory was Bell’s third of the season and his second in a must-win situation. On Oct. 9, he won the Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway to stave off elimination from the playoffs.

But it was Chastain who added most significantly to the lore of the historic 0.526-mile short track with a shocking trip around Turns 3 and 4 that knocked veteran Denny Hamlin out of the playoffs.

Running 10th and facing elimination on the last lap, Chastain pinned his No. 1 Chevrolet to the outside wall entering Turn 3, kept his throttle open and rocketed around the fence as if he had just ignited an afterburner. The amazing move carried Chastain past Hamlin and into the Championship 4. Chastain completed the final lap in 18.845 seconds, 0.864 seconds faster than Larson’s pole-winning time.

“I made the choice, grabbed fifth gear down the back,” Chastain said. “Fully committed. Basically let go of the wheel, hoping I didn’t catch the Turn 4 access gate or something crazy. But I was willing to do it.

“I just cannot believe that we have a chance to go fight for a championship. All we ask for is a chance. We kept our world small this year so far. We’ll do the same thing going to Phoenix.”

Chase Elliott came home 10th and secured a Championship 4 berth by four points over Hamlin, the same margin Chastain enjoyed. Elliott, Chastain, Bell and Las Vegas winner Joey Logano will race for the series championship at Phoenix.

Ninth-place finisher Chase Briscoe was eliminated from the playoffs, but not for lack of effort. Briscoe stayed out on old tires during the final caution and restarted in the lead with 24 laps left. But Briscoe gave up the top spot to Bell, who had pitted for four fresh tires, on Lap 496 of 500.

“Yeah, we were obviously on a lot older tires there,” Briscoe said. “Thought there for a little bit I was going to be OK. I just fell off a cliff pretty hard. I should have used the wall. Pretty good deal to use there.”

Also ousted from the playoffs were William Byron, who couldn’t overcome a 25th-place starting position, and Ryan Blaney, who finished third but couldn’t overcome a deep points deficit entering the race.

MORE: Championship 4 field analysis

The Hendrick Motorsports duo of Larson and Elliott dominated the early going. Larson led the first 68 laps before Elliott passed him for the top spot in traffic and stayed out front for the next 52 laps.

But Hamlin, who had started 11th, drove through the top 10 and took the lead on Lap 121, with nine laps left in the first stage. Hamlin stayed at the point for 203 laps, winning the first two stages. He didn’t relinquish the lead until Bell won the race off pit road on Lap 276, under caution for Austin Dillon’s hard crash into the Turn 4 wall three laps earlier.

Hamlin lost positions on three consecutive pit stops in the final stage of the race. He restarted 13th, one spot behind Chastain, after a 14.5-second stop under caution on Lap 470.

Hamlin advanced to fifth and had the final Championship 4 spot in hand until Chastain rocketed around the wall through the final corners.

“You got to execute all day,” Hamlin said. “We just didn’t control the race when we had control of it. Each caution we just kept losing some spots. That’s the way it is.”

Brad Keselowski, who, like Larson, took right-side tires only on his final pit stop, crossed the start/finish line fourth, but his No. 6 RFK Racing Ford was disqualified in post-race technical inspection for not meeting the minimum weight requirements per NASCAR Rule Book Setion 14.11.2, bumping Chastain to fourth in the official rundown with Hamlin fifth. Logano, Byron, Bubba Wallace, Briscoe and Elliott completed the top 10.

NOTE: Post-race inspection concluded, confirming Bell as the winner of Sunday’s race. There were no other issues aside from the disqualification of the No. 6 Ford, which relegated Keselowski to a last-place finish.


Posted on by Staff Report

The 2022 championship picture came fully into focus Sunday afternoon in the Round of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway.

RELATED: Race results

The following four drivers will compete for a NASCAR Cup Series championship next Sunday at Phoenix Raceway (3 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio):

1. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
2. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
3. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
4. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Of the four above, only Logano entered Sunday’s race at the 0.526-mile short track with his spot in the Championship 4 secured — his win in the Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway assured the Team Penske driver he’d be in the title field. The other three drivers, though, came into Martinsville needing to race their way in with a win or by points.

With the NASCAR Cup Series title field now set, we have a full picture of who is racing for a NASCAR national series championship in the season finale. Here are the other two Championship 4 fields.

2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship 4

Race: Saturday, 6 p.m. ET (USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

1. Noah Gragson, No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
2. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
3. Josh Berry, No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
4. Justin Allgaier, No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet

2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship 4

Race: Friday, 10 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

1. Ty Majeski, No. 66 Thorsport Racing Toyota
2. Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
3. Ben Rhodes, No. 99 Thorsport Racing Toyota
4. Chandler Smith, No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota

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 USA Network | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App | Watch on USA Network | Get the NBC Sports App | Watch on Peacock | FloRacing | How to watch NASCAR International

Monday, Oct. 31
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., Greatest Races: NASCAR, 1988 Checker 500 (re-air), FS1
11 p.m., Race for the Championship: Under Pressure (re-air), USA Network

Tuesday, Nov. 1
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Wednesday, Nov. 2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Thursday, Nov. 3
2:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive: Phoenix (re-air), FS2
3 a.m., Greatest Races: NASCAR, 1988 Checker 500 (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
10 p.m., Race for the Championship, USA Network

Friday, Nov. 4
12:43 a.m., Race for the Championship: Bonus Lap — Welcome to My World, Pt. 1, USA Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Qualifying at Phoenix Raceway, FS1
7 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Practice at Phoenix Raceway, USA Network
8 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Practice at Phoenix Raceway, USA Network
9 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Phoenix, Fs1
10 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway, FS1

On MRN:
2:30 p.m., ARCA Menards Series: Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 at Phoenix Raceway
8 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Practice at Phoenix Raceway
9:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway

Saturday, Nov. 5
3:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive — Phoenix (re-air), FS2
4:00 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway (re-air), FS2
6 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway (re-air), FS1
8:30 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway (re-air), FS2
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying at Phoenix Raceway, USA Network
5 p.m., Dale Jr. Download: Erik Jones, USA Network
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Countdown to Green at Phoenix Raceway, USA Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway, USA Network, NBC Sports App
8:30 p.m. NASCAR Xfinity Series Post Race at Phoenix Raceway, USA Network
9 p.m., Greatest Races: NASCAR, 2007 Subway Fresh Fit 500 (re-air), FS2

On MRN: 
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Pole Qualifying at Phoenix Raceway
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway

Sunday, Nov. 6
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Raceday: Phoenix, FS1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Countdown to Green at Phoenix Raceway, NBC
3 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway, NBC, Peacock

On MRN: 
2 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway

Posted on by Staff Report

Tyler Reddick retired early from Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race during Stage 2 at Martinsville Speedway.

The Richard Childress Racing driver, who was running one lap down after the first stage of Sunday’s Xfinity 500, pulled his No. 8 Chevrolet to the garage area after voicing concerns over the radio that he was feeling unwell.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

Upon exiting the car at Martinsville Speedway, Reddick was taken to the infield care center where he was later evaluated and released.

On Monday afternoon, Reddick provided an update on his status on Twitter and on the airwaves via Sirius XM NASCAR, saying he was involved in an on-track stack up of cars that led to him exiting Sunday’s race early.

Reddick’s final race in the No. 8 Chevrolet will come next race in the season-finale at Phoenix Raceway. The 26-year-old will drive the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing beginning next season.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials are reviewing a post-race incident between Austin Hill and Myatt Snider that occurred after the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday.

RELATED: Xfinity race recap | At-track photos

Hill, driver of the No. 21 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, and Snider collided on-track late during the Round of 8 elimination race on the .526-mile track. NBC cameras caught a post-race, pit-road incident between the two following the checkered flag in which Hill appeared to swing and punch Snider in the face.

Snider drives the No. 31 Chevrolet for Jordan Anderson Racing.

Hill was one of four drivers eliminated from championship contention on Saturday evening.

NASCAR first saw video of the skirmish on Sunday afternoon and a spokesperson noted that officials will speak to members of both teams regarding the incident.

Posted on by Nick Giffen

The Action Network specializes in providing sports betting insights/analytics and is a content partner with NASCAR. Check out more NASCAR betting analysis here.

Sunday’s XFINITY 500 at Martinsville Speedway (2 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM) marks the last race before the championship race at Phoenix next weekend.

Martinsville is a half-mile, paperclip-shaped track where passing is quite difficult.

It’s rare to get a long-shot winner here, so today I’ve buckled down and found one driver who seems to check all the outright boxes.

RELATED: Betting odds for Martinsville

NASCAR Pick for Martinsville

*Odds as of Sunday morning

With Joey Logano locked into the championship round, three playoff spots are still up for grabs among seven drivers.

Chase Elliott is a heavy favorite to advance given his 11-point cushion and impressive track history.

Elliott has led more than 100 laps in three of his last four Martinsville starts, and backs up that impressive track history with his on-track performance this weekend.

In practice, Elliott posted a top-five time across all long-run lap metrics, and backed that up with a second-place qualifying effort. Additionally, Elliott has been 2022’s best driver, racking up the most wins and comfortably taking home the regular-season points championship.

In Elliott we’re getting everything we want: track history, current weekend speed and current form overall.

Oh, and my model makes him the favorite at 18.3% to win.

That’s significantly better than the 14.7% odds that are implied at +580 at PointsBet. Even +550 at DraftKings or FanDuel are a nice healthy gap to my model’s projection.

I generally don’t back favorites, but this week my model is showing a large enough edge, so I’ll bite.

The Bet: Chase Elliott +580 | Bet to: +500

Posted on by Dustin Albino

Based on the spring race at Martinsville Speedway, track position is going to be at a premium in Sunday’s Xfinity 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Many teams put themselves in traffic during practice on Saturday to get a sense of feeling in dirty air. Of the playoff cars needing to win, Chase Briscoe had the best Saturday and will start the race in third, as Ryan Blaney, likely needing to win, will start in fourth and had the best long-run speed. William Byron will start worst of the championship-eligible drivers in 25th, and his closest nemesis Denny Hamlin was the first driver to miss the final round of qualifying.

Dustin Albino’s race-day lineup:

Starter 1: Denny Hamlin
Starter 2: Chase Elliott
Starter 3: Ryan Blaney
Starter 4: William Byron
Starter 5: Chase Briscoe
Garage pick: Brad Keselowski

NEXT IN LINE: Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano.

RELATED: Fantasy Fastlane | Betting odds for Martinsville

RISING: Stewart-Haas Racing hasn’t won at Martinsville since Clint Bowyer dominated the spring race in 2018. Before that, it was Kurt Busch in 2014. Kevin Harvick has struggled adequately over the last handful of races at the track. But the SHR camp put three of its four entries inside the top 10 in qualifying, with Chase Briscoe leading the charge in third — and Kyle Larson thought the No. 14 car was the best car in practice. In fifth, Cole Custer has his best qualifying effort since winning the pole at the Bristol dirt race on Easter. Harvick was eighth on the board.

Admittedly, Larson has struggled at Martinsville. After scoring the pole, he says his No. 5 Chevrolet is better than he is at Martinsville. But he did win his first career pole at the paperclip for Sunday’s 500-lap event and is coming off a dominant performance at Homestead last weekend.

FALLING: Byron put together the most dominant performance of his Cup career in the spring at Martinsville, leading 212 of 403 laps. The No. 24 team brought speed in practice, ranking seventh on single-lap speed and second on 10-lap averages. Unfortunately for him, he had a slip up in qualifying and will take the green flag from 25th — his worst qualifying effort since Road America. With track position being premium, Saturday was a net loss for Byron.

Compared to recent years, Truex and Toyota have struggled on short tracks in 2022. The No. 19 car ranked 22nd in single lap and long-run speed, but qualified 27th (worst of the Toyota drivers). Given his track record at Martinsville over the past six races, Truex should still get the benefit of the doubt and be considered for your lineup.

FEATURED MATCHUPS

Kyle Larson vs. Martin Truex Jr.: Based on Saturday, all signs would point to Larson. But he often out qualifies where he finishes at Martinsville. With his pole run, this will be the ninth time Larson has qualified inside the top 10 in 16 Martinsville starts. He has a trio of top 10s. Stick with consistency and select Truex.

William Byron vs. Denny Hamlin: This got more interesting with Byron being buried in traffic to start the race. Hamlin was the best of the Toyota bunch in qualifying and will start 11th. Based on track position and ability of scoring stage points (something that’s admittedly hindered the No. 11 team in the playoffs), Hamlin should have a slight advantage heading into the race. Don’t be surprised, however, if the No. 24 moves through the field early.

Ross Chastain vs. Chase Elliott: In seven Martinsville starts, Chastain has one top-15 finish — a fifth-place outing in the spring. Elliott has a knack for finding his way at the front of the field at Martinsville, so fully believe he will be a factor for the win. The No. 9 car will start from the front row with Chastain lining up ninth.

Christopher Bell vs. Ryan Blaney: Despite qualifying 20th, Bell said he liked the handling of his Toyota. But Blaney will have the early advantage starting fourth. Blaney is always competitive at the famed short track, and it seems like he’s due for some good fortune after driver errors in the first two races in the Round of 8. Blaney should be the layup choice, though Bell had a walk-off win in the last round.

Posted on by Zack Albert

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Brandon Jones’ last-ditch bid for a spot in the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship race nearly had its Hail Mary moment Saturday at Martinsville Speedway. He had the lead in overtime, a fast car that started from the pole and seemingly friendly competition in teammate Ty Gibbs.

By the time the checkered flag flew, Jones’ lead was gone, his fast car was significantly shorter and the word “teammate” was bracketed by air quotes.

A captivating battle for the final Championship 4 berth went down to the wire in Saturday’s Dead On Tools 250, and Gibbs’ forceful last-lap bump in overtime sent Jones’ No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and his playoff hopes spiraling. Gibbs celebrated his sixth victory of the season, but Jones was eliminated on a day when only a win would have placed him in the title race next Saturday at Phoenix Raceway.

RELATED: Official results | Weekend schedule

Jones has just one more race — Phoenix — with JGR before he moves to the JR Motorsports team in 2023. “You guys are like family,” he told his No. 19 team on the radio, before adding, “I’m damn sure glad to be out of this place.”

“Man, I don’t know. I didn’t expect to get wrecked into (turn) one. That’s for sure,” Jones said post-race. “Me and Ty have always been kind of friends, but lost all respect today. I know a lot of guys on pit road have for him. So I’m looking forward to getting first to Phoenix and trying to win that race, but then transitioning over to JRM next year. I’m gonna have a good time over there.”

Gibbs added his name to the list of Championship 4 contenders before the race’s end, thanks to attrition that mathematically sealed his fate. He’ll battle JRM teammates Josh Berry, Noah Gragson and Justin Allgaier for the Xfinity crown. Berry and Gragson clinched with victories earlier in the Round of 8, and Allgaier edged AJ Allmendinger for the final playoff spot after a hard-nosed, late-race contest for position.

How Gibbs got there, though, was the buzz of south central Virginia. A flurry of late crashes sent the event to a third overtime, and the two JGR teammates — current and lame-duck — had traded turns choosing the low lane for restarts, forcing the action three-wide and making full-contact bids for the lead and the win.

The final push was enough to send Jones’ No. 19 Supra backward into the outside retaining wall. Gibbs collected his first Martinsville grandfather clock trophy, but drew a downpour of boos from the home crowd.

“I feel like, you know, after we got shoved out of the way for the first time, I feel like that was on, we’re racing for wins after that,” said Gibbs, who led a race-high 102 laps. “And I mean, going into Turn 1, I definitely didn’t want to clean him out, but definitely wanted to move him. So I just crossed that line a little bit too much.”

Brandon Jones gets a hug from his girlfriend, Ashley Safin, post-race at Martinsville Speedway
Zack Albert | NASCAR Studios

Jones took exception to the aggression level, especially since Gibbs had already advanced.

“He was locked in, right? I mean, there was really no need for it,” Jones said. “I get you want to win the race, you want to go for it. I want to race against the best. I want to try to beat the best out here. But man, you gotta give me an opportunity and a chance. You know, it’s not really even having a chance to go race for a win and at least we could have been side by side or something.

“So second place, last place, didn’t matter for us today. We had to win the race. So that part of it is what it is, but I would have liked to at least have had a chance to race against him and try to try to hold him off. To me that’s what’s fun is door-to-door racing and doing that, not just wrecking somebody.”

Had Jones won the race and secured an automatic berth, both Allgaier and Allmendinger would have been eliminated. As it evolved, Jones’ misfortune was a boon for Allgaier, who placed fifth to edge the 15th-finishing Allmendinger by 12 points for the last final-four berth. He made a point to offer a consoling hug to Jones on pit road.

“Honestly, future teammate or not, he’s a good friend,” Allgaier said. “You know, we missed out on making the final four last year, just because of the way the race worked out and I know the emotions right now from his side, so I hate it for those guys. Obviously it was to our benefit, right? It puts us in and (we’ve) got a shot at going for a championship next week at a race track that’s really, really good for us. But today’s race was definitely one for the record books. It was about as wild as I think you can get.”

MORE: At-track photos | Championship 4 field

Allgaier experienced the chaos firsthand in a fender-clanging duel with Allmendinger that had the two drivers swapping for position lap after lap. That fray reached its peak when Allmendinger’s No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet skidded and slowed with a flat left-rear tire with just 17 laps left in regulation.

Allmendinger’s hopes for a return trip to the Championship 4 evaporated, but he shook hands with Allgaier after their close-quarters clash.

“I mean, this is the way the format is, and I thought it was fair,” said Allmendinger, a five-time Xfinity winner this season. “I leaned on him to begin with, and he would give it back to me, and we knew whoever beat who was going to make it, the way that was playing out at that point. So yeah, I mean, it’s disappointing the tire got cut down, but I was trying to pinch him to kind of get them loose, see if I could clear him. And you know that’s a possibility. So overall, we did everything we could. Congrats to them for making it and came up short.”

The outcome sets up a lopsided Championship 4 field for Phoenix in terms of the organizations involved, with three JR Motorsports teammates facing off with the 20-year-old Gibbs, the lone representative from his grandfather’s team. Jones will be Gragson’s successor next year with the No. 9 team, which has had its share of run-ins with Gibbs during Gragson’s tenure.

“I’d be very, very mad right now if I was in the 19’s shoes, where he wouldn’t be smiling and taking pictures next to a clock right now,” Gragson said. “He’d be behind the stage with some extracurricular activities in mind, but that’s not my battle. I’m just glad three JR Motorsports cars got into the final four and excited to go race for a championship. …

“I mean, I don’t think I’m the biggest worry for the 54 right now. We’ve been collected in his stuff. Pretty much everyone down pit road has. Just … dirtbag move and it’ll catch up to him.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Ty Gibbs took no prisoners Saturday with a race-winning move that dramatically altered the composition of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship 4 field.

On the final lap of the third attempt at overtime, Gibbs rammed soon-to-be-ex-teammate Brandon Jones so hard the contact buckled the hood of Gibbs No. 54 Toyota.

The contact sent Jones, who had taken the lead on the previous lap, into the outside wall in Turns 1 and 2, and Gibbs had the lead when NASCAR called the 14th caution of the race because of the wreck.

MORE: Race results | At-track photos

By then, Gibbs already had clinched one of the two remaining spots in the Championship 4 Round, but the bulldozing move deprived Jones of an opportunity to race for the series title next Saturday at Phoenix Raceway.

As a chorus of boos rained down from the grandstand, Gibbs was unapologetic for that tactic that made him a race winner for the sixth time this season, for the first time at Martinsville and for the 10th time in 50 Xfinity Series starts.

“It was definitely not a clean move, for sure,” Gibbs said. “I definitely didn’t want to wreck him, but I definitely wanted to move him out of the groove so I could go win. I felt like we lost the spring race getting moved by him.

“He’s my teammate, but definitely want to get the win here. It’s important to get the win. And now we’re going to the championship. It’s cool. Hopefully, I don’t get hit by any cans or anything right here.

“We got moved out of the way earlier this year, so it’s part of it.”

Jones won the pole and led 98 laps to Gibbs’ 102 but finished 23rd, the last driver on the lead lap.

“I know Ty enough to where I know he doesn’t care about what he did,” said Jones, who will move to JR Motorsports next season. “He’s pretty much, well — he wasn’t ‘pretty much’ — he was locked into the next round. So really, what did that do?

“I don’t really understand the move. I understand trying to get aggressive — you want to win the race. But to just destroy the race car, I don’t see it. I don’t get any satisfaction from it. Maybe he does. Maybe he likes to win that way? But I never have and never felt strong about racing that way. So, we’ll just take it and go for it.”

Jones’ misfortune elevated veteran Justin Allgaier, his soon-to-be-teammate at JR Motorsports, into the final Championship 4 berth. Jones needed a victory to claim the spot, but Allgaier was in a position to advance on points, which he did by 12 points over regular-season champion AJ Allmendinger.

Allgaier finished fifth and Allmendinger 16th after contact between their cars cut Allmendinger’s left-rear tire as the drivers played bumper tag and swapped positions during the closing stages of the race. Allgaier was happy to advance but less than thrilled with the way it happened.

“I can’t even describe it,” Allgaier said. “It’s disappointing that it’s gotten to the point where it’s — unfortunately, easier to drive through somebody than it is to pass them. Really proud of our team. We never gave up until the checkered flag fell. Had a ton of damage right there (from a collision on Lap 262 in the second overtime) but made it to the final round.”

After the race, Allmendinger sought Allgaier out on pit road and congratulated him.

“You get down to the end, (Allmendinger) was pushing pretty hard,” Allgaier said. “He chose to run into us enough times that you get to the point where you have to go for it. He knew when he turned back left that we were going to hit.

“I hate it for those guys. I don’t know if we could have run 25 laps battling as hard as we did there at the end. They’ve had a great season. We’ve had a great season. It’s just so hard when it comes to the last race, especially at a place like Martinsville.”

Gibbs and Allgaier will race for the series championship at Phoenix against Josh Berry and Noah Gragson, who earned their spots in the Championship 4 with respective victories at Las Vegas and Homestead-Miami in the Round of 8.

Non-playoff drivers Sheldon Creed and Riley Herbst finished second and third after the late-race melee, followed by the JR Motorsports trio of Gragson, Allgaier and Sam Mayer. Nick Sanchez, Daniel Hemric, Austin Hill and Blaine Perkins completed the top 10.

Along with Allmendinger and Jones, Hill and Mayer were eliminated from the playoffs.

NOTE: Post-race inspection concluded without issue, confirming Gibbs as the race winner. His No. 54 Toyota had one lug nut not safe and secure, which will result in a monetary fine.