Alex Bowman won at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, but Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. won in the long run as those three drivers clinched the remaining spots in next week's Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway.
Elliott clinched his spot in the Championship 4 by winning the second stage while Hamlin and Truex clinched theirs based on points from their finish in the race.
But the race wasn't without drama, especially late. With fewer than 20 laps to go, Bowman spun out Hamlin to take a lead he would never relinquish.
Hamlin dropped to second after the incident and eventually finished 24th on the day, but he had enough of a cushion in points that it didn't affect his place in the standings. It did, however, affect him personally; Hamlin voiced his displeasure with Bowman after the race, calling him "a hack," among other choice words.
Truex had a far less controversial race, though his car did sustain serious damage. Notably, the car overheated early on and a front tire rub developed after the car went hard into the wall late.
He was able overcome all that to finish three points above the playoff cut line.
Kyle Larson had already clinched a spot in the Championship 4 before Sunday. He will join Elliott, Hamlin and Truex in the Championship 4 at Phoenix on Nov. 7. Sunday's results also set up a Joe Gibbs Racing-Hendrick Motorsports battle in the final race of the season as Elliott looks to defend his 2020 title.
Sporting News tracked live updates and highlights from the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville.
MORE: Watch NASCAR races live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
NASCAR at Martinsville live updates, highlights from Xfinity 500
(All times Eastern)
5:56 p.m.: Alex Bowman wins at Martinsville. Looks like Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. will take the final two spots in the Championship 4. Hamlin and Bowman go at it a bit after the white flag and tensions are clearly boiling over.
THE FRUSTRATIONS ARE OVERFLOWING pic.twitter.com/aAnHAhj37o
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 31, 2021
5:54 p.m.: After the wreck and spinout by Hamlin, he's told by his camp to stay calm and that he can still get a spot in the Championship 4 with a nine point lead.
Hamlin is told he’s still good to get in even with the 18 or 2 wins.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 31, 2021
5:51 p.m.: Pandemonium at Martinsville as Denny Hamlin gets spun and goes into the wall. Bowman spins him out and retakes the lead.
DENNY HAMLIN GETS SPUN!!!
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 31, 2021
Chris Gabehart tells Denny Hamlin: "There was no way he wasn't going to wreck you. That's just the mentality these days."
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 31, 2021
Denny Hamlin SPINS!
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 31, 2021
Alex Bowman gets into him and a restart is coming! #NASCARPlayoffs x @peacockTV x @NBC pic.twitter.com/6EM9BLE8p2
5:47 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch are currently tied for the fourth spot but Busch holds the tiebreaker with 16 laps to go.
5:44 p.m.: Bowman and Hamlin trading the lead here off the restart. Busch is closing in in third and has a one-point lead for the final spot.
5:43 p.m.: The outlook with 25 to go here and two spots in the Championship 4 up for grabs.
Truex down to 11th with 27 to go. ... as they run, he's a point behind KyBusch .. and Keselowski is a point behind KyBusch too
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 31, 2021
5:40 p.m.: Truex goes hard into the wall and claims everyone is trying to hit him.
Truex: When everybody runs into me, what am I supposed to do?
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 31, 2021
HARD INTO THE WALL! @MartinTruex_Jr is seeing his #Championship4 buffer disappear! pic.twitter.com/RRtAeliZbC
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 31, 2021
5:39 p.m.: Brad Keselowski has come storming back and is in second place behind Denny Hamlin.
5:35 p.m.: Another caution, this one on Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with 38 laps to go.
Caution for Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 31, 2021
Rack 'em up again. pic.twitter.com/kNTBxtObhK
5:32 p.m.: Chase Elliott spins out and comes to pit road. Gets spun out by Keselowski.
Chase Elliott spins!
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 31, 2021
He had some help from Brad Keselowski. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/qiFQcseaZS
5:29 p.m.: Truex with front tire rub and takes on major damage.
Big damage to the No. 19!
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 31, 2021
He's run a perfect points race, but everything is in jeopardy with a tire rub! pic.twitter.com/8XQxt3pryY
5:27 p.m.: Brad Keselowski is in must-win territory to advance to the Championship 4. He's currently in fourth behind Chase Elliott with 50 laps to go.
5:25 p.m.: With 57 laps to go, here's the leaderboard:
Here's the setup to the finish: Larson and Elliott have clinched spots. Hamlin is the leader and has a sizable cushion.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 31, 2021
Truex is +9. KyBusch -9. Keselowski -10. Blaney and Logano have to win at this point.
Hamlin-Bowman-Elliott-Truex-Keselowski are top five.
57 to go.
5:22 p.m.: Most of the lead lap drivers pit with Hamlin, Bowman, Elliott and Truex leading off of pit road.
5:20 p.m.: Another caution, the 11th of the day. Austin Dillon goes into the wall with 65 laps to go for the sixth place driver.
5:13 p.m.: 83 laps to go and Hamlin remains in the lead. Some discussion among Penske drivers about ability to pass others in the field.
Logano said if Keselowski had given him a chance to pass Dillon, they could have both passed him.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 31, 2021
5:03 p.m.: Denny Hamlin takes the lead for the first time today with around 110 laps to go. Truex in third followed by Dillon, Logano and Elliott.
4:58 p.m.: Most of the lead lap drivers pit, but Larson gets hit for speeding on pit road. It's his second such penalty on the day.
4:57 p.m.: Tenth caution of the day, this one with 122 laps to go.
4:56 p.m.: Kyle Busch, currently in ninth, not happy with the state of affairs at the moment.
Kyle Busch: “I get beat into the corner and uut f**king turned and out accelerated …” Busch is ninth #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) October 31, 2021
4:47 p.m.: Ninth caution flag of the day comes out with 143 laps to go. Martin Truex now trying to cool off his car, which he said he's been trying to do all day.
4:46 p.m.: Martin Truex's car is starting to overheat. Currently in fourth place but seems to be under control now.
4:45 p.m.: Important math with under 150 laps to go:
Assuming Hamlin avoids disaster, KyBusch needs to finish 5-6 spots ahead of Truex unless .. Keselowski finishes 9-10 spots ahead of Truex and 4-5 ahead of KyBusch and gets in unless ... Blaney finishes 13-14 ahead of Truex, 8-9 ahead of KyBusch & 4-5 ahead of Keselowski https://t.co/svMtqz2Syl
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 31, 2021
4:39 p.m.: Ryan Blaney's car has taken massive damage today and just seems to be a magnet for it.
Blaney's car is basically a piñata at this point. @Blaney | #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/YhmmNmCvds
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 31, 2021
4:35 p.m.: Chase Elliott in the lead once again with 167 laps to go and counting. Bowman, Hamlin, Truex, Byron round out the top-5.
4:33 p.m.: Quin Houff is being held back and penalized five laps for intentionally spinning Billicki near a saftey vehicle. Claims NASCAR "doesn't care about respect."
4:26 p.m.: Hamlin trying to get out in front but isn't itching to make a move and is playing it conservative.
Chris Gabehart to Denny Hamlin: “We’re trying to beat the Hendrick cars right now, and they’re so opposite of us. I’m afraid to swing that way.” #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) October 31, 2021
4:25 p.m.: Here's how things are looking on the restart out of the caution.
Elliott-Hamlin front row for this restart with 183 laps to go in the race. Then Bowman-Byron are the row behind them, followed by Truex-Larson.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 31, 2021
4:21 p.m.: The caution comes out as Josh Billicki spins out and stops on Turn 4 and lap 310. Austin Dillon gets the free pass. Now on the lead lap.
4:20 p.m.: Worry starting to creep in in the Kyle Busch camp.
Spotter Tony Hirschman on the 18 radio of Kyle Busch: “200 to go. We got a lot of work to do.” Busch is 17th as he tries to fight back from the speeding penalty #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) October 31, 2021
4:12 p.m.: Chase Elliott remains in front. He's led for 207 laps so far with 211 to go. Also already has his spot in the Championship 4 locked up.
4:03 p.m.: Kyle Busch now gets hit with a penalty for speeding off of pit road and goes to the rear.
PENALTY: @KyleBusch gets tagged for speeding on pit road. #NASCARPlayoffs
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 31, 2021
3:57 p.m.: Chase Elliott wins Stage 2. He has now locked himself in to the Championship 4 thanks to the points from the stage win. Joins Kyle Larson in the championship.
3:46 p.m.: More on Elliott as he looks to clinch with a strong showing in Stage 2.
Chase Elliott has a 1.1-second lead over teammate William Byron and is 40 laps away from locking himself in the championship race on points.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 31, 2021
3:36 p.m.: Chase Elliott can clinch one of the three remaining Championship 4 spots with a strong performance in Stage 2.
Did some checking with my Racing Insights friends and Elliott would clinch in this stage with a fourth (he needs 8 points and that would be 7 in the stage plus would get at least 1 from his finishing spot).
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 31, 2021
3:32 p.m.: Another caution out as Austin Dillon has a right front tire issue.
3:28 p.m.: Kyle Busch seems to be struggling too.
KyBusch: I need a lot of help. We ain't going f*$#$ anywhere.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 31, 2021
3:23 p.m.: Blaney's woes continue as his car seems to be in serious trouble.
"Zero rear charge. No drive. No motor either," Blaney reports of his car. #NASCAR
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) October 31, 2021
3:10 p.m.: Kyle Larson, who led for much of the day, now goes to the back after speeding on pit road.
PENALTY: Kyle Larson, too fast on pit road. Larson had just won the race off pit road over Chase Elliott.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 31, 2021
3:07 p.m.: Stage 1 over at Martinsville. Here's how the race is shaking out.
with stage 1 points ... Larson-in Elliott +38, Hamlin +26, Truex +0, KyBusch -0, Keselowski -5, Blaney -6, Logano -29
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 31, 2021
2:58 p.m.: Obviously stage points are important, but no one can clinch after Stage 1.
No one can clinch after the first stage. Would have to be 45 points up on fourth on the grid (not fifth) to account for a driver outside the cutoff winning the race. https://t.co/G9j3OPddDR
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 31, 2021
2:52 p.m.: Blaney's woes continue. He's running in ninth right now and has taken serious damage a few times.
Ryan Blaney with left rear fender damage after contact with Austin Dillon. Dillon has damage to the right front #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) October 31, 2021
HUGE contact between @austindillon3 and @Blaney ! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/5EShPV83rl
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 31, 2021
2:49 p.m.: Elliott has reclaimed the lead but it's not all smooth sailing.
Is there cause for concern for Chase Elliott's team?
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 31, 2021
He just took the lead, but listen in on the radio before the last restart. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/QBHUiZ8bF2
2:43 p.m.: A caution comes out as Ryan Newman spins on Turn 4. Nimble effort by the others to avoid him.
#NASCAR ... Caution ... Ryan Newman spins and Denny Hamlin avoids it.
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) October 31, 2021
"Oh man that was it," Hamlin said after avoiding contact
2:39 p.m.: Denny Hamlin gets hit with a penalty for speeding off pit road and drops to the back of the pack.
PENALTY: @dennyhamlin will start at the rear of the field again after speeding on pit road. #NASCARPlayoffs
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 31, 2021
2:36 p.m.: Cars are starting to pit. Here's what the race out of pit road looks like.
Race off pit road: Kyle Larson beats Chase Elliott and retakes the race lead. Truex still P3.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 31, 2021
2:34 p.m.: The competition caution has arrived with Elliott, Larson, Truex, Keselowski and Kyle Busch rounding out the top-five.
2:32 p.m.: And just like that, Chase Elliott takes the lead from Larson with two laps to go until the competition caution.
2:30 p.m.: Larson's led 51 of 52 laps so far with 8 laps to go before the competition caution.
2:25 pm.: Blaney struggling here early and reporting major problems with his car, specifically the steering. Been passed several times and made contact several times as well.
A lot happening early. Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. made contact in Turn 1 on the first lap, Denny Hamlin is trying to work his way through the field, and Ryan Blaney nearly got spun by William Byron. #Xfinity500 #NASCARPlayoffs
— Sean Sedor (@SASedor2994) October 31, 2021
2:23 p.m.: 30 laps in and Larson has the lead followed by Truex, Elliott and Keselowski.
2:22 p.m.: Good news upcoming for Denny Hamlin potentially, with the competition caution approaching.
Hamlin is told 32 laps until competition caution and only five cars between him and Larson
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 31, 2021
2:10 p.m.: Denny Hamlin, who's won here five times, is starting in 37th place after failing inspection twice this morning. Hamlin has a 31 point lead for fourth.
2:04 p.m.: Engines are fired and things are about to get interesting.
Engines fired for the Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. Stage breaks are laps 130 and 260 with a scheduled distance of 500 laps. Competition caution on lap 60. Chase Elliott the defending race winner. Kyle Larson starts from the pole #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) October 31, 2021
2:01 p.m.: Action slated to get underway in about 10 minutes. Here's a look at the points race heading in.
Driver introductions underway here at Martinsville Speedway. Green flag is 2:12 p.m. ET. Kyle Larson is locked in. Joey Logano is in must win mode #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/3wm7kStvqP
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) October 31, 2021
NASCAR start time today
- Time: 2 p.m. ET (TV time)
- TV channel: NBC (TSN5 in Canada)
- Live stream: NBC Sports.com | NBC Sports App | Peacock | fuboTV ( 7-day free trial )
- Radio: MRN
The green flag for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series playoff race on Martinsville Speedway's 0.526-mile short track is scheduled to drop at 2:12 p.m. ET Sunday. The track has lights, so the race can finish after sunset if there is a delay.
Weather conditions should ensure an on-time start. The National Weather Service forecast for Ridgeway, Va. , where Martinsville Speedway is located, is for mostly sunny skies and a high temperature near 65 degrees. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph, however.
NASCAR playoff standings
The bubble drivers figure to produce the most drama Sunday. Positions 4 through 7 are separated by six points. Kyle Busch is in the No. 4 spot but he's just one point ahead of Ryan Blaney, the first driver out at the moment. The live standings will be volatile.
Elliott (34 points) and Hamlin (32 points) come into the race with sizable leads over Blaney as they sit in second and third in the standings, respectively.
Aside from the closeness of the standings, there's another reason the four drivers below can have hope: A playoff driver who wins a race in the Round of 8 automatically qualifies for the Championship 4 race Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway. Problem is, only Larson has won a race thus far in the Round of 8.
| Pos. | Driver | Points |
| 1 | x-Kyle Larson | 4181 |
| 2 | Chase Elliott | 4107 |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin | 4105 |
| 4 | Kyle Busch | 4074 |
| 5 | Ryan Blaney | 4073 |
| 6 | Martin Truex Jr. | 4071 |
| 7 | Brad Keselowski | 4068 |
| 8 | Joey Logano | 4048 |
x-Advanced to Championship 4 race.
NASCAR starting lineup at Martinsville
Here is the complete starting lineup for Sunday's playoff race at Martinsville Speedway, the Xfinity 500.
| Start pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
| 1 | P-Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 2 | P-Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 3 | P-Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 4 | P-Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 5 | P-Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
| 6 | P-Brad Keselowski | 2 | Team Penske |
| 7 | P-Kyle Busch | 18 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 8 | P-Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
| 9 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 10 | Kurt Busch | 1 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 11 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 12 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 13 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 14 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 15 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 16 | Ross Chastain | 42 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 17 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
| 18 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 19 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 20 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | TrackHouse Racing |
| 21 | Matt DiBenedetto | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 22 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 23 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 24 | Cole Custer | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 25 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 26 | Ryan Preece | 37 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 27 | Ryan Newman | 6 | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 28 | Erik Jones | 43 | Richard Petty Motorsports |
| 29 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
| 30 | BJ McLeod | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
| 31 | Cody Ware | 51 | Petty Ware Racing |
| 32 | Anthony Alfredo | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 33 | Josh Bilicki | 52 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 34 | Joey Gase | 53 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 35 | Justin Haley | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
| 36 | Quin Houff | 00 | StarCom Racing |
| 37 | Garrett Smithley | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 38 | Timmy Hill | 66 | Motorsports Business Management |