The NASCAR Xfinity Series closes out the Round of 8 Saturday at Martinsville Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET on USA).
Brandon Jones, Josh Berry and John Hunter Nemechek are the only drivers in the lineup with past Martinsville wins.
Only one driver has locked up a spot in the Championship 4. Sam Mayer won at Homestead last week from below the cutline.
John Hunter Nemechek enters the weekend in the best position to move on to the championship race. He is 44 points above the cutline heading back to Martinsville — where he won in the spring.
Cole Custer and Austin Hill are the other two drivers below the cutline. They are each three points ahead of Justin Allgaier, the first driver outside of the final transfer spot to the Championship 4. Sammy Smith (-49), Chandler Smith (-54) and Sheldon Creed (-65) are all in must-win situations.
Details for Saturday’s Xfinity race at Martinsville
(All times Eastern)
START: The command to start engines will be given by Tony Ranallo, president of Dead On Tools at 3:39 p.m. ... The green flag is scheduled to wave at 3:48 p.m.
PRERACE: Xfinity garage opens at 12:30 p.m. ... Driver introductions begin at 3:10 p.m. ... The invocation will be given by Brad Keselowski at 3:31 p.m. ... The national anthem will be performed by the Ferrum College Bluegrass Brass Explosion Band at 3:32 p.m.
DISTANCE: The race is 250 laps (131.5 miles) on the .526-mile oval.
STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 60. Stage 2 ends at Lap 120.
STARTING LINEUP: Martinsville starting lineup
TV/RADIO: USA Network will broadcast the race at 3:30 p.m. … Countdown to Green starts at 3 p.m. on USA. … Motor Racing Network coverage begins at 3 p.m. … SiriusXM NASCAR Radio coverage begins at 3:30 p.m.
FORECAST: Weather Underground: Partly cloudy skies with a high of 82 degrees and no chance of rain at the start of the Xfinity race.
LAST TIME: Brandon Jones started from pole in last season’s playoff race. He led 98 laps and won stage 1. Ty Gibbs led 102 laps and won stage 2. Jones passed Gibbs and Noah Gragson in overtime and took the white flag as the leader. Gibbs sent Jones into the Turn 1 wall on the final lap and won the race under caution. Gibbs, Gragson, Justin Allgaier and Josh Berry moved on to the Championship 4. Jones, AJ Allmendinger, Sam Mayer and Austin Hill were eliminated from the playoffs.