Martinsville Speedway plays host to the penultimate race the 36-race 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, and more specifically the 10-race Chase postseason schedule, with Sunday's Xfinity 500.
Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson appears to be firmly in control of the championship fight as he aims to become the first driver to win back-to-back titles since Jimmie Johnson won five in a row from 2006 to 2010.
There are 76 points up for grabs in each race, and Larson owns a 73-point lead over Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin with two races remaining, meaning that Hamlin, or anybody else still in contention, will likely have to be perfect or nearly perfect to even have a shot to dethrone Larson, even after his quiet regular season.
It also means that Larson could potentially clinch it today.
Here's how the championship standings currently look. Note that we've only included the seven drivers who still mathematically have a chance to win the 2026 title, after nine drivers were eliminated by Larson's win at Talladega Superspeedway a week ago.
NASCAR Cup Series standings before Martinsville
Rank | Driver | Points | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet | 2441 | 0 |
2 | Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | 2368 | -73 |
3 | Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | 2367 | -74 |
4 | Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | 2362 | -79 |
5 | Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford | 2341 | -100 |
6 | Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford | 2334 | -107 |
7 | Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota | 2315 | -126 |
A full starting lineup for Sunday's race was determined by Saturday's single-car qualifying session, with Hamlin taking a much-needed pole position ahead of Larson in third.
Follow along with our standings updates from Martinsville as the Xfinity 500 unfolds.
NOTE: Only the drivers who remain eligible to win the championship are included after the first two stages. These are points through each stage; they are not "points as they run" in terms of projecting out throughout the rest of the race.
NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville: Standings after Stage 1
1 - Kyle Larson - 2441 (0)
2 - Christopher Bell - 2374 (-67)
3 - Denny Hamlin - 2368 (-73)
4 - Chase Briscoe - 2362 (-79)
5 - Joey Logano - 2341 (-100)
6 - Ryan Blaney - 2334 (-107)
7 - Tyler Reddick - 2317 (-124)
NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville: Standings after Stage 2
NASCAR Cup Series at Martinsville: Full standings after Xfinity 500
For the 36th and final time in 2026, the NASCAR Cup Series is set to run a points race next Sunday, November 8 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Straight Talk Wireless 400 is set to be shown live on NBC beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET. Begin a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss any of the season finale!
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