Kyle Larson has two races left before the NASCAR Cup Series season ends, and the Martinsville Speedway entry list sets the stage for another weekend where every decision matters. The 37-car field will take on the Xfinity 500 on Sunday, Nov. 1, as championship contenders prepare for their final chance to change the standings before the season finale.
Larson arrives in Virginia after a dramatic weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, where he turned a late-race charge into his first win at the Alabama track. The win marked his 35th Cup Series victory and his third of the 2026 Chase. More importantly, it left the Hendrick Motorsports driver with 2,441 points and a 73-point advantage over Denny Hamlin. That lead gives Larson breathing room, but Martinsville isn’t a place to settle in and expect an easy afternoon.
The 0.526-mile oval is known for tight corners, close racing, and limited opportunities to gain positions. One difficult restart or a run-in with another car can change a race before a team can respond. The No. 5 Chevrolet will be under plenty of attention as Larson looks to protect his position. He has experience winning at Martinsville, taking the checkered flag there in 2023, but his focus now is the championship rather than adding another result to his career record. With the season nearing its end, finishing the weekend with a healthy points advantage matters as much as finding a way to victory.
Hamlin remains Larson’s closest challenger, while Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe also sit near the top of the standings. All three need a strong performance to make the championship fight more competitive heading into Homestead-Miami Speedway. Hamlin finished eighth at Talladega and avoided the major trouble that ended several contenders’ afternoons, but he still needs to gain ground on Larson.
Bell faces a different challenge after finishing 35th at Talladega. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver lost valuable ground after spinning and hitting the wall on pit road, leaving him with work to do at Martinsville. Briscoe also needs a result to stay within striking distance as the calendar winds down. The entry list features a broad mix of championship contenders, established Cup Series winners and drivers looking to close out their seasons on a high note.
Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Tyler Reddick, Brad Keselowski, and William Byron are among those entered. Byron won last year’s fall Martinsville event, but he’s since been eliminated from championship contention. Blaney’s weekend will be especially important after his 38th-place finish at Talladega left him 107 points behind Larson.
The Team Penske driver has little room for another disappointing result, and Martinsville offers a chance to respond on a track where track position and short-run speed can make a considerable difference. Nine drivers have been eliminated from championship contention entering the weekend, including Byron, Chase Elliott, Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suárez, Chris Buescher, Austin Cindric, Ty Gibbs, Carson Hocevar and Ryan Preece.
They remain in the race, and their runs could still influence how the race unfolds for the title-contenders. The Xfinity 500 is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 1, with NBC television coverage and streaming available on HBO Max. Practice and qualifying are scheduled for Saturday as teams work to find the balance needed for Martinsville’s demanding layout.
Larson enters the weekend with the advantage, but he can’t treat the points gap as a guarantee. His rivals need a strong result, and Martinsville gives them one final chance to pressure the championship leader before the season finale. As the title fight nears its conclusion, Sunday’s race could determine who still has a realistic chance as the series heads to Homestead.
Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway
Xfinity 500: Full Entry List
(i) indicates any driver deemed ineligible for championship and/or playoff points
- 1. Ross Chastain — No. 1 — Trackhouse Racing
- 2. Austin Cindric — No. 2 — Team Penske
- 3. Austin Dillon — No. 3 — Richard Childress Racing
- 4. Noah Gragson — No. 4 — Front Row Motorsports
- 5. Kyle Larson — No. 5 — Hendrick Motorsports
- 6. Brad Keselowski — No. 6 — RFK Racing
- 7. Daniel Suárez — No. 7 — Spire Motorsports
- 8. Chase Elliott — No. 9 — Hendrick Motorsports
- 9. Ty Dillon — No. 10 — Kaulig Racing
- 10. Denny Hamlin — No. 11 — Joe Gibbs Racing
- 11. Ryan Blaney — No. 12 — Team Penske
- 12. A.J. Allmendinger — No. 16 — Kaulig Racing
- 13. Chris Buescher — No. 17 — RFK Racing
- 14. Chase Briscoe — No. 19 — Joe Gibbs Racing
- 15. Christopher Bell — No. 20 — Joe Gibbs Racing
- 16. Josh Berry — No. 21 — Wood Brothers Racing
- 17. Joey Logano — No. 22 — Team Penske
- 18. Bubba Wallace — No. 23 — 23XI Racing
- 19. William Byron — No. 24 — Hendrick Motorsports
- 20. Austin Hill (i) — No. 33 — Richard Childress Racing
- 21. Todd Gilliland — No. 34 — Front Row Motorsports
- 22. Riley Herbst — No. 35 — 23XI Racing
- 23. Zane Smith — No. 38 — Front Row Motorsports
- 24. Cole Custer — No. 41 — Haas Factory Team
- 25. John Hunter Nemechek — No. 42 — Legacy Motor Club
- 26. Erik Jones — No. 43 — Legacy Motor Club
- 27. Tyler Reddick — No. 45 — 23XI Racing
- 28. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. — No. 47 — HYAK Motorsports
- 29. Alex Bowman — No. 48 — Hendrick Motorsports
- 30. Cody Ware — No. 51 — Rick Ware Racing
- 31. Ty Gibbs — No. 54 — Joe Gibbs Racing
- 32. Ryan Preece — No. 60 — RFK Racing
- 33. Josh Bilicki (i) — No. 66 — Garage 66
- 34. Michael McDowell — No. 71 — Spire Motorsports
- 35. Carson Hocevar — No. 77 — Spire Motorsports
- 36. Connor Zilisch — No. 88 — Trackhouse Racing
- 37. Shane van Gisbergen — No. 97 — Trackhouse Racing
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