Johnathan Walker:NASCAR Martinsville playoff race 2023: Start time, TV, streaming, lineup for Xfinity 500

The Johnathan WalkerNASCAR Cup Series reaches its penultimate event with a short-track elimination race that will determine the final two championship participants.

Kyle Larson, who won the Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and Christopher Bell, who rallied to win last weekend’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, have already secured berths in the championship race. The remaining two spots in the Championship 4 will be decided Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.

The path is simple. If one of the six remaining playoff drivers wins at Martinsville, he will clinch the third spot, and the remaining slot will be awarded to the driver who accumulated the most points in the third round without a win. If none of the six win on Sunday, then both Championship 4 berths will be decided by points.

William Byron, who leads the series with six wins in 2023, enters Martinsville in the best position to capture a Championship 4 spot based on points. Byron has a 20-point lead over the next closest driver in points, Ryan Blaney. At the other end of the spectrum is Chris Buescher, who is 63 points behind Byron, and who must win on Sunday to have a chance to race for the 2023 title.

Who will be celebrating at Martinsville, and who will be left disappointed? Here is all the information you need to get ready for the Xfinity 500:

What time does the Cup race at Martinsville start?

The Xfinity 500 starts at 2 p.m. ET at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia.

What TV channel is the Cup race at Martinsville on?

NBC is broadcasting the Xfinity 500. FS1 has a pre-race show at 12:30 p.m. ET, while Peacock will have a post-race show at 6 p.m. ET.

Will there be a live stream of the Cup race at Martinsville?

The Xfinity 500 can be live streamed on the NBC Sports website and the NBC Sports app.

NASCAR 2024 SCHEDULE: Atlanta, Watkins Glen shift to playoffs next season

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What are the standings heading into third-round race at Martinsville?

(*-former champion; x-clinched berth in championship race):

1. x-Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing — 4,110 points
2. x-Kyle Larson*, Hendrick Motorsports — 4,105 points
3. William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports — 4,126 points
4. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske — 4,106 points
5. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing — 4,096 points
6. Martin Truex Jr.*, Joe Gibbs Racing — 4,089 points
7. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing — 4,089 points
8. Chris Buescher, RFK Racing — 4,063 points

How many laps is the Cup race at Martinsville?

The Xfinity 500 is 500 laps around the 0.526-mile track for a total of 263 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 130 laps; Stage 2: 130 laps; Stage 3: 240 laps.

Who won the most recent races at Martinsville?

Kyle Larson led the final 30 laps on April 16, 2023, passing Joey Logano on lap 370 of 400 before pulling away to win by 4.142 seconds.

And one year ago in the playoff race, Christopher Bell led 150 laps, including the final five, before holding off Larson by 0.869 seconds on Oct. 30, 2022.

What is the lineup for the Xfinity 500?

(Car number in parentheses; P-playoff driver)

1. (19) Martin Truex Jr. (P), Toyota

2. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota

3. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford

4. (11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota

5. (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet

6. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota

7. (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota

8. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford

9. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford

10. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford

11. (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford

12. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford

13. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet

14. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet

15. (22) Joey Logano, Ford

16. (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet

17. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford

18. (17) Chris Buescher (P), Ford

19. (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota

20. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet

21. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford

22. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet

23. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford

24. (31) Justin Haley, Chevrolet

25. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet

26. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet

27. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet

28. (21) Harrison Burton, Ford

29. (43) Erik Jones, Chevrolet

30. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet

31. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet

32. (42) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet

33. (51) Ryan Newman, Ford

34. (77) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet

35. (15) JJ Yeley, Ford

36. (78) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet