NASCAR Cup Series results, highlights: Ryan Blaney wins at Martinsville, clinches spot in Championship Race

Ryan Blaney didn’t have to win at Martinsville on Sunday to advance to the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race, but he didn’t want to leave any doubt.

Blaney was dominant throughout the Xfinity 500, leading 145 laps, finishing second in Stage 1 and winning Stage 2 and the race to lock himself into the Phoenix title chase. William Byron claimed the final spot based on points, finishing 14th at Martinsville.

Blaney and Byron join Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell as the drivers who will vie for the Cup in Phoenix next weekend.

Xfinity 500 results

1. Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford

2. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

3. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

4. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

5. Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford

6. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

7. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

8. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

9. Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford

10. Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford

11. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

12. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

13. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

14. Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

15. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

16. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

17. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

18. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

20. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

21. Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

22. Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

23. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

24. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

25. Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford

26. Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota

27. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

28. A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

29. Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford

30. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

31. Carson Hocevar (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

32. Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

33. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

34. Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

35. J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

36. BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford

Blaney wins Stage 2

Ryan Blaney won the second stage of Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway and appears to be the car to beat. Blaney started the race 11th but had battled up to second behind Denny Hamlin by the end of the opening stage.

After a brief battle following a restart off Ryan Newman’s spin, Blaney passed Hamlin for good with 30 laps left in the stage.

Hamlin takes Stage 1

Denny Hamlin won the first stage of the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, holding off fellow playoff drivers Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr.

Hamlin, who started third, and Truex Jr., who started second, both got boy pole-sitter Ty Gibbs by the end of lap 2. Hamlin then got by Truex Jr. in lapped traffic on lap 48 and held it throughout the end of the stage. Blaney was a big mover in the first stage, starting 11th after barely missing out on the final round of qualifying Saturday.

The lone caution in the stage came on lap 105 when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Harrison Burton tangled with Hamlin just behind looking to lap them.

The NASCAR Cup Series shifts to the tight confines of Martinsville to whittle the playoff field from eight to four Sunday.

Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell already know they will race for the championship Nov. 5 in Phoenix, but six others need to win or bag a good result to join them. On the positive side of the cut line are William Byron (+30) and Ryan Blaney (+10), while Tyler Reddick (-10), Denny Hamlin (-17), Martin Truex Jr. (-17) and Chris Buescher (-43) are on the outside looking in.

Last year’s penultimate race was the scene of one of the wildest scenes in NASCAR playoff history, as Ross Chastain rode the wall with the throttle wide-open in order to nose ahead of Hamlin and qualify for the final on points.

We won’t see a similar move this year, however, as NASCAR responded by outlawing the maneuver in the offseason.

Here’s what else to know ahead of the Xfinity 500:

Xfinity 500 TV/streaming schedule

All times Eastern

Saturday
12:30-1:20 p.m.: Practice (USA, NBC Sports app)
1:20-2:30 p.m.: Qualifying (USA, NBC Sports app)

Sunday
1:30-2 p.m.: Pre-race show (NBC, NBC Sports app)
2-5:30 p.m.: Xfinity 500 (NBC, NBC Sports app)

Xfinity 500 details

Track: Martinsville Raceway, .526-mile paperclip oval in Ridgeway, Virginia
Race length: 500 laps for 263 miles
Banking: 12 degrees in the turns, none on straightaways
Stage lengths: Stages 1 and 2 – 130 laps | Stage 3 – 240 laps
Last year’s winner: Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Xfinity 500 qualifying results

1. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

2. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

3. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

4. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

5. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

6. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

7. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

8. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

9. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

10. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

11. Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford

12. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

13. Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

14. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

15. Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford

16. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

17. Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford

18. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

19. Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota

20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

21. Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford

22. Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

23. Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford

24. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

25. A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

26. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

27. Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

28. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

29. Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

30. Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

31. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

32. Carson Hocevar (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

33. Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford

34. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

35. J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

36. BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford

Top drivers and best bets for the Xfinity 500

Denny Hamlin needs to win or finish very close to the front in order to advance to the Championship 4, and he's headed to a track where he has won five times in his career. Understandably, he’s the favorite according to BetMGM. The Hendrick Motorsports duo of Kyle Larson and William Byron sit second and third in the points standings and have the second-best odds, with both at +725. Martin Truex Jr., who sits alongside Hamlin 17 points below the cut line, is the only other driver who enters at better than 10-to-1.

Best odds to win
• Denny Hamlin +325
• William Byron +725
• Kyle Larson +725
• Martin Truex Jr. +900

Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg wrote on the betting market earlier in the week and, in addition to the favorites, recommends backing Christopher Bell and Joey Logano +1700. Bromberg is wary of Brad Keselowski at +700 and, if you’re looking for a longshot, says Ty Gibbs is worth a look at +3000.

NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings

1. Christopher Bell* – 4,110 (-)
2. Kyle Larson* – 4084 (-)
3. William Byron – 4,126 (+30)
4. Ryan Blaney – 4,106 (+10)
_________________________________ Cut line
5. Tyler Reddick – 4,096 (-10)
6. Martin Truex Jr. – 4089 (-17)
7. Denny Hamlin – 4089 (-17)
8. Chris Buescher – 4,063 (-43)
*-Clinched entry into Championship 4

Xfinity 500 entry list

Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Todd Gilliland (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Carson Hocevar (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet