Cup Series teams return to Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday afternoon for a pivotal playoff race.
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Seven drivers enter the race seeking a win that will automatically send them to the Championship 4. Joey Logano is the only driver with a secure spot.
The non-playoff drivers, however, have the goal of closing out the season with a strong performance or a win to help them play spoiler. The first seven playoff races have featured three non-playoff drivers celebrating wins.
Homestead-Miami Speedway Cup Series race information
Weather: The WeatherUnderground forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies throughout the day. A high of 82 degrees and a 3% chance of rain at the start of the Cup Series race.
Green flag time: The starter will wave the green flag at 2:35 p.m. ET.
Starting lineup: Tyler Reddick wins pole, full lineup
Pre-race: The garage opens at 11:30 a.m. ET. Driver introductions will take place at 1:50 p.m. ET. Pre-race coverage begins with "Countdown to Green" on NBC at 2 p.m. ET. Race coverage continues on NBC at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Stages: The race will consist of three stages. The first stage ends at Lap 80. The second stage ends at Lap 165. The scheduled end of the race is Lap 267.
Playoff picture: The Round of 8 began at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend. Joey Logano punched his ticket to the Championship 4 by winning with a fuel mile strategy.
Christopher Bell is the top driver seeking his first win this round. He is 42 points above the cutline. Kyle Larson is 35 points above while William Byron is 27 points above.
Denny Hamlin is the first driver below the cutline. He is 27 points behind Byron. Reddick is 30 points below. Reigning Cup champion Ryan Blaney is 47 points below the cutline while Chase Elliott is 53 points below.
Past winners: Multiple Cup Series drivers have celebrated wins at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Bell is the defending winner. Larson won the inaugural Next Gen race at the 1.5-mile track in 2022. Byron won the spring race in 2021 while Hamlin won at Homestead in 2020, 2013, and 2009.
Kyle Busch has two wins at Homestead. He won in 2015 to clinch his first title and then he won in 2019 to clinch his second. Martin Truex Jr. won the race and the title in 2017 while Logano won both in 2018.
