The penultimate NASCAR playoff weekend kicks off with a busy Friday at Martinsville Speedway.
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Two of the national NASCAR series will be on the track. The Craftsman Truck Series teams will practice and qualify at the Virginia short track. They will then race later in the evening.
The Xfinity Series teams will practice and qualify. They will set the lineup for Saturday evening's playoff race.
Martinsville Speedway Friday forecast and schedule
Friday forecast: The WeatherUnderground forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies with a chance of rain in the morning. A high of 71 degrees and a 6% chance of rain at the start of the Truck Series race.
Friday, Nov. 1, schedule (Eastern Time)
- 8 a.m. — Truck Series garage hours
- 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. — Xfinity Series garage hours
- 1:30 - 2 p.m. — Truck Series practice (FS2)
- 2:05 - 3 p.m. — Truck Series qualifying (FS2)
- 3:30 - 4 p.m. — Xfinity Series practice (Streaming on NBC Sports app)
- 4:05 - 5 p.m. — Xfinity Series qualifying (Streaming on NBC Sports app)
- 6 p.m. — Truck Series race (200 laps, 105.2 miles. FS1, Radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The big picture: The playoffs are the focus for all three NASCAR series this weekend at Martinsville Speedway.
For the Truck Series teams, this Friday evening race is the final opportunity for the remaining playoff drivers. Three spots remain in the Championship 4 after Grant Enfinger won the first two races of the Round of 8.
Corey Heim is in the best position among these drivers. He only needs seven points to clinch his spot in the Championship 4 if there is a repeat winner or 29 points if another playoff driver wins.
The Xfinity Series Championship 4 has fewer available spots. AJ Allmendinger took one spot by winning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to open the Round of 8. Austin Hill then won last weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway to take another spot.
The Cup Series Championship 4 also has two spots remaining. Joey Logano took the first spot by winning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Tyler Reddick took the second spot by winning at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
