Overview
- William Byron won the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville on Nov. 1 by leading 362 of 500 laps and swept both stages to claim his first victory of the season.
- Kyle Larson overcame a strategy misstep that left him a lap down early to finish ninth and preserve a 67-point lead in the standings heading into the final race.
- Only Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin remain mathematically eligible for the title and both require a win at Homestead plus a large haul of stage points to overtake Larson.
- Larson needs roughly nine points or a finish around 28th or better at Homestead to clinch the championship and he can lock it up mid-race if he scores enough early stage points.
- Homestead-Miami Speedway will decide the 2026 Cup crown on Nov. 8 and the race will test whether Larson can avoid a costly error while rivals attempt near-perfect execution to force an upset.