And a year ago — again needing a win to keep his playoff dreams alive — the 30-year-old Norman native slid into the wall during a desperation attempt to make one final pass and gain the points he needed to advance.

Half of the remaining field in the Cup Series playoffs is facing essentially a must-win situation at Martinsville Speedway, where NASCAR weathered a race manipulation scandal in last year’s third-round finale.

Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing are already in celebration mode with locks into the final four, while Team Penske and Hendrick Motorsports are in full desperation mode heading into the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Will a team get shut out? Will a driver below the cut line win his way to the championship?

Check out this article for all you need to know about NASCAR Cup Series' Xfinity 500 including date, time, drivers, and more.

The NASCAR playoff schedule is drawing toward a close, with Friday’s Slim Jim 200 at Martinsville Speedway marking the last

NASCAR’s return to Martinsville Speedway this weekend is expected to generate millions in economic impact for the region, with local businesses already seeing an uptick in customer traffic.

On elimination night in Martinsville for the Round of 8 that will set the Championship 4 next week at Phoenix Raceway, Layne Riggs, who is in an almost must win situation powered to the pole with a time of 19.