Gray wins at Martinsville as Kvapil and Love advance to the Championship 4

Saturday night at Martinsville Speedway ended with Taylor Gray celebrating his first career win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The No. 54 from Joe Gibbs Racing controlled the final overtime and crossed the finish line first, followed by Sammy Smith and Brandon Jones. But the story of the night didn't end there.

Carson Kvapil needed to survive. Jesse Love needed to hold on. Both succeeded and will now race for the championship next week in Phoenix alongside Connor Zilisch and Justin Allgaier. Brandon Jones, Sammy Smith, Sam Mayer, and Sheldon Creed saw their championship hopes come to an end.

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Kvapil Escapes Disaster in the Final Laps

Lap 227 could have changed everything for Kvapil. A chain-reaction accident between Ryan Sieg and Harrison Burton sent his No. 1 Chevrolet spinning. When it stopped, he was in 30th position with little time to recover.

"Probably the most nerve-wracking race I've ever run in my life," Kvapil explained afterward. "We were in a good position before we got turned around there."

Seventeen laps. That was all he had to pass enough cars and keep his championship hopes alive. He finished 18th and qualified for the next round by the slimmest of margins over Jones and Smith.

"Our season hasn't been the flashiest, but you never know. It all comes down to one race and we have a 25 percent chance of winning."

Love Survives a Day of Penalties

Jesse Love arrived at Martinsville with a points advantage. It seemed like a comfortable cushion until things started going wrong. Two pit road penalties. Pace issues. An eventual 23rd-place finish that left him vulnerable.

When the race ended, Love kept his ticket to Phoenix by a reduced margin over Jones and Smith.

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Gray Gets Revenge Five Months Later

In the spring, Sammy Smith moved Gray out of the way when they were battling for the win at this same track. NASCAR penalized Smith for the move. On Saturday night, Gray got his revenge.

He took the lead on lap 202. He controlled the race until Daniel Dye stopped on track with mechanical issues, forcing the ninth caution flag and sending the race into overtime. Gray got a good restart, Smith couldn't catch him.

"Jason Ratcliff and all these guys on the pit crew did an incredible job tonight," commented Gray in his 45th series start. "They give me opportunities to win every time I walk through the gates at this track. I knew I needed to have a good start so nobody would be within reach entering Turn 1."

Four Eliminated at Martinsville

Sammy Smith had speed. He finished second. It wasn't enough.

"I feel like we're good enough to be in the final four. We weren't good enough in the Playoffs to get it done. It's very frustrating."

Brandon Jones needed to win or for others to have problems. He finished third. Kvapil and Love did just enough to keep him out.

Sam Mayer finished seventh and showed his frustration by hitting Jeb Burton's car after the race. Sheldon Creed entered in a "win or go home" situation. He finished fourth without the necessary victory.

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The Final Four Head to Phoenix

Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, Jesse Love, and Carson Kvapil will race for the Xfinity Series championship. Zilisch has won 10 races this season, Allgaier three, while Love and Kvapil are seeking their first championship in the series.

Aric Almirola finished fifth at Martinsville and will fight for the owners' championship in Phoenix against Allgaier, Zilisch, and Austin Hill. Jeb Burton, Sam Mayer, Dean Thompson, Connor Zilisch, and Justin Bonsignore completed the top 10.

NASCAR Xfinity Series - IAA & Ritchie Bros. 250

Martinsville Speedway, Virginia - October 25, 2025