NASCAR makes a major decision for Martinsville and Phoenix after successfully exposing race-manipulating teams and drivers in 2024

Ahead of the 2025 Martinsville Speedway race, scheduled for October 26, NASCAR has taken major steps to ensure the battle reaches the championship race without any race manipulation. Following last year's incident at the half-mile short track, the governing body has bulked up staff at its remote race control.

Last year, ahead of the Championship Four race, the sanctioning body issued multiple penalties and fined $600,000. The stock car association suspended nine members of three Cup Series teams for allegedly manipulating the last playoff elimination race to help their manufacturers advance their drivers in the finale. During the Martinsville race, Chevy ordered a blockade to help William Byron advance to the Phoenix race.

NASCAR penalized Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain, Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon, and 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace. The governing body deducted 50 points from each driver, along with a $100,000 fine. Additionally, the stock car racing association also penalized the team owners with a 50-point owner deduction and a $100,000 fine.

However, since then, the governing body has been mindful of potential race manipulation. Following that, former Cup Series director Scott Miller will oversee the remote race control division and provide support to the on-track officials. The remote race control helped the sanctioning body hand out penalties last year.

Reflecting on the same, the NASCAR managing director of communications, Mike Forde, issued an official statement and stated (via Jayski):

“It’ll be more built out than it has been at any point. We’re going to have more officials helping Scott. Typically, we have three or four. This weekend, we’ll have several more. We’re not going to have 40 officials in there, but we are going to have a lot more and with the ability to scan (team radio channels).”

The NASCAR remote race control center was completed last year. It is equipped with state-of-the-art monitors, real-time audio, data, and video devices. The 0.526-mile short track will host the final playoff elimination race for each division this weekend, from Friday to Sunday.

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2025 NASCAR Cup Series full-entry list for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway

NASCAR analyst Bob Pockrass shared the full entry list for the last race of the Round of Eight elimination race, the Xfinity 500. 37 drivers will compete in the 500-lap race on the 0.526-mile short track on Sunday, October 26, 2025.

Here's the list of the Cup Series drivers:

1. #1 - Ross Chastain
2. #2 - Austin Cindric
3. #3 - Austin Dillon
4. #4 - Noah Gragson
5. #5 - Kyle Larson (P)
6. #6 - Brad Keselowski
7. #7 - Justin Haley
8. #8 - Kyle Busch
9. #9 - Chase Elliott (P)
10. #10 - Ty Dillon
11. #11 - Denny Hamlin (P)
12. #12 - Ryan Blaney (P)
13. #16 - A. J. Allmendinger
14. #17 - Chris Buescher
15. #19 - Chase Briscoe (P)
16. #20 - Christopher Bell (P)
17. #21 - Josh Berry
18. #22 - Joey Logano (P)
19. #23 - Bubba Wallace
20. #24 - William Byron (P)
21. #34 - Todd Gilliland
22. #35 - Riley Herbst (R)
23. #38 - Zane Smith
24. #41 - Cole Custer
25. #42 - John Hunter Nemechek
26. #43 - Erik Jones
27. #45 - Tyler Reddick
28. #47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
29. #48 - Alex Bowman
30. #51 - Cody Ware
31. #54 - Ty Gibbs
32. #60 - Ryan Preece
33. #66 - Casey Mears (i)
34. #71 - Michael McDowell
35. #77 - Carson Hocevar
36. #88 - Shane van Gisbergen (R)
37. #99 - Daniel Suárez

Former NASCAR Cup Series champion and Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney won the 263-mile race last year. The race lasted for three hours, 28 minutes, and 31 seconds before Blaney crossed the finish line.