NASCAR at Texas live race updates, results, highlights from Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500

The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs roars into Texas for the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 this weekend. And with the playoff field narrowed to just 12 drivers, the championship is in sight.

A strong showing at the quad-oval-shaped track could go a long way in shaping the championship picture. But can playoff drivers take advantage?

The Round of 16 was defined by its parity: all three drivers who claimed the checkered flag last round were non-playoff participants. That put a monkey wrench in postseason plans for veteran drivers (and former Cup Series champs) Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick, as well as rising star Tyler Reddick.

Who will be on the chopping block after this round? It’s still too early to tell. But with intense banking, acute turns and an asphalt surface that challenges even the most technically adept of drivers, it’s clear that Sunday’s race will not be easy.

Everything is bigger in Texas. That means the crashes, too. 

Better get your popcorn ready,

MORE: Watch NASCAR Cup Series races live with fuboTV (free trial)

With that, The Sporting News is tracking live updates from Sunday’s playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway. Follow along for highlights and live results from the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500, a race that promises to captivate the minds of race fans across the country.

NASCAR at Texas live updates, results, highlights

(All times Eastern)

7:55 p.m.: With 95 laps to go, here’s how things are shaping up at the top of the leaderboard:

• Tyler Reddick
• Erik Jones
• Michael McDowell
• Kevin Harvick
• Brad Keselowski

7:53 p.m.: Byron is finding a lot of success with cooler track temps. He’s risen 11 places since the race restart. Now, he’s the only playoff racer to feature in the top-10 at the moment.

7:51 p.m.: Reddick takes the lead! Impressive restart by Reddick, who had dropped a lap behind earlier in the day. 

7:49 p.m.: Contact between McDowell and Erik Jones! Jones doesn’t look too happy about it, but neither car suffers enough damage to knock them off the track.

7:48 p.m.: We are back in action at Texas!

7:46 p.m.: The red flag has been lifted. We are now on a caution flag. 112 laps to go, track conditions are poised to be different — Chase Briscoe’s team says the track is 20 degrees cooler than it was earlier today.

7:43 p.m.: After a lengthy delay due to rain and lightning, drivers have restarted their engines once more for Stage 3.

5:57 p.m.: Ware is headed to the infield care center, per NASCAR officials. 

5:48 p.m.: Cody Ware goes into pit road! The front end of his car is in absolute tatters after a bad collision. Looks like Ware is out of his car, but medical officials are working on Ware in pit road. Scary situation for the No. 51 driver.

5:40 p.m.: Not looking great for Bell. He entered today’s race four points above the cut line and is now 24 points below it. Had a great Stage 1 run but looks like he won’t be able to continue any further. His team is still working on his car, but things are looking more and more dire for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver at the moment.

5:38 p.m.: Wallace and the No. 45 team has really pulled it together. After dropping as far back as last-place, Wallace has gotten himself into the top-five. He’s been looking a whole lot more consistent over the past few months. That’s got to be encouraging going forward for Wallace and 23XI Racing.

5:36 p.m.: Elliott nabs the lead after the race restart. Erik Jones and Chastain going back-and-forth for second place at the moment. This is right where you want to be if you’re in the Round of 12.

5:29 p.m.: Caution flag waved! It’s for Bell, who spins into the wall at Turn 4. Bell gets some damage to the front right and back right bumpers. That’s not ideal for a playoff driver like Bell.

5:22 p.m.: Burton has taken the lead. That will be good for the youngster, who has made a good impression in the Xfinity Series.  He’s gotten one top-five finish in his Cup Series career up to this point. Perhaps he can get No. 2 at Texas?

5:19 p.m.: Reddick is headed to pit road. Told his team that he’s experiencing some serious shakiness in the car. He’ll only be one lap down, so he still has a shot to do well here.

In the front, it’s non-playoff drivers Stenhouse Jr. and Burton leading the way. Stenhouse Jr. will likely have to pit in the next 15-20 laps, but it will be nice for him to be out in front.

5:17 p.m.: Stage 2 is off the mark and it’s Stenhouse Jr. at the front. He’s followed by Reddick and Harrison Burton. 10 laps down in the second stage and things are going fairly swimmingly, although there was a little looseness from McDowell’s No. 34 a few laps earlier.

5:07 p.m.: We’re at a ferocious pace at the end of Stage 2. Larson, Hamlin, Logano, Daniel Suarez, Ross Chastain and Byron all within a second of each other. There’s contact between Larson and Hamlin at the front of the pack but Larson’s holds on to take Stage 1! What a finish!

4:59 p.m.: Alex Bowman goes into the wall! He came fast into Turn 3 and 4 and couldn’t pull it together in time, scraping the back of his whip into the wall. Bowman was running in eight place before his collision.

A big slide for @Alex_Bowman!

Caution comes out before the end of Stage 1! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/YAA9DS5RGI

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 25, 2022

His team has ten minutes to get his car right or it’ll be a done day for playoff driver Bowman.

4:57 p.m.:  Larson holds a slight lead over Hamlin. Byron lost his opposition, prompting him call his team and apologize for driving poorly.

4:44 p.m.: Toyota cars having some issues. Another caution flag waved after Christopher Bell’s tire pops. Also, Cole Custer’s 41 car skidded out, something that has happened 

4:39 p.m.: Elliott communicating to his team that he’s got some smoke in the car. He’s not quite able to distinguish where it’s coming from, but something to watch for in the coming few laps.

4:37 p.m.: This race restart sees Byron, Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick competing for the first spot. Byron has the edge early, but there’s a whole lot of time for Hamlin and Reddick to get themselves back into it.

4:28 p.m.: The race restart lasted for all of a few seconds. Ricky Stenhouse’s No. 47 car makes a little contact with Ty Dillon before sliding sideways on the track. It has been a choppy race so far, with three caution flags waved in the race’s opening 57 laps.

4:21 p.m.: Another caution flag waved, this time on Lap 50! Kyle Busch swerves into Turn 3 before slamming the back of his car into the wall. The playoff races have not been kind to Busch.

Looks like Busch is done for the day. His car is headed to the garage…again.

A spin off of Turn 4 ends the day for @KyleBusch. pic.twitter.com/bYcMeO7huZ

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 25, 2022

4:17 p.m.: Keselowski incurred a speed penalty, meaning all that track position he earned from nabbing the pole during qualifiers has evaporated. That’s not ideal.

4:13 p.m.: Caution flag waked after Martin Truex Jr skids across the track heading into the turn. Cars are headed to pit road now.

4:08 p.m.: Logano and Byron overtake Keselowski! Seems that Keselowski showed a little trepidation heading into the turn, allowing Logano and Byron to pass. However, he’s back to around a 30-second lap, which is in line with how he was doing in the race’s opening laps.

4:07 p.m.: Chase Elliott is falling fast. He’s dropped two spaces in the past five laps. Looks like he’s having some difficulties with handling. Plenty of time to recover, though.

4:02 p.m.: Bubba Wallace is having a putrid day early. He’s in last place and is a lap down after 27 laps. Seems he’s having some real issues with his steering. Not what you want to hear, particularly for Wallace, who still has a chance at the ownership trophy with 23XI Racing.

3:57 p.m.: Keselowski holding firm through Lap 12. He’s approaching a two-second edge over Logano.

Further down the field, looks like Chase Briscoe is really struggling early. The No. 14 car is in 31st place, not what you would want to see from a playoff driver. We’ll see if he’s able to get himself back into it over the course of Stage 1.

3:53 p.m.: Keselowski, Logano and William Byron have separated themselves from the rest of the pack early. Nearly a second difference between third-place Byron and fourth-place Michael McDowell.

3:51 p.m.: And we are off! Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano setting the pace in Row 1.

What time does the NASCAR race start today?

• Race: AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500
• Date: Sunday, Sept. 25
• Start time: 3:30 p.m. ET

Sunday’s race is listed to start at 3:30 p.m. ET, but the green flag is scheduled for 3:49 p.m. ET.

What channel is NASCAR on today?

• TV channel: USA (U.S.) | TSN5 (Canada)
• Live stream: Peacock, fuboTV
• Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 will be broadcast on USA Network in the United States. Canadian viewers can follow the action on TSN5.

USA’s broadcast will feature Rick Allen as the lap-by-lap announcer. He’ll be joined by former Cup Series veteran Jeff Burton, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. and former Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte.

Cord-cutters can stream Sunday’s race on Peacock or fuboTV, which offers a free trial.

MORE: Here are the Round of 12 drivers after Bristol cutoff race

Starting lineup for Texas playoff race

(P) Playoff driver.