Aric Almirola won the Xfinity Series race Saturday at Martinsville Speedway, a victory that gave Cole Custer a chance to defend his NASCAR championship. Almirola is running a part-time schedule for Joe Gibbs Racing so he wasn't playoff eligible. AJ Allmendinger and Austin Hill had already qualified for the playoffs, so there were two open slots for six drivers. The win by Almirola, his third of the season, allowed the final two slots in the championship race to be decided on points. Almirola, over a final 16-lap sprint to the finish, had to hold off both Sammy Smith and Chandler Smith, either of whom would have made next Saturday's title-decider at Phoenix Raceway with a win at Martinsville. Instead, the spots went to Custer, the reigning Xfinity Series champion, who finished fourth, and Justin Allgaier, who finished fifth. Chandler Smith and Custer had battled for position late in the race in a way that infuriated Smith and caused...