Who’s in danger ahead of NASCAR’S elimination race?
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are about to lose a quarter of the championship-eligible drivers after Saturday night’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN). It’s the first cutoff event in the 10-race, 16-driver postseason, and when someone takes the checkered flag, only 12 will still be racing for a title.
Under NASCAR’S current system, the most efficient way to advance into the next round is to win a race, but that’s obviously easier said than done.
A reminder: The NASCAR playoffs are divided into four rounds. The first three rounds consist of the races apiece, and the final race in each round is an elimination race. The playoff field shrinks from the top-16 drivers in the standings to the top-12 to the top-8, and then the final Championship 4 will race for the title on November 8 at Phoenix Raceway.
So going into the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol on Saturday, here’s a breakdown of the playoff standings, from who’s automatically advancing to the drivers who are in trouble.
Who’s won a playoff race and advanced to the Round of 12?
Surprise surprise: Kevin Harvick won the Southern 500, the first playoff race, at Darlington Raceway, but it wasn’t in the dominating fashion typical of the No. 4 Ford team this year. Doesn’t matter because a win automatically advances the team - even if it surely would have transferred to the next round on points.
Brad Keselowski won the second playoff race at Richmond Raceway in the ridiculously fast car that also won at New Hampshire with earlier this season and that he hopes to take to the championship race at Phoenix.
Have any other drivers locked themselves into the Round of 12 on points?
Yes, in addition to Harvick and Keselowski, Denny Hamlin also guaranteed a spot in the next round based on points. Hamlin finished 13th at Darlington and 12th at Richmond, and he’s currently third in the playoff standings.
Who should be feeling good going into the Bristol race?
Obviously, the three drivers already advancing to the next round, and they get a little head start looking ahead to Las Vegas Motor Speedway in two weekends.
Beyond them, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr. and Austin Dillon fill out the next three positions in the playoff standings, and if they all have at least decent finishes at Bristol, they should be OK. Dillon has been a surprise through the first two playoff races, finishing second at Darlington and fourth at Richmond. That’s only the second time this season he’s posted back-to-back top-10 finishes and the first time he’s had consecutive top-5 finishes this year.