THREE THINGS TO WATCH

1. Chasing victory

Even race winner Kyle Busch felt a little bad for yanking Chase Elliott's first Cup Series victory out of his hands with two laps to go at Dover. “I can't say enough about Chase,” he said. “He's an awesome competitor and great kid, great friend.” Elliott, who finished second, was naturally despondent in post-race interviews. “Such a bummer, such a disappointment for my team,” he said. “I don't really have a whole lot to add.”

2. Dazzling dozen

With the first playoff cut now in the books, the field has narrowed from 16 to 12 drivers, who will battle over the next three races for a chance to make it through to Round 3. Toyota drivers Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch swept the first three playoff races. Truex scored three top-five finishes in Round 1. “I thought we ran Maybe, one day, we will see Chase Elliott crack a smile when he finally makes that hard left turn into Victory Lane. In the meantime, this is about all you will see at the track. fourth, so I mean that's pretty good,” Truex said.

3. McMurray alert

Jamie McMurray had a quiet ninth-place finish at Dover, good enough to make the playoff cut. He is listed as 12th in points going into Round 2. But keep an eye on McMurray has won twice each at Charlotte and Talladega in his career. “Charlotte has been great, and you just never know at Talladega, anybody has a chance to win there,” he said. “That has been a great track for me; I look forward to it.”