NASCAR: Stage Points and Playoff Points After Second Bristol Race

BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 19: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Caramel Toyota, leads Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 DEWALT/Flexvolt Toyota, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 19, 2017 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)
BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 19: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Caramel Toyota, leads Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 DEWALT/Flexvolt Toyota, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 19, 2017 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)

We are now 24 races into the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series season. As the Darlington race approaches, stage and playoff points matter now more than ever.

With 24 races down, there are only two races for NASCAR drivers to lock up a spot for themselves in the playoffs. Which drivers have the best chance of doing so with the new playoff format? Here are the current stage points standings and playoff point standings.

Stage Points

  1. Martin Truex Jr., #78, Furniture Row Racing, Toyota – 314 points (-)
  2. Kyle Larson, #42, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet – 249 points (-65)
  3. Kyle Busch, #18, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota – 244 points (-70)
  4. Kevin Harvick, #4, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford – 205 points (-109)
  5. Brad Keselowski, #2, Team Penske, Ford – 192 points (-122)
  6. Ryan Blaney, #21, Wood Brothers Racing, Ford – 168 points (-146)
  7. Matt Kenseth, #20, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota – 166 points (-148)
  8. Denny Hamlin, #11, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota – 142 points (-172)
  9. Chase Elliott, #24, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet – 139 points (-175)
  10. Jimmie Johnson, #48, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet – 138 points (-176)
  11. Jamie McMurray, #1, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet – 125 points (-189)
  12. Erik Jones, #77, Furniture Row Racing, Toyota – 106 points (-208)
  13. Joey Logano, #22, Team Penske, Ford – 105 points (-209)
  14. Kurt Busch, #41, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford – 72 points (-242)
  15. Clint Bowyer, #14, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford – 67 points (-247)
  16. Ryan Newman, #31, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet – 46 points (-268)
  17. Dale Earnhardt Jr., #88, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet – 36 points (-278)
  18. Kasey Kahne, #5, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet – 36 points (-278)
  19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., #17, Roush Fenway Racing, Ford – 22 points (-292)
  20. AJ Allmendinger, #47, JTG Daugherty Racing, Chevrolet – 21 points (-293)
  21. Daniel Suarez, #19, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota – 20 points (-294)
  22. Austin Dillon, #3, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet – 19 points (-295)
  23. Trevor Bayne, #6, Roush Fenway Racing, Ford – 18 points (-296)
  24. Danica Patrick, #10, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford – 18 points (-296)
  25. David Ragan, #38, Front Row Motorsports, Ford – 7 points (-307)
  26. Michael McDowell, #95, Leavine Family Racing, Chevrolet – 7 points (-307)
  27. Paul Menard, #27, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet – 6 points (-308)
  28. Ty Dillon, #13, Germain Racing, Chevrolet – 5 points (-309)

Playoff Points

  • Martin Truex Jr., #78, Furniture Row Racing, Toyota – 35 playoff points (-)
  • Kyle Busch, #18, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota – 20 playoff points (-15)
  • Kyle Larson, #42, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet – 18 playoff points (-17)
  • Jimmie Johnson, #48, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet – 16 playoff points (-19)
  • Brad Keselowski, #2, Team Penske, Ford – 14 playoff points (-21)
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr., #17, Roush Fenway Racing, Ford – 10 playoff points (-25)
  • Ryan Blaney, #21, Wood Brothers Racing, Ford – 8 playoff points (-27)
  • Kevin Harvick, #4, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford – 8 playoff points (-27)
  • Denny Hamlin, #11, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota – 7 playoff points (-28)
  • More from NASCAR

    Kurt Busch, #41, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford – 5 playoff points (-30)

  • Ryan Newman, #31, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet – 5 playoff points (-30)
  • Kasey Kahne, #5, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet – 5 playoff points (-30)
  • Austin Dillon, #3, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet – 5 playoff points (-30)
  • Matt Kenseth, #20, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota – 3 playoff points (-32)
  • Chase Elliott, #24, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet – 2 playoff points (-33)
  • Clint Bowyer, #14, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford – 1 playoff point (-34)
  • Daniel Suarez, #19, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota – 1 playoff point (-34)
  • Joey Logano, #22, Team Penske, Ford – 1 playoff point (-34)
  • Next: 10 small-team drivers who deserve Danica Patrick's ride

    Be sure to check back with Beyond the Flag after every Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race for updated stage and playoff points! Also be sure to follow me on Instagram as well as Beyond the Flag on both Instagram and Twitter. Also, don’t forget to follow along with Beyond the Flag for the latest news, opinions, and analysis stemming from a number of different motorsports series. You don’t want to miss any of it.