NASCAR Cup Series: How Kevin Harvick can be eliminated at Charlotte
By Asher Fair
What happens if one of these drivers wins?
If one of these four drivers win the race, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, who currently sits in 12th place in the playoff picture, effectively becomes the driver who Kevin Harvick must fall behind in order to be eliminated from playoff contention prior to the round of 12.
Could this happen?
Here is where the other seven drivers who are above the round of 12 cut line but trail Harvick sit in relation to him in the playoff picture.
| Rank | Driver | Car, Team, Manufacturer | Points | Behind |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | #4, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford | 2113 | – |
| 5 | Joey Logano | #22, Team Penske, Ford | 2081 | -32 |
| 6 | Aric Almirola | #10, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford | 2079 | -34 |
| 7 | Kyle Larson | #42, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet | 2073 | -40 |
| 8 | Kurt Busch | #41, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford | 2071 | -42 |
| 9 | Austin Dillon | #3, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet | 2066 | -47 |
| 10 | Chase Elliott | #9, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet | 2066 | -47 |
| 11 | Alex Bowman | #88, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet | 2061 | -52 |
| 12 | Ryan Blaney | #12, Team Penske, Ford | 2060 | -53 |
Blaney sits four points above the round of 12 cut line, meaning he trails Harvick by 53 points. Alex Bowman sits five points above the round of 12 cut line in 11th place, meaning he trails Harvick by 52 points.
Blaney can outscore Harvick by 54 points in this race assuming Harvick competes in it. If Blaney finishes in second place, he must outscore Harvick by 53 points because he would then have the tiebreaker over him by virtue of his better second best playoff finish. Both drivers would have a second place finish, as Harvick finished in second place in the race at Richmond Raceway, but Blaney finished in fifth in the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Harvick finished in 39th in that race.