NASCAR Cup Series playoff picture after 2018 Gander Outdoors 400

Following the opening race of the second round of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, how does the playoff picture look?

Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott became the first driver to clinch a berth in the third of four rounds of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, the round of 8, by winning the opening race of the second round, the round of 12.

After entering the opening race of the round of 12, the Gander Outdoors 400, at Dover International Speedway, below the round of 8 cut line, the 22-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia native secured his second career victory and his second victory of the season, as he also won the race at Watkins Glen International in early August.

While Elliott won the 404-lap race, which was scheduled to be a 400-lap race but was extended by four laps as a result of a late caution flag period that sent the race into overtime, around the four-turn, 1.0-mile (1.609-kilometer) Dover International Speedway oval in Dover, Delaware, he led just 11 of its laps.

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Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola took turns dominating the race, with Harvick winning stages one and two and leading 286 laps before a loose wheel causing him to make an unscheduled pit stop, promoting Almirola to the lead.

Almirola ended up leading 64 laps before he came into the pits for new tires during a late caution flag period. Elliott, meanwhile, stayed out and inherited the lead, which he did not give up.

Almirola ended up being involved in a wreck on the ensuing restart, and instead of securing himself a position in the round of 8, he is set to enter the next race below the round of 8 cut line, as are teammate Clint Bowyer, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman. None of these four drivers finished the race in the top 11.

Of the eight drivers who are currently above the round of 8 cut line, all eight finished the race in the top 15. Five of the eight finished in the top eight. Two of these five, Harvick and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch, appear to be far enough above the round of 8 cut line that they will advance to the round of 8 even if they don’t perform well in the remaining two races of the round of 12.

Here is the NASCAR Cup Series playoff picture with one race down and two races to go in the round of 12. The totals in the “behind” column show where each driver is currently positioned in relation to the round of 8 cut line.

Rank – Driver, Car, Team, Manufacturer: Points (Behind), Playoff Points (Rank)
1st – Chase Elliott, #9, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet: 1 WIN (1 WIN), 13 (T-8th)
2nd – Kyle Busch, #18, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota: 3101 (+68), 55 (1st)
3rd – Kevin Harvick, #4, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford: 3096 (+63), 52 (2nd)
4th – Martin Truex Jr., #78, Furniture Row Racing, Toyota: 3069 (+36), 38 (3rd)
4th – Joey Logano, #22, Team Penske, Ford: 3064 (+31), 14 (T-6th)
6th – Brad Keselowski, #2, Team Penske, Ford: 3054 (+21), 25 (4th)
6th – Kurt Busch, #41, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford: 3054 (+21), 14 (T-6th)
8th – Ryan Blaney, #12, Team Penske, Ford: 3043 (+10), 13 (T-8th)
9th – Clint Bowyer, #14, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford: 3033 (-10), 15 (5th)
9th – Aric Almirola, #10, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford: 3033 (-10), 1 (11th)
11th – Kyle Larson, #42, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet: 3031 (-12), 6 (10th)
12th – Alex Bowman, #88, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet: 3009 (-34), 0 (12th)

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The second of three races in the round of 12 is the 1000Bulbs.com 500, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, October 14. Be sure to tune in to the live broadcast of this race on NBC from Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET. After this race, just five races will remain on the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

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