NASCAR Cup Series playoff picture after 2018 Hollywood Casino 400
By Asher Fair
The round of 8 of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs is set to get underway this Sunday. How does the playoff picture look?
Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott closed out the second round of the four-round, 10-race 2018 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, the round of 12, by winning the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday.
Elliott’s victory in the the 267-lap race around the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Kansas Speedway oval in Kansas City, Kansas was his second victory in the round of 12, as he also won the opening race of the round at Dover International Speedway to become the first driver to officially clinch a berth in the third round, the round of 8.
Aside of Elliott, only Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola clinched a berth in the round of 8 by winning a race in the round of 12. Almirola won the second race of the round at Talladega Superspeedway last Sunday.
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Aside of Elliott and Almirola, the six drivers who are set to advance to the round of 8 are Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Kurt Busch as well as Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch, Team Penske’s Joey Logano and Furniture Row Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. They all clinched their berths in the round of 8 based on their respective point totals.
The four round of 12 drivers who will not advance to the round of 8 are Team Penske teammates Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski as well as Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman.
The three races on the round of 8 schedule, which are the final three races before the season finale, the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, are the First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway, the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and the Can-Am 500 at ISM Raceway.
Here is the NASCAR Cup Series playoff picture with the round of 8 set to get underway this Sunday. The totals in the “behind” column show where each driver is currently positioned in relation to the Championship 4 cut line.
Rank – Driver, Car, Team, Manufacturer: Points (Behind), Playoff Points (Rank)
1st – Kyle Busch, #18, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota: 4055 (+40), 55 (1st)
2nd – Kevin Harvick, #4, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford: 4054 (+39), 54 (2nd)
3rd – Martin Truex Jr., #78, Furniture Row Racing, Toyota: 4038 (+23), 38 (3rd)
4th – Chase Elliott, #9, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet: 4018 (+3), 18 (4th)
5th – Joey Logano, #22, Team Penske, Ford: 4015 (-3), 15 (T-5th)
5th – Kurt Busch, #41, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford: 4015 (-3), 15 (T-5th)
5th – Clint Bowyer, #14, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford: 4015 (-3), 15 (T-5th)
8th – Aric Almirola, #10, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford: 4006 (-12), 6 (8th)
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Be sure to tune in to each of the three races in the round of 8 of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, starting with this Sunday’s First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. This race is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network at 2:30 p.m. ET.