NASCAR Cup Series: Kyle Larson clinches 2019 playoff berth

DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 30: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Clover Chevrolet, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on August 30, 2019 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 30: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Clover Chevrolet, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on August 30, 2019 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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Without winning a race in the regular season thus far, Kyle Larson has clinched a berth in the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson is still searching for his first NASCAR Cup Series victory in nearly two years. But one thing he is no longer searching for is his fourth consecutive berth in the four-round, 10-race playoffs.

Larson officially clinched a berth in the 2019 playoffs with his second place finish in the 26-race regular season’s penultimate race at Darlington Raceway, the Bojangles’ Southern 500.

Following the conclusion of this 367-lap race around the four-turn, 1.366-mile (2.198-kilometer) Darlington Raceway oval in Darlington, South Carolina, Larson moved up to ninth place in the championship standings as the highest driver without a victory to his name in 2019.

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More importantly, the 27-year-old Elk Grove, California native found himself 97 points above the playoff cut line with just one race remaining in the regular season.

Even if somebody from below the playoff cut line wins the regular season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard, to move the cut line up by one position from between 16th and 17th place to 15th and 16th, he would still be 97 points above the cut line.

This is the case because the drivers who currently sit in 16th and 17th place in the championship standings, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Daniel Suarez and Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Newman, are tied.

A maximum of 60 points are available for each driver in this race, more commonly known as the Brickyard 400. Among this maximum point total of 60 are 40 points for winning the race, 10 for winning stage one and 10 for winning stage two.

As a result, there is no possible way that anybody below the playoff cut can move ahead of Larson in the championship standings in this race.

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The 2019 NASCAR Cup Series regular season is scheduled to come to an end on Sunday, September 8 with the Brickyard 400, which is set to be broadcast live on NBC from Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Set to open up the playoffs is the South Point 400, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, September 15. NBC Sports Network is set to broadcast this race live from Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET.