How different would the NASCAR Cup Series playoff picture look had Ryan Newman edged Ryan Blaney to the finish line by 0.007 seconds instead of the other way around?
Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney took the white flag as the race leader at Talladega Superspeedway in Monday’s 1000Bulbs.com 500, the second of three races in the round of 12 of the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
But as the field made their way around the four-turn, 2.66-mile (4.281-kilometer) high-banked Talladega Superspeedway oval in Lincoln, Alabama for the 188th and final team, Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Newman got a big push from Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin.
Newman took the lead from Blaney in turn three, and he led the race coming off of turn four as the field approached the checkered flag.
But Blaney fought back, and after his #12 Ford made contact with Newman’s #6 Ford, it was Blaney who edged ahead of Newman by a mere 0.007 seconds to take the checkered flag.
WHAT. A. FINISH. @Blaney edges @RyanJNewman at the line in another unbelievable ＠TalladegaSuperS finish to advance to the Round of 8! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/UH8jBkHsjm
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 14, 2019
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This victory locked Blaney into the round of 8 of the playoffs, even after he opened up this race in 12th (last) place in the round of 12 playoff picture, 22 points below the round of 8 cut line.
Newman, meanwhile, was eliminated following the round of 16 of the playoffs, so a victory for him would not have changed the playoff picture.
But in this case, it would’ve.
With Blaney having won the race, the round of 8 cut line effectively moved up from between the eighth and ninth place drivers in points to between the seventh and eighth place drivers in points, as Blaney’s point total is still only the ninth highest among the 12 remaining playoff drivers even though he is locked into the round of 8.
Here is how the playoff picture looks because it was Blaney who came out ahead of Newman as opposed to the other way around.
Rank – Driver, Car, Team, Manufacturer: Points (Behind)
1st – Kyle Larson, #42, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet: 1 WIN (IN)
2nd – Ryan Blaney, #12, Team Penske, Ford: 1 WIN (IN)
3rd – Denny Hamlin, #11, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota: 3114 (+56)
4th – Martin Truex Jr., #19, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota: 3106 (+48)
5th – Kyle Busch, #18, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota: 3099 (+41)
6th – Kevin Harvick, #4, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford: 3094 (+36)
7th – Brad Keselowski, #2, Team Penske, Ford: 3078 (+20)
8th – Joey Logano, #22, Team Penske, Ford: 3076 (+18)
————————— ROUND OF 8 CUT LINE —————————
9th – Alex Bowman, #88, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet: 3058 (-18)
10th – Chase Elliott, #9, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet: 3054 (-22)
11th – Clint Bowyer, #14, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford: 3052 (-24)
12th – William Byron, #24, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet: 3049 (-27)
Had it been Newman who won the race over Blaney in second place, however, things would look a lot different, specifically as they pertain to who is below the round of 8 cut line and by how many points they trail it.
Here is how the playoff picture would look had Newman’s final lap been just 0.008 seconds quicker than it was.
Rank – Driver, Car, Team, Manufacturer: Points (Behind)
1st – Kyle Larson, #42, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet: 1 WIN (IN)
2nd – Denny Hamlin, #11, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota: 3114 (+60)
3rd – Martin Truex Jr., #19, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota: 3106 (+52)
4th – Kyle Busch, #18, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota: 3099 (+45)
5th – Kevin Harvick, #4, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford: 3094 (+40)
6th – Brad Keselowski, #2, Team Penske, Ford: 3078 (+24)
7th – Joey Logano, #22, Team Penske, Ford: 3076 (+22)
8th – Alex Bowman, #88, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet: 3058 (+4)
————————— ROUND OF 8 CUT LINE —————————
9th – Chase Elliott, #9, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet: 3054 (-4)
10th – Clint Bowyer, #14, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford: 3052 (-6)
11th – Ryan Blaney, #12, Team Penske, Ford: 3051 (-7)
12th – William Byron, #24, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet: 3049 (-9)
Had Newman won this race instead of Blaney, Hamlin would be locked into the round of 8 on the strength of his point total, and none of the drivers below the round of 8 cut line would be more than nine points below it.
But Ryan Newman didn’t hold off Ryan Blaney, so Blaney is locked into the round of 8 and nobody but he and Kyle Larson can say that. Additionally, none of the drivers below the round of 8 cut line are within 17 points of it.
Which six drivers will join Larson and Blaney in the third round of the four-round, 10-race 2019 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs? The round of 12 finale, the Hollywood Casino 400, is scheduled to take place this Sunday, October 20, and it is set to be broadcast live on NBC from Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.