NASCAR: Here’s how the 12 remaining playoff drivers stack up

Just 12 drivers remain eligible to win the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series championship following the round of 16. Here is how they stack up to begin the round of 12.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick, the first driver to secure his spot in the round of 12 of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs by winning the round of 16 opener at Darlington Raceway two weeks ago, closed out the opening round of the four-round 10-race playoffs with another victory at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Harvick, who has now won a series-high nine races so far this year, entered the round of 16 finale as one of three drivers locked into the round of 12, as Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski had secured his spot in the second round by winning the second race of the opening round at Richmond Raceway and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin had secured his spot on points.

Nine drivers joined that trio by the time dust had settled at Bristol Motor Speedway and are slated to battle over the course of three races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval to advance to the round of 8.

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Each of these 12 drivers starts the round of 12 with 3,000 points, plus the playoff points they have earned through the season’s first 29 races by winning stages, winning races, and finishing the regular season in the top 10 in the point standings.

Stage wins net drivers one playoff point each, race wins net drivers five playoff points each, and between one and 15 playoff points were awarded to the drivers who finished the regular season point standings in the top 10.

Drivers are able to continue scoring playoff points throughout the playoffs by winning stages and races, as several of them did in the round of 16. They carry all of their playoff points with them through the round of 8 and up until the Championship 4, provided they make it that far.

Of these 12 drivers, eight are set to advance to the round of 8, so the current cut line sits between the eighth and ninth place drivers. Here is how they stack up heading into the round of 12 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Rank – Driver, Car, Team, Manufacturer: Points (Behind)
1st – Kevin Harvick, #4, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford: 3067 (+62)
2nd – Denny Hamlin, #11, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota: 3048 (+43)
3rd – Brad Keselowski, #2, Team Penske, Ford: 3035 (+30)
4th – Joey Logano, #22, Team Penske, Ford: 3022 (+17)
5th – Chase Elliott, #9, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet: 3021 (+16)
6th – Martin Truex Jr., #19, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota: 3016 (+11)
7th – Alex Bowman, #88, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet: 3009 (+4)
8th – Austin Dillon, #3, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet: 3005 (+0)
————ROUND OF 8 CUT LINE————
8th – Aric Almirola, #10, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford: 3005 (0)
10th – Kyle Busch, #18, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota: 3004 (-1)
10th – Clint Bowyer, #14, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford: 3004 (-1)
12th – Kurt Busch, #1, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet: 3001 (-4)

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Tune in to NBC Sports Network at 7:00 p.m. ET this evening for the live broadcast of the round of 12 opener, the South Point 400, from Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

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