Eight drivers entered the penultimate race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway facing elimination, needing to remain within 76 points of the playoff cut line to even have a chance of qualifying for the 10-race "Chase" postseason in the regular season-ending Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
Following Sunday's 301-lap Dollar Tree 301 around the four-turn, 1.058-mile (1.703-kilometer) "Magic Mile" oval in Loudon, New Hampshire, just two of those drivers are left standing, and one of them is in a must-win situation just to have even a remote chance of getting in.
Trackhouse Racing's Ross Chastain, Legacy Motor Club's Erik Jones, Spire Motorsports' Michael McDowell, Kaulig Racing's A.J. Allmendinger, and Front Row Motorsports teammates Todd Gilliland and Zane Smith have all been eliminated.
They were all still eligible to qualify for the playoffs after entering the race within 152 points of the cutoff. Chastain, tops among these six, is now 81 points out after his DNF.
Two NASCAR Cup drivers fend off elimination for at least one more race
The two who survived are RFK Racing teammates Ryan Preece and Brad Keselowski. Keselowski is 66 points behind Trackhouse Racing's Shane van Gisbergen for the 16th and final playoff spot. Even if SVG finishes last, Keselowski needs to win the race and score an additional 12 stage points (or 11 with the fastest lap point).
Make no mistake about it; the 2012 champion is facing long odds, and he is more likely than not on his way to becoming the only active former champion who won't qualify for this year's playoffs. Team Penske teammates Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano, plus Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, are already locked in.
Preece is only 31 points behind SVG, and he's 44 points behind Team Penske's Austin Cindric. He would actually be just six points below the cut line if not for a penalty in mid-May, so that infraction at Texas Motor Speedway could very well come back to bite him.
NBC's live coverage of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET this Saturday, August 29 from Daytona International Speedway. Catch all of the action with a free trial of FuboTV!
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