BACK TO GALLERIES
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoff drivers
By NASCAR.com staff | Published: August 24, 2017 16
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1. Martin Truex Jr.
Furniture Row Racing, No. 78 Toyota
Outlook: Truex Jr. won two races in the Round of 12 to add 10 playoff points to his total, and he's a heavy favorite to advance to Miami. Martinsville raises a bit of a red flag -- just two top-five finishes there in 23 career starts -- but Texas follows, and Truex Jr. already has won more races on a 1.5-mile track this season (six) than anyone else in NASCAR history.
Playoff history: Four previous appearances, best finish of fourth in 2015.
Best playoff track remaining: Homestead, seven top 10s in 12 starts.
Worst playoff track remaining: Martinsville, average finish of 20.4 in 23 starts.
Current points: 4,069
Furniture Row Racing, No. 78 Toyota
Outlook: Truex Jr. won two races in the Round of 12 to add 10 playoff points to his total, and he's a heavy favorite to advance to Miami. Martinsville raises a bit of a red flag -- just two top-five finishes there in 23 career starts -- but Texas follows, and Truex Jr. already has won more races on a 1.5-mile track this season (six) than anyone else in NASCAR history.
Playoff history: Four previous appearances, best finish of fourth in 2015.
Best playoff track remaining: Homestead, seven top 10s in 12 starts.
Worst playoff track remaining: Martinsville, average finish of 20.4 in 23 starts.
Current points: 4,069
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2. Kyle Busch
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 18 Toyota
Outlook: 29th, 27th, 10th. Those were Kyle Busch's finishes, in order, for the Round of 12. Yet here he is in the Round of 8, advancing thanks to a bevy of playoff points and well-timed (or perhaps ill-timed) misfortune for other drivers. Expect Busch to get back on track this round and advance to Miami.
Playoff history: Nine previous appearances, best finish of first in 2015.
Best playoff track remaining: In the last five races at Phoenix, Busch has landed five consecutive top-four finishes.
Worst playoff track remaining: Homestead, average finish of 19.8 in 12 starts.
Current points: 4,042
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 18 Toyota
Outlook: 29th, 27th, 10th. Those were Kyle Busch's finishes, in order, for the Round of 12. Yet here he is in the Round of 8, advancing thanks to a bevy of playoff points and well-timed (or perhaps ill-timed) misfortune for other drivers. Expect Busch to get back on track this round and advance to Miami.
Playoff history: Nine previous appearances, best finish of first in 2015.
Best playoff track remaining: In the last five races at Phoenix, Busch has landed five consecutive top-four finishes.
Worst playoff track remaining: Homestead, average finish of 19.8 in 12 starts.
Current points: 4,042
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3. Brad Keselowski
Team Penske, No. 2 Ford
Outlook: Keselowski won at Martinsville earlier this year, and that's where the Round of 8 opens on Sunday. With Texas looming, there is some concern about Team Penske's speed on intermediate tracks.
Playoff history: Five previous appearances, best finish of first in 2012.
Best playoff track remaining: Keselowski took home the checkered flag at Martinsville in April.
Worst playoff track remaining: Homestead, average finish of 15.9 in nine starts.
Current points: 4,026
Team Penske, No. 2 Ford
Outlook: Keselowski won at Martinsville earlier this year, and that's where the Round of 8 opens on Sunday. With Texas looming, there is some concern about Team Penske's speed on intermediate tracks.
Playoff history: Five previous appearances, best finish of first in 2012.
Best playoff track remaining: Keselowski took home the checkered flag at Martinsville in April.
Worst playoff track remaining: Homestead, average finish of 15.9 in nine starts.
Current points: 4,026
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4. Kevin Harvick
Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 4 Ford
Outlook: Harvick is cruising through the playoffs, but his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team needs to find another gear. His best track in Phoenix serves as the cutoff race in the Round of 8, but the veteran driver led a surprising zero laps there earlier in the year.
Playoff history: Ten previous appearances, best finish of first in 2014.
Best playoff track remaining: Homestead, 14 top 10s in 16 starts; average finish of 6.9.
Worst playoff track remaining: Martinsville, average finish of 16.2 in 32 starts.
Current points: 4,017
Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 4 Ford
Outlook: Harvick is cruising through the playoffs, but his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team needs to find another gear. His best track in Phoenix serves as the cutoff race in the Round of 8, but the veteran driver led a surprising zero laps there earlier in the year.
Playoff history: Ten previous appearances, best finish of first in 2014.
Best playoff track remaining: Homestead, 14 top 10s in 16 starts; average finish of 6.9.
Worst playoff track remaining: Martinsville, average finish of 16.2 in 32 starts.
Current points: 4,017
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5. Jimmie Johnson
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 48 Chevrolet
Outlook: Johnson was on the cutoff line for the final two races last round, doing just enough to advance. His overall speed doesn't match the drivers above him, but he has a combined 16 wins at Martinsville and Texas, the first two tracks in the Round of 8. He won at Texas earlier this year, and won at Martinsville last fall.
Playoff history: Thirteen previous appearances, best finish of first, most recently in 2016.
Best playoff track remaining: Martinsville, 24 top 10s in 31 starts; average finish of 7.5.
Worst playoff track remaining: Homestead, average finish of 13.2 in 16 starts.
Current points: 4,017
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 48 Chevrolet
Outlook: Johnson was on the cutoff line for the final two races last round, doing just enough to advance. His overall speed doesn't match the drivers above him, but he has a combined 16 wins at Martinsville and Texas, the first two tracks in the Round of 8. He won at Texas earlier this year, and won at Martinsville last fall.
Playoff history: Thirteen previous appearances, best finish of first, most recently in 2016.
Best playoff track remaining: Martinsville, 24 top 10s in 31 starts; average finish of 7.5.
Worst playoff track remaining: Homestead, average finish of 13.2 in 16 starts.
Current points: 4,017
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6. Denny Hamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 11 Toyota
Outlook: If you want a sneaky Championship 4 pick, look to Hamlin. While plenty of drivers sweated their way out of the Round of 12, Hamlin notched three top-six finishes. He's peaking at the right time.
Playoff history: Ten previous appearances, best finish of second in 2010.
Best playoff track remaining: Martinsville, where Hamlin has five wins and an average finish of 10.1 in his home state.
Worst playoff track remaining: Texas, average finish of 12.6 in 23 starts.
Current points: 4,014
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 11 Toyota
Outlook: If you want a sneaky Championship 4 pick, look to Hamlin. While plenty of drivers sweated their way out of the Round of 12, Hamlin notched three top-six finishes. He's peaking at the right time.
Playoff history: Ten previous appearances, best finish of second in 2010.
Best playoff track remaining: Martinsville, where Hamlin has five wins and an average finish of 10.1 in his home state.
Worst playoff track remaining: Texas, average finish of 12.6 in 23 starts.
Current points: 4,014
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7. Ryan Blaney
Wood Brothers Racing, No. 21 Ford
Outlook: Blaney tweeted that he was going to drink some celebratory beers after making the Round of 8, and we don't blame him. He's the biggest underdog story in this round. Don't sleep on him at Texas, where he led 148 laps earlier this year. The driver of the No. 21, though, almost certainly has to win to advance.
Playoff history: No previous appearances.
Best playoff track remaining: Phoenix, where Blaney has finished in the top 10 in two of his three starts.
Worst playoff track remaining: Texas, average finish of 27.6 in five starts.
Current points: 4,009
Wood Brothers Racing, No. 21 Ford
Outlook: Blaney tweeted that he was going to drink some celebratory beers after making the Round of 8, and we don't blame him. He's the biggest underdog story in this round. Don't sleep on him at Texas, where he led 148 laps earlier this year. The driver of the No. 21, though, almost certainly has to win to advance.
Playoff history: No previous appearances.
Best playoff track remaining: Phoenix, where Blaney has finished in the top 10 in two of his three starts.
Worst playoff track remaining: Texas, average finish of 27.6 in five starts.
Current points: 4,009
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8. Chase Elliott
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 24 Chevrolet
Outlook: Elliott's newfound speed continued into the Round of 12, but a lack of win is catching up with the No. 24 team. Elliott starts the Round of 8 last in the field, 11 points below the cutoff line and 63 points behind leader Martin Truex Jr. His continued improvement at Martinsville is a trend worth monitoring.
Playoff history: One previous appearance, finish of 10th in 2016.
Best playoff track remaining: Elliott has finished in the top 10 in each of his three starts at Fort Worth.
Worst playoff track remaining: Martinsville, average finish of 18.2 in four starts.
Current points: 4,006
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 24 Chevrolet
Outlook: Elliott's newfound speed continued into the Round of 12, but a lack of win is catching up with the No. 24 team. Elliott starts the Round of 8 last in the field, 11 points below the cutoff line and 63 points behind leader Martin Truex Jr. His continued improvement at Martinsville is a trend worth monitoring.
Playoff history: One previous appearance, finish of 10th in 2016.
Best playoff track remaining: Elliott has finished in the top 10 in each of his three starts at Fort Worth.
Worst playoff track remaining: Martinsville, average finish of 18.2 in four starts.
Current points: 4,006
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9. Kyle Larson
Chip Ganassi Racing, No. 42 Chevrolet
Eliminated from playoffs at completion of Round of 12.
Chip Ganassi Racing, No. 42 Chevrolet
Eliminated from playoffs at completion of Round of 12.
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10. Matt Kenseth
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 20 Toyota
Eliminated from playoffs at completion of Round of 12.
Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 20 Toyota
Eliminated from playoffs at completion of Round of 12.
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11. Jamie McMurray
Chip Ganassi Racing, No. 1 Chevrolet
Eliminated from playoffs at completion of Round of 12.
Chip Ganassi Racing, No. 1 Chevrolet
Eliminated from playoffs at completion of Round of 12.
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12. Kasey Kahne
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 Chevrolet
Eliminated from playoffs at completion of Round of 16.
Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 Chevrolet
Eliminated from playoffs at completion of Round of 16.
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13. Kurt Busch
Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 41 Ford
Eliminated from playoffs at completion of Round of 16.
Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 41 Ford
Eliminated from playoffs at completion of Round of 16.
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14. Austin Dillon
Richard Childress Racing, No. 3 Chevrolet
Eliminated from playoffs at completion of Round of 16.
Richard Childress Racing, No. 3 Chevrolet
Eliminated from playoffs at completion of Round of 16.
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15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Roush Fenway Racing, No. 17 Ford
Eliminated from playoffs at completion of Round of 12.
Roush Fenway Racing, No. 17 Ford
Eliminated from playoffs at completion of Round of 12.
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16. Ryan Newman
Richard Childress Racing, No. 31 Chevrolet
Eliminated from playoffs at completion of Round of 16.
Richard Childress Racing, No. 31 Chevrolet
Eliminated from playoffs at completion of Round of 16.