How Talladega shook up the 2019 NASCAR Playoffs

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Eleven of the 12 NASCAR Playoffs drivers were involved in a caution in some way, shape or form during Monday’s rain-delayed 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. The only one who managed to avoid any yellow recognition was race winner Ryan Blaney. Read on to learn how ‘Dega treated each playoff driver, starting with …



RYAN BLANEY

Position on cutline: WIN (Talladega)

Points earned: 46 (5 playoff)

Talladega fate: 1st … After spinning out on pit road during the first stage, Blaney rallied back to ultimately lead a race-high 35 laps and take the checkered flag by 0.007 seconds over Ryan Newman. It was the sixth-closest finish in Monster Energy Series history. The driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford was 10th in Stage 1 and sixth in Stage 2.

Quotable: “We were already pretty far behind the eight-ball. We knew we had to win one of these two weeks. It’s just a huge relief after having such a bad weekend last week. It’s nice to get a win and lock into the next round, for sure, but you still go out and try to win Kansas.”

KYLE LARSON

Position on cutline: WIN (Dover Intentional Speedway)

Points earned: 6

Talladega fate: 39th … Larson was hit – hard – in the first of three wrecks that could all be considered the “Big One.” Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 42 Chevrolet driver had a sixth-place finish in Stage 1 but exited the race on Lap 106. Thankfully for Larson, he’s already locked into the Round of 8.

Quotable: “It’s nice to have the win that we got. I would have liked to been able to finish the day and get even more points. But we can go into Kansas and try to win that one and try to get more playoff points.”

DENNY HAMLIN

Position on cutline: +56 in third

Points earned: 34

Talladega fate: 3rd … Hamlin didn’t secure any stage points, nor did he lead any laps, but he did make his way close enough to the front to make up for both those details. The driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was held together by tape but, apart from the winner, was the only playoff driver in the top five. Hamlin is all but locked into the next round.

Quotable: “I think we're moving on there. I have no problem starting up and pulling into the garage on Lap 1 with a 56-point lead, so I'm pretty confident. My team's done a pretty good job preparing for the Round of 8. We've got all of our cars ready. I know I'm ready.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR.

Position on cutline: +48 in fourth

Points earned: 11

Talladega fate: 26th … Truex finished six laps down, was outside the top 10 in both stages and didn’t lead any laps. The No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver, who was involved in the first “Big One,” was at least registered as a running in the final results. Truex slides two spots in the standings.

Quotable: “I really wish we could've locked in today, but we didn't, so we'll go to work next week. Looking forward to it. ... We lost a lot of points today. We didn't get many. Our strategy was to just try to survive and get through the wrecks and we couldn't even do that, so I don't know, man.”

KYLE BUSCH

Position on cutline: +41 in fifth

Points earned: 19

Talladega fate: 19th … Busch led seven laps and was 10th in Stage 2. The No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was among those damaged in the third “Big One” but managed to complete all 188 laps. Busch’s standing moves just one spot lower.

Quotable: “There’s a bunch of guys behind us that had worse days. So, there’s eight guys moving through. Not just four. We’ll be fine.”

KEVIN HARVICK

Position on cutline: +36 in sixth

Points earned: 20

Talladega fate: 17th … Harvick finished the race without any laps led or stage points. The driver of the No. 4 Stewart Haas Racing Ford did get nicked up in the first “Big One” but continued on. Harvick dropped a standing spot.

Quotable: “You always want to do better. I would have loved to scored stage points and finish better. But we didn’t.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI

Position on cutline: +20 in seventh

Points earned: 26

Talladega fate: 25th … Keselowski was top five in both stages – fifth in Stage 1 and third in Stage 2 – and led 22 laps. His No. 2 Team Penske Ford, though, was destroyed in the third “Big One” and was recorded as six laps down in the final results. Keselowski slid a spot in the standings.

Quotable: “I don’t know. I haven’t seen the points or any of that stuff. So I got to take a look at that and see where I ended up.”

JOEY LOGANO

Position on cutline: +18 in eighth

Points earned: 44

Talladega fate: 11th … Logano somehow kept his No. 22 Team Penske Ford in working condition after being a part of two wrecks. The reigning Cup Series champion came in second for both stages and led 16 laps. Logano went from being the first one below the cutline to the first one above.

Quotable: “It helps. Does it mean we’re in? Absolutely not. We’re far from it. We don’t have many cars behind us. There’s four, and we’re the last car in. So, if one of those guys wins, we’re the first guy out. … It’s not a very comfortable situation, but it’s better than when we came in here.”

ALEX BOWMAN

Position on cutline: -18 in ninth

Points earned: 9

Talladega fate: 37th … Bowman caused the first “Big One,” admittedly so, while trying to execute a block and completed just 106 laps. The No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet did secure some stage points with his third-place Stage 1 run. Bowman went from two spots above the cutline to the first spot below.

Quotable: “We’re just going to go lead the most laps, win both stages and win the race.”

CHASE ELLIOTT

Position on cutline: -22 in 10th

Points earned: 29

Talladega fate: 8th … Elliott was outside the top 10 in each of the stages but managed to navigate his way up there when it mattered most. The driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet led 19 laps. Elliott moved up a spot in the standings.

Quotable: “You have to have the mindset to go out there and control what we can control and do everything we can to get a win. That's all we can do.”

CLINT BOWYER

Position on cutline: -24 in 11th

Points earned: 24 (1 playoff point)

Talladega fate: 23rd … Bowyer won Stage 2 and led 13 laps. During the final stage, though, he spun and wound up stuck on the apron of the high-banked track. The No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford needed helped getting free, which put him two laps down where he ended. Bowyer’s position in the standings dropped a spot.

Quotable: “I don’t even know where we stand. It’s such a mess right now. Who knows. We’ll figure it out.”

WILLIAM BYRON

Position on cutline: -27th in 12th

Points earned: 17 (1 playoff point)

Talladega fate: 33rd … The Stage 1 winner got caught up in the second “Big One,” getting pushed too hard from behind and going for a spin into the rest of the pack, and had his day end early on Lap 162. Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, led 13 laps overall. He entered the race above the cutline (in eighth) and exits below in the bottom spot.

Quotable: “We were definitely going to be in a hole, but Kansas is a pretty good track. We’re going against pretty good competition around the bubble, too. And that’s a good track for all those guys. We’re going to have to perform really well.”