Monster Energy Series 2019 Phoenix preview

Ryan Blaney

Points below cutoff: -23

Career wins at Phoenix: 0

Average start at Phoenix: 5.7

Average finish at Phoenix: 15.9

Notable: Blaney has started better than he's finished in five of his seven career starts at ISM, earning the pole earlier this season en route to a third-place finish. As is the case for Hamlin, a win is likely needed for the fall Talladega winner to advance. But if things fall exactly right, duplicating his third-place finish in the spring may just be enough for the Team Penske driver.

Kyle Larson

Points below cutoff: -23

Career wins at Phoenix: 0

Average start at Phoenix: 8.3

Average finish at Phoenix: 13.5

Notable: Larson is virtually in the same spot as Blaney heading into ISM, where he's earned back-to-back top-10 finishes, including a sixth in the spring and third in this race last season. Driver No. 42 also knows what it takes to advance to Miami, as Ryan Newman famously used him up in 2014 to get that one more pivotal point. Would Larson do the same if given the opportunity?

Chase Elliott

Points below cutoff: -78

Career wins at Phoenix: 0

Average start at Phoenix: 5.4

Average finish at Phoenix: 10.1

Notable: Sitting over a full race below the cutline, Elliott is in a must-win situation. His Round of 8 has been dismal, finishing outside the top 30 in both events. He's started on the front row for each of the last two events at ISM, but has failed to finish inside the top 10.

Denny Hamlin

Points below cutoff: -20

Career wins at Phoenix: 1

Average start at Phoenix: 10.8

Average finish at Phoenix: 11.3

Notable: Still considered a championship favorite to some, Hamlin's trip through the infield grass at Texas put him below the cutline in what he's considering a must-win scenario. His one win came in 2012, but has earned six top-five finishes since, including a fifth in the spring.

Joey Logano

Points above cutoff: +20

Career wins at Phoenix: 1

Average start at Phoenix: 11.2

Average finish at Phoenix: 15.2

Notable: The defending champion is in a tough spot heading to Phoenix. Points wise, he has a substantial buffer, but his past results at ISM have left a lot to be desired. Only one top 10 in his last five races in the desert, but that one top 10 came earlier this year. A solid day, barring a win from a driver below the cutline, should see driver No. 22 advancing to Homestead once again.

Kyle Busch

Points above cutoff: +22

Career wins at Phoenix: 3

Average start at Phoenix: 10.8

Average finish at Phoenix: 11.1

Notable: Busch has told Kevin Harvick to step aside as the Cactus King in recent events at ISM, scoring back-to-back victories in this race last season and earlier this spring. He's finished outside the top five only once in the last eight races, and still scored a seventh-place finish. As of late, Busch has been the best driver at Phoenix.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoff hunt is coming to a close, and Sunday’s Bluegreen Vacations 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM) will give us the final four competitors for the championship. Both Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick are safe and sound by virtue of their wins at Martinsville and Texas, respectively, in the Round of 8. As for everyone else? It's time to pull those belts tight one more time. Here's how they shape up heading to ISM Raceway in Phoenix.