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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - AUGUST 15: Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 Dow MobilityScience Chevrolet, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 15, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
BACK TO GALLERIES

Bubble Watch: Where cutline drivers stand before Michigan

By Pat DeCola | Published: August 17, 2021 11
Sean Gardner | Getty Images
BACK TO GALLERIES

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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - AUGUST 15: Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 Dow MobilityScience Chevrolet, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 15, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon faces a 28-point deficit behind teammate Tyler Reddick on the playoff cutline. See how the bubble shapes up with two races remaining in the regular season as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Michigan International Speedway on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

2 of 11

HAMPTON, GEORGIA - JULY 11: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Mobil 1 Summer Road Trip Ford, walks the stage during pre-race ceremonies prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart at Atlanta Motor Speedway on July 11, 2021 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

Kevin Harvick


Points to the good: 95 | Full standings
Trending: Hit or miss — just two top 10s in the last five races and just 105 laps led in 2021.
Michigan outlook: Scorching hot — Harvick owns five career Michigan wins, including three straight and four of the last five.

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LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE - JULY 18: Tyler Reddick, driver of the #8 Cat #WeDigLandscaping Chevrolet, stands on the grid during pre-race ceremonies prior to the NASCAR Cup Series  Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 18, 2021 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) | Getty Images

James Gilbert | Getty Images

Tyler Reddick


Points to the good: 28 | Full standings
Trending: Hit or miss — four top 10s in the last six races, but finished 21st at Indy despite winning both stages.
Michigan outlook: Cold — his only two starts there came in last year's doubleheader, pulling in finishes of 18th and 24th.

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LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE - JULY 18: Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 Chevrolet, waves to fans on stage during pre-race ceremonies prior to the NASCAR Cup Series  Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 18, 2021 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) | Getty Images

James Gilbert | Getty Images

Austin Dillon


Points behind: 28 | Full standings
Trending: Cold -- Hasn't finished in the top 10 since his sixth-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte with a best finish of 11th at Road America in that stretch.
Michigan outlook: Mostly cold — finished fourth there twice, but three finishes of 13th or worse in the last four races.

5 of 11

HAMPTON, GEORGIA - JULY 11: Matt DiBenedetto, driver of the #21 Menards/Quaker State Ford, walks the stage during pre-race ceremonies prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart at Atlanta Motor Speedway on July 11, 2021 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

Matt DiBenedetto


Points behind: 145 | Full standings
Trending: Warm -- A fifth-place run at Indy gave him five straight finishes of 11th or better.
Michigan outlook: Mostly cold — best career finish (7th) came last year, but overall has 11 finishes of 15th or worse in his other starts.

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LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE - JULY 18:  Chris Buescher, driver of the #17 Fastenal Ford, waves to fans on stage during pre-race ceremonies prior to the NASCAR Cup Series  Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 18, 2021 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) | Getty Images

James Gilbert | Getty Images

Chris Buescher


Points behind: 146 | Full standings
Trending: Cold — Like Dillon, Buescher hasn't finished in the top 10 since his eighth-place result at Charlotte in May.
Michigan outlook: Cold — best career finish of sixth at Michigan, but it came in 2017. He has six straight finishes of 14th or worse.

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ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN - JULY 04: Ross Chastain, driver of the #42 AdventHealth Chevrolet, laughs on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Jockey Made in America 250 Presented by Kwik Trip at Road America on July 04, 2021 in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) | Getty Images

James Gilbert | Getty Images

Ross Chastain


Points behind: 176 | Full standings
Trending: Cold -- A P29 at Indy left him with six finishes of 12th or worse in the last 11 overall.
Michigan outlook: Cold — his best Michigan finish came in 2018, and was a subpar 26th.

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CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 29: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #47 Cottonelle Chevrolet, waits on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 29, 2021 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Maddie Meyer | Getty Images

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.


Points behind: 187 | Full standings
Trending: Cold — Stenhouse actually had a relatively productive day at Indy before finishing 11th, but it was his seventh straight finish outside the top 10.
Michigan outlook: Cold — Stenhouse has seven straight finishes of 18th or worse at Michigan and his best-ever showing there (8th) came in 2017.

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LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE - JULY 18: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 McDonald's Toyota, prepares to restart the NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 18, 2021 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) | Getty Images

James Gilbert | Getty Images

Bubba Wallace


Points behind: 202 | Full standings
Trending: Cold — Wallace finished 13th at Indy, his fifth straight race of outside the top 12.
Michigan outlook: Mostly cold — he landed a top 10 in last year's opener but owns six finishes of 19th or worse in his other six starts there.

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DOVER, DELAWARE - MAY 16: Chase Briscoe, driver of the #14 Ford Performance Racing School Ford, walks the grid during the NASCAR Cup Series Drydene 400 at Dover International Speedway on May 16, 2021 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Sean Gardner | Getty Images

Chase Briscoe


Points behind: 242 | Full standings
Trending: Hit or miss -- Briscoe has two top 10s and three finishes of 15th or worse the last five races, but had a shot to win at Indy in the closing laps.
Michigan outlook: No Cup experience — finished seventh and ninth in his only Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series starts there, respectively.

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LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE - JULY 18: Daniel Suarez, driver of the #99 Good Sam Chevrolet, waves to fans on stage during pre-race ceremonies prior to the NASCAR Cup Series  Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 18, 2021 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) | Getty Images

James Gilbert | Getty Images

Daniel Suarez


Points behind: 258 | Full standings
Trending: Cold -- Suarez has nine finishes of 12th or worse in the last 10 races and seven straight finishes outside the top 13.
Michigan outlook: Warm -- In a more competitive ride in 2019, Suarez scored finishes of fourth and fifth.
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