The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup might not begin until September, but several drivers have the opportunity to clinch a spot in the top 30 this weekend at Kentucky Speedway, thus securing a spot in the NASCAR playoffs. To clinch an early Chase berth, a driver must have multiple wins and a top-30 spot.
Below are Chase-clinching scenarios for this weekend’s Sprint Cup race in the Bluegrass State:
Brad Keselowski : With three wins this season thus far, last week’s Daytona winner can clinch a top-30 spot if he is 361 points ahead of the 31st spot in the point standings. Second-ranked Keselowski is currently 342 points ahead of 31st-place Brian Scott , so he’ll need help to accomplish this feat.
Carl Edwards : A two-time 2016 victor, Edwards currently has 527 points, 318 points ahead of 31st-place Scott. Like Keselowski, he’ll need to be 361 points ahead of 31st-place post-Kentucky in order to clinch a top-30 spot, and also needs help to achieve this.
Kevin Harvick : While Harvick sits atop the points standings, he only has one win to his name in 2016. He can clinch a top-30 spot this weekend if he’s 361 points ahead of 31st-place, but he’ll need multiple wins to officially solidify his spot. If a new driver were to win each upcoming race, not all drivers with a single victory will automatically make the Chase. With another win, it will be impossible for the 31st-place driver to pass Harvick based on the limited points available for runner-up results and the current close proximity of 30th and 31st-places.
Kurt Busch: Currently at 545 points with one 2016 win, Busch will need to clinch a top-30 spot at Kentucky and earn another win before the Chase begins to officially clinch a spot. He’s in a similar boat to Harvick where he’ll need some help to clinch.
Joey Logano : Logano currently has one win and 531 points, and is 322 points ahead of the 31st-place position. He’ll need to clinch a top-30 spot at Kentucky and earn another win to clinch.
XFINITY Series clinching scenarios
Daniel Suarez: Suarez currently has one win and 499 points and is 412 points ahead of 31st place. To clinch, he needs to win and leave Kentucky with a 451-point lead over the 31st-place driver.
Elliott Sadler : Sadler has one win and 493 Points and is 406 points ahead of 31st. He needs to win and leave Kentucky with a 451-point lead over 31st place in order to clinch.