Bubble Watch: Will Keselowski be next driver to join Larson in Championship 4?

After a late-summer lull that followed the announcement he was leaving the No. 2 team after this year, Brad Keselowski and the 2 crew have found their footing in the playoffs. Riding a hot streak and heading to one of his better tracks, might the 2012 champ be the next driver to join Kyle Larson in the title race at Phoenix Raceway? If the Championship 4 started today, these upcoming drivers would be the first four out and the last four in. Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) could shake things up even further. Take a look at who's on the bubble.

Joey Logano: FIRST FOUR OUT

Points below fourth: 43
Full standings
Trending: Hit or miss — Logano has just five top 10s in the last 14 races, but four of them were in the playoffs. Unfortunately for him, he started off with a "miss" in the Round of 8 when his engine expired early and he finished 30th.
Kansas outlook: Hit or miss — Logano owns a trio of Kansas wins (including this race last year) but also owns four finishes of 15th or worse in the last seven races there.

Martin Truex Jr.: FIRST FOUR OUT

Points below fourth: 22
Full standings
Trending: Cold — one of the sport's most typically consistent drivers has now finished outside the top 10 for three straight races and faces a sizable hole to dig out of the next two races.
Kansas outlook: Hot — luckily for Truex, Kansas lines up really well for him on past history. The two-time track winner has four straight finishes of ninth or better there and eight top 10s in the last nine overall.

Brad Keselowski: FIRST FOUR OUT

Points below fourth: 15
Full standings
Trending: Mostly warm — Keselowski kicked off the Round of 8 with a top five, giving him five finishes of seventh or better over the last seven races. He's putting together his most complete races of the season at the moment.
Kansas outlook: Hot — there's a strong chance it could all come together for him this weekend, where the two-time Kansas winner has three straight finishes of fourth or better and five top sixes in the last six.

Chase Elliott: FIRST FOUR OUT

Points below fourth: 8
Full standings
Trending: Hit or miss recently — Elliott landed a strong seventh-place run at Texas but has more finishes (four) outside the top 11 than inside the top 11 (three) over the last seven races.
Kansas outlook: Warm — Elliott has five finishes of sixth or better in the last six Kansas races, including a win, and seven top 10s in 11 career starts there.

Kyle Busch: FIRST FOUR IN

Points above fifth: 8
Full standings
Trending: Warm — Busch has been steadily gaining momentum, and it feels like another win could still come before the playoffs wrap. He has two straight finishes of eighth or better and five top 10s in the last nine.
Kansas outlook: Hot — that win could very well come this weekend, as Busch was victorious at Kansas earlier this year, and owns three top fives in the last four races there, with 11 top 10s in the last 13.

Denny Hamlin.: FIRST FOUR IN

Points above fifth: 9
Full standings
Trending: Warm — Hamlin has won two of the last seven races and has seven top 10s in the last 10, but he had an issue-filled 11th-place run at Texas.
Kansas outlook: Hit or miss — Hamlin won at Kansas in July 2020 for his third victory there but also has four finishes of 12th or worse in the last eight.

Ryan Blaney: FIRST FOUR IN

Points above fifth: 17
Full standings
Trending: Warm — Blaney has a pair of wins and eight top 10s in the last 10 races, leading laps in seven of the last 12. 
Kansas outlook: Mostly cold — Blaney's best career finish at Kansas came five years ago, and he has four finishes of 20th or worse in the last five. This weekend could be a challenge for the No. 12 team.

Kyle Larson: FIRST FOUR IN

Points above fifth: CLINCHED WITH WIN (Texas)
Full standings
Trending: Hot — Larson's Championship 4 berth is officially on lock, and he has won a whopping eight of the last 30 races with 10 top 10s in the last 12.
Kansas outlook: Cooling off — let's be real, he'll still likely be in the mix this weekend despite not needing to win and a mixed bag of Kansas results. His best finish there came seven years ago and he has two straight finishes of 14th or worse, but still. He's Kyle Larson.