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Bubble Watch: Where drivers closest to cutline stand before Indianapolis
By Staff Report | Published: July 28, 2022 13
James Gilbert | Getty Images
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James Gilbert | Getty Images
With only two open spots, the playoff pressure ramps up as we enter the final stretch of five regular-season races. See where drivers sit before Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, NBC Sports App, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), with stats and ratings provided by Racing Insights.
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Ryan Blaney
Points above cutline: 105 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: Blaney has one top-five finish in the last four races. At Pocono last weekend, he was running top 10 position until he spun and hit the inside wall on Lap 138, causing him to not finish and land in 33rd.
Indianapolis outlook -- Hot: In the last five road-course races, Blaney has four finishes of ninth or better and finished second last year at Indianapolis.
Points above cutline: 105 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: Blaney has one top-five finish in the last four races. At Pocono last weekend, he was running top 10 position until he spun and hit the inside wall on Lap 138, causing him to not finish and land in 33rd.
Indianapolis outlook -- Hot: In the last five road-course races, Blaney has four finishes of ninth or better and finished second last year at Indianapolis.
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Logan Riely | Getty Images
Martin Truex Jr.
Points above cutline: 83 | Full standings
Trending -- Warm: Last week at Pocono, Truex finished seventh after remaining in the top 10 in the other stages. Pocono made it his second straight finish of seventh or better coming off a four-race streak of 11th or worse.
Indianapolis outlook -- Cold: Truex has a rough history with road courses as he has four 13th or worse finishes in the last five road races.
Points above cutline: 83 | Full standings
Trending -- Warm: Last week at Pocono, Truex finished seventh after remaining in the top 10 in the other stages. Pocono made it his second straight finish of seventh or better coming off a four-race streak of 11th or worse.
Indianapolis outlook -- Cold: Truex has a rough history with road courses as he has four 13th or worse finishes in the last five road races.
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Logan Riely | Getty Images
Kevin Harvick
Points below cutline: 83 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: Within the last three races, Harvick has one top five and two finishes of 12th or worse. One of those outside finishes came in Pocono last week, where he finished 27th.
Indianapolis outlook -- Cold: Last year, Harvick started 25th and finished 14th after being involved in a multi-car wreck on Lap 89.
Points below cutline: 83 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: Within the last three races, Harvick has one top five and two finishes of 12th or worse. One of those outside finishes came in Pocono last week, where he finished 27th.
Indianapolis outlook -- Cold: Last year, Harvick started 25th and finished 14th after being involved in a multi-car wreck on Lap 89.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
Aric Almirola
Points below cutline: 140 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: At Pocono, Almirola received a penalty for commitment line violation but ultimately finished 13th.
Indianapolis outlook -- Cold: Road courses seem not to be Almirola's strong suit as he has 14 straight finishes of 12th or worse and finished 19th last year at Indy.
Points below cutline: 140 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: At Pocono, Almirola received a penalty for commitment line violation but ultimately finished 13th.
Indianapolis outlook -- Cold: Road courses seem not to be Almirola's strong suit as he has 14 straight finishes of 12th or worse and finished 19th last year at Indy.
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Meg Oliphant | Getty Images
Erik Jones
Points below cutline: 182 | Full standings
Trending -- Hit or Miss: After starting in 34th due to unapproved adjustments, Jones had momentum that allowed him to finish ninth at Pocono last week.
Indianapolis outlook -- Warm: Similar to Pocono, last year at Indy, Jones started in the back and worked his way up to finishing seventh.
Points below cutline: 182 | Full standings
Trending -- Hit or Miss: After starting in 34th due to unapproved adjustments, Jones had momentum that allowed him to finish ninth at Pocono last week.
Indianapolis outlook -- Warm: Similar to Pocono, last year at Indy, Jones started in the back and worked his way up to finishing seventh.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
Austin Dillon
Points below cutline: 206 | Full standings
Trending -- Warm: Pocono broke Dillion's streak of eight straight finishes of 11th or worse (three DNFs), as he finished 10th.
Indianapolis outlook -- Cold: Last year at Indy, Dillon started 23rd and worked his way up to third in Stage 1 and second in Stage 2 but did not finish after getting involved in a multi-car wreck.
Points below cutline: 206 | Full standings
Trending -- Warm: Pocono broke Dillion's streak of eight straight finishes of 11th or worse (three DNFs), as he finished 10th.
Indianapolis outlook -- Cold: Last year at Indy, Dillon started 23rd and worked his way up to third in Stage 1 and second in Stage 2 but did not finish after getting involved in a multi-car wreck.
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James Gilbert | Getty Images
Bubba Wallace
Points below cutline: 236 | Full standings
Trending -- Warm: After last week, Wallace has two straight finishes of eighth or better, following his streak of six finishes of 12th or worse.
Indianapolis outlook -- Cold: Last year, Wallace finished 13th, which aligns with him never finishing better than 13th in his 18 career road-course starts.
Points below cutline: 236 | Full standings
Trending -- Warm: After last week, Wallace has two straight finishes of eighth or better, following his streak of six finishes of 12th or worse.
Indianapolis outlook -- Cold: Last year, Wallace finished 13th, which aligns with him never finishing better than 13th in his 18 career road-course starts.
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Meg Oliphant | Getty Images
Justin Haley
Points below cutline: 247 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: Haley now has two Pocono races under his belt and moved his finishing position up from 27th in 2018 to just 21st in last week's Pocono race.
Indianapolis outlook -- Warm: Last season at Indy, Haley started 29th and finished eighth.
Points below cutline: 247 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: Haley now has two Pocono races under his belt and moved his finishing position up from 27th in 2018 to just 21st in last week's Pocono race.
Indianapolis outlook -- Warm: Last season at Indy, Haley started 29th and finished eighth.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images
Chris Buescher
Points below cutline: 266 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: After last week, Buescher has three straight finishes of 17th or worse.
Indianapolis outlook -- Warm: Although Buescher finished 12th in last year's Indianapolis race, he has the experience on road courses that gained him three finishes of sixth or better in the last four road races.
Points below cutline: 266 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: After last week, Buescher has three straight finishes of 17th or worse.
Indianapolis outlook -- Warm: Although Buescher finished 12th in last year's Indianapolis race, he has the experience on road courses that gained him three finishes of sixth or better in the last four road races.
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Torey Fox | NASCAR Digital Media
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Points below cutline: 287 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: In the last seven races, Stenhouse has finishes of 16th or worse.
Indianapolis outlook -- Cold: Last season at Indy, Stenhouse started 22nd and finished 11th.
Points below cutline: 287 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: In the last seven races, Stenhouse has finishes of 16th or worse.
Indianapolis outlook -- Cold: Last season at Indy, Stenhouse started 22nd and finished 11th.
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Cole Custer
Points below cutline: 301 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: Custer finished 17th at Pocono, his second consecutive finish outside the top 15.
Indianapolis outlook -- Cold: On road courses, Custer has 10 straight finishes of 13th or worse, which includes his 25th finish last year at Indy.
Points below cutline: 301 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: Custer finished 17th at Pocono, his second consecutive finish outside the top 15.
Indianapolis outlook -- Cold: On road courses, Custer has 10 straight finishes of 13th or worse, which includes his 25th finish last year at Indy.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
Michael McDowell
Points below cutline: 307 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: In the last 11 races, McDowell has six finishes of 13th or worse. He finished sixth at Pocono last week but lost 100 points due to an L2 penalty announced Tuesday.
Indianapolis outlook -- Warm: Although McDowell did not finish last year at Indianapolis due to a multi-car wreck, he does have two straight finishes of eighth or better on road courses.
Points below cutline: 307 | Full standings
Trending -- Cold: In the last 11 races, McDowell has six finishes of 13th or worse. He finished sixth at Pocono last week but lost 100 points due to an L2 penalty announced Tuesday.
Indianapolis outlook -- Warm: Although McDowell did not finish last year at Indianapolis due to a multi-car wreck, he does have two straight finishes of eighth or better on road courses.