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Clutch in the playoffs: Drivers who won in critical situations
By Staff Report | Sunday, November 7, 2021
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Since NASCAR instituted the elimination-style playoff format in 2014, we've seen several drivers elevate their abilities with everything on the line. Scroll through to see the most clutch playoff wins in NASCAR history, including Kyle Larson's title victory at Phoenix Raceway in 2021.
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Brad Keselowski: Talladega, 2014
Keselowski's playoff chances weren't looking good following back-to-back finishes outside the top 15 in the Round of 12, but he grabbed the lead from Ryan Newman on the final lap and wheeled his No. 2 to Victory Lane.
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Kevin Harvick: Phoenix, 2014
Harvick's Phoenix win secured him a spot in the Championship 4. His 264 laps led accounted for 84.6 percent of the race. He would go on to win the championship.
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Kevin Harvick: Miami, 2014
After winning the season finale, Harvick hoisted the championship trophy in Victory Lane -- completing a perfect first season with Stewart-Haas Racing.
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Kevin Harvick: Dover, 2015
Coming off finishes of 42nd and 21st in the first two races of the opening playoff round, the 2014 champion had to win in order to advance -- and that's just what he did. Harvick led 355 of 400 laps to advance to the Round of 12.
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Jeff Gordon: Martinsville, 2015
Gordon booked his ticket to the Championship 4 in his final full-time season after career win No. 93. It also was his first win of the season and provided one of the year's most memorable celebrations.
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Kyle Busch: Miami, 2015
Busch's storybook season concluded with a Miami win, earning him the 2015 NASCAR Cup Series championship.
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Kevin Harvick: New Hampshire, 2016
Again, Kevin Harvick found his advancement chances were in the danger zone. He turned it around, however, in week No. 2 and pulled off the win, automatically advancing him to the Round of 12.
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Kevin Harvick: Kansas, 2016
After a 38th-place finish at Charlotte and with the unknown of Talladega looming, Kansas served as the last chance for the 2014 champion to control his own fate, so to speak. Harvick got the win he needed and a Round of 8 spot.
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Joey Logano: Talladega, 2016
When an engine turned sour for teammate Brad Keselowski, Logano made sure it wasn't a lost day for the Penske camp. The defending race winner wasn't in a must-win position but a victory secured his spot in the Round of 8. It was a nice bounce-back from an earlier pit-road penalty when a jack was stuck under his car -- he made it all the way around the track without it dislodging -- and a 36th-place finish at Charlotte.
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Carl Edwards: Texas, 2016
A 36th-place finish at Martinsville left Edwards in close to a must-win situation for the final two races in the Round of 8. A clutch pit stop late got Edwards ahead of Martin Truex Jr. and put him in position to lead the final 36 laps in the rain-shortened race. The victory locked the Joe Gibbs Racing driver into the Championship 4.
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Joey Logano: Phoenix, 2016
In an incredibly tight Round of 8 finale, Logano held off Kevin Harvick as the final laps ticked off and then pounced late when Matt Kenseth wrecked on a restart. The crafty bit of late driving sent Logano to victory, and locked up his spot in the Championship 4.
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Jimmie Johnson: Miami, 2016
Johnson started from the rear and trailed fellow Championship 4 drivers throughout the race, but would show why he is one of NASCAR's greatest drivers with a clutch performance for the ages. Deftly dodging a late-race wreck, Johnson launched the most perfect restart of his career to lead the final three laps -- and ONLY the final three laps -- to win the race and claim his seventh championship.
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Martin Truex Jr.: Miami, 2017
Truex Jr. started on the front row and had to battle with his Championship 4 contenders all day -- along with Kyle Larson, who led 145 laps -- and he held off Kyle Busch late to win his first title.
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Joey Logano: Miami, 2018
Logano came into the Championship 4 -- or as he called it the "Big 3 and me" -- as the perceived underdog. But Logano executed perhaps the best restart of his life, passing Martin Truex Jr. perfectly with 12 laps remaining and pulling away to win his first series championship.
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Ryan Blaney: Talladega-2, 2019
Blaney was ranked 12th coming into the race at Talladega Superspeedway. After a pit road mishap in Stage 1 and avoiding multiple huge wrecks, Blaney battled it out at the very end with Ryan Newman to take the checkered flag by .007 seconds. This was his first win of 2019 and clinched his spot in the Round of 8.
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Kevin Harvick: Texas-2, 2019
Harvick entered Texas on the wrong side of the cutline but left the Lone Star State locked into the Championship 4 with his third straight Texas fall win.
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Denny Hamlin: Phoenix-2, 2019
Hamlin entered the elimination race at ISM Raceway below the playoff cutline and knew his only hope of making it to the Championship 4 was to win. And, he did just that. He led 143 laps and held on after a late-race caution to get his sixth victory of the season and his ticket to Homestead-Miami Speedway.
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Kyle Busch: Miami, 2019
Busch came into the title race winless in his last 21 races and something of an underdog. All he did was lead the weekend's lone practice session and then go out a lead a race-high 120 laps for the victory and championship.
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Kurt Busch: Las Vegas, 2020
Busch entered the Round of 12 ranked 12th out of 12 drivers still playoff eligible. Then, he went to his hometown track and won for the first time in 22 starts to lock himself into the Round of 8.
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Chase Elliott: Martinsville, 2020
Elliott entered the Round of 8 elimination race 25 points below the cutline in fifth. He then dominated the race, leading 236 laps, to take the checkered flag and punch his ticket into the Championship 4.
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Chase Elliott: Phoenix, 2020
Elliott had to drop to the rear prior to the green flag for failing pre-race inspection twice and he wasted no time marching back to the front. He led 153 laps on the day en route to his first NASCAR Cup Series Championship.
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Kyle Larson: Phoenix, 2021
A clutch pit stop from the No. 5 crew set Larson up to lead the final 24 laps of the race, his 10th win of 2021 and his first NASCAR Cup Series championship.Presented By: