Bubble Watch, presented by Xfinity: Playoff drama amplifies at Talladega

The midway point of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 will see amplified drama as it shifts to Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). 

See where drivers closest to the elimination stand before Talladega with the latest Bubble Watch, presented by Xfinity.

(Stats provided by Racing Insights) 

Martin Truex Jr. 

Points above elimination line: 19

Trending: Cold

Talladega outlook -- Cold: Superspeedways have been Truex's Achilles' Heel in his Cup career as he's yet to score a win at either Daytona or Talladega. Just one top 10 in the last 15 'Dega races doesn't bode well for the regular-season champ to be in a comfortable spot heading to the Charlotte Roval. 

Ross Chastain

Points above elimination line: 12

Trending: Hit or Miss

Talladega outlook -- Hit or Miss: Chastain was victorious at the track last season and an underrated stat for the Melon Man is that he's yet to DNF in nine starts at Talladega. 

Brad Keselowski

Points above elimination line: 8

Trending: Hot

Talladega outlook -- Hit or Miss: Five straight top-10 finishes have the No. 6 team cooking at just the right time. While Talladega looms as a wild card, RFK knows how to put on a show at superspeedways as he and teammate Chris Buescher finished 1-2 at Daytona in August. 

Kyle Larson

Points above elimination line: 2

Trending: Texas Snapped Hot Streak

Talladega outlook -- Mostly Cold: Larson was 19 laps away from an automatic berth to the Round of 8, but crashed after racing hard against Bubba Wallace for the lead at Texas. Now just two points above the elimination line, Larson is in another precarious spot in the Round of 12 that may spell doom for a second straight year as he's failed to score a top 10 in 10 of the last 11 Talladega races. 

Bubba Wallace

Points below elimination line: 2

Trending: Hit or Miss

Talladega outlook -- Win or Bust: During his Cup career, Wallace has proven to be a formidable contender at superspeedways, but finishing at Talladega hasn't been his strong suit despite his first career series win coming at the track in 2021. He's finished 16th or worse at the superspeedway since that maiden victory. 

Tyler Reddick

Points below elimination line: 3

Trending: Cooling off

Talladega outlook -- Cold: After a great first half at Texas and scoring a playoff point with a stage win, Reddick fell outside the top 10 and was caught in a multicar wreck in the closing laps. Talladega hasn't been a great track for Reddick, who has finished 16th or worse in four consecutive races. 

Ryan Blaney

Points below elimination line: 11

Trending: Cold

Talladega outlook -- Hot: On the flip side of Reddick, Blaney is one of the very best at Talladega. He owns two wins at the track and has finished runner-up in the last two Talladega races. If anyone is to get themselves above the elimination line leaving 'Dega, it's the last remaining Team Penske driver in the playoffs. 

Kyle Busch

Points below elimination line: 17

Trending: Mostly Cold

Talladega outlook -- Hot: You can make the case that Busch has been the best superspeedway driver this season with a spring win at Talladega and a top 10 in the Daytona night race. You also can't forget that he was one fewer caution away from being the likely winner of the Daytona 500. Don't be surprised if Busch becomes the first driver to sweep Talladega since Jeff Gordon in 2007.