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NASCAR Playoff Watch 2022: How the postseason picture looks
By Zach Sturniolo | Monday, August 8, 2022
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Throughout the regular season, NASCAR.com will examine the playoff picture. Here's how the postseason picture looks through 23 regular-season races (out of 26) after the Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway.
A few reminders:
-- All point totals are reset to 2,000 for the 16 eligible playoff drivers.
-- Drivers earn five playoff points for each of their regular-season wins.
-- Drivers earn one playoff point for each stage win.
-- The top 10 finishers in the regular-season standings earn playoff points on a sliding scale, starting with 15 points for the Regular Season Champion and ending on one point for the 10th-place finisher.
A few reminders:
-- All point totals are reset to 2,000 for the 16 eligible playoff drivers.
-- Drivers earn five playoff points for each of their regular-season wins.
-- Drivers earn one playoff point for each stage win.
-- The top 10 finishers in the regular-season standings earn playoff points on a sliding scale, starting with 15 points for the Regular Season Champion and ending on one point for the 10th-place finisher.
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*Note that the cutline sits at second place in the regular-season standings since that is the lowest non-winner in the provisional playoff field.
On the outside looking in:
Martin Truex Jr. (fourth in regular-season points, minus-19 to second); Erik Jones (14th in regular-season standings; minus-190 points to second).
In perhaps the wildest turn of the season yet, Truex sits fourth in the overall points standings yet is currently out of a playoff position. Trailing Ryan Blaney by 19 points, Truex is the only driver beneath the bubble with a shot to qualify for the playoffs on points. And that's assuming there isn't a 16th winner before the playoffs begin. That said, good runs arrived for both Truex and Jones at Michigan, where they finished sixth and eighth respectively.
On the outside looking in:
Martin Truex Jr. (fourth in regular-season points, minus-19 to second); Erik Jones (14th in regular-season standings; minus-190 points to second).
In perhaps the wildest turn of the season yet, Truex sits fourth in the overall points standings yet is currently out of a playoff position. Trailing Ryan Blaney by 19 points, Truex is the only driver beneath the bubble with a shot to qualify for the playoffs on points. And that's assuming there isn't a 16th winner before the playoffs begin. That said, good runs arrived for both Truex and Jones at Michigan, where they finished sixth and eighth respectively.
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16. Austin Cindric, 2,006 points
Qualified by: Win (Daytona 500)
Stage wins: 1
Quick hit: After scoring a runner-up result at Indianapolis, Cindric crashed hard at Michigan and finished 37th -- last -- for his second finish outside the top 30 in the last three weeks.
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15. Alex Bowman, 2,006 points
Qualified by: Win (Las Vegas)
Stage wins: 1
Quick hit: That's a race Bowman needed. His ninth-place finish at Michigan marks Bowman's first top 10 since Charlotte in May.
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14. Daniel Suárez, 2,007 points
Qualified by: Win (Sonoma)
Stage wins: 2
Quick hit: Suárez led 33 laps at Michigan and found himself in the hunt late. But a flat left-front tire relegated Suárez to a 25th-place finish instead.
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13. Kevin Harvick, 2,007 points
Qualified by: Win (Michigan)
Stage wins: 0
Quick hit: Welcome to the playoffs, indeed. Harvick had been showing speed but entered Michigan off two finishes outside the top 25. A win vaults him into the playoffs and ratchets the pressure higher on Blaney and Truex.
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12. Kurt Busch, 2,007 points
Qualified by: Win (Kansas)
Stage wins: 2
Quick hit: Busch was out for the third week in a row as he recovers from concussion-like symptoms suffered in a Pocono qualifying crash. In his place, Ty Gibbs finished 10th at Michigan, scoring his first career top 10.
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11. Chase Briscoe, 2,008 points
Qualified by: Win (Phoenix)
Stage wins: 3
Quick hit: Briscoe was running inside the top 10 late but ultimately finished 20th at Michigan. He's still searching for his first top 10 since Charlotte.
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10. Kyle Busch, 2,009 points
Qualified by: Win (Bristol Dirt Race)
Stage wins: 1
Quick hit: The bad luck rolls on for Busch, who's in the midst of a career-worst eight-race streak of finishes outside the top 10. Busch was wiped out in a Lap 25 melee at Michigan.
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9. Christopher Bell: 2,011
points
Qualified by: Win (New Hampshire)
Stage wins: 2
Quick hit: Bell was fighting hard for the lead with Ross Chastain -- and ultimately fought too hard. Contact between the two effectively ended Bell's day as the No. 20 Toyota finished 26th.
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8. Tyler Reddick, 2,012 points
Qualified by: Wins (Road America, Indy Road Course)
Stage wins: 2
Quick hit: Reddick could use some consistency. He's finished top two in three of the last six races; the other three results saw him outside the top 25, including at Michigan where his engine soured.
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7. Denny Hamlin, 2,013 points
Qualified by: Wins (Richmond, Charlotte)
Stage wins: 3
Quick hit: Hamlin had a rocket ship of a race car, carving from outside the top 20 to P3 by the time the checkered flag waved. If this team could execute a full race regularly, they'd have plenty more than just two wins.
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6. William Byron, 2,014 points
Qualified by: Wins (Atlanta, Martinsville)
Stage wins: 3
Quick hit: Byron keeps hovering around the top 15 but can't quite break into the top 10. The No. 24 team hasn't scored a top-10 finish since Sonoma in June.
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5. Kyle Larson, 2,014 points
Qualified by: Win (Auto Club)
Stage wins: 3
Quick hit: After pushing Harvick out to the lead, Larson was left battling Bubba Wallace and Joey Logano for second. Larson got the worst end and shuffled back to finish P7.
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4. Ryan Blaney, 2,015 points
Qualified by: Points
Stage wins: 5
Quick hit: The last man in on points, Blaney scored valuable points with a fifth-place finish Sunday. He'll need more of those -- or a win -- to secure his playoff position.
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3. Joey Logano, 2,017 points
Qualified by: Wins (Darlington, Gateway)
Stage wins: 2
Quick hit: Logano fought Wallace hard for second at Michigan but instead came away fourth. It's his second top 10 in a row after a four-race span of finishes of 20th or worse.
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2. Ross Chastain, 2,022 points
Qualified by: Wins (COTA, Talladega)
Stage wins: 4
Quick hit: Chastain seemed ready to get back into his top-five, machine-esque rhythm at Michigan. Instead, his Chevrolet wound up in the wall with damage after colliding with Bell. Chastain finished 24th, one lap down.
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1. Chase Elliott, 2,040 points
Qualified by: Wins (Dover, Nashville, Atlanta, Pocono)
Stage wins: 5
Quick hit: It was an unusually quiet day for the No. 9 team, which finished 11th at Michigan. It's the team's second in a row outside the top 10 and third straight race Elliott hasn't led laps.
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