After the seventh Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race, and the first in the Round of 8, here’s a brief look at the playoff picture. There are two races remaining in the Round of 8 before the field is whittled to four, with four drivers eliminated from the postseason following Phoenix on Nov. 12.
Winner
Kyle Busch won on Oct. 29 at Martinsville Speedway, clinching a spot in the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami.
Who’s hot
Brad Keselowski. Keselowski called this race a must-win; he didn’t, but finishing fourth is a great result for this group heading into Texas. He avoided the Martinsville carnage that plagued others.
Martin Truex Jr. His worst track in the Round of 8 produced a runner-up finish and a 67-point lead over the cutoff line. It’s likely Truex Jr. can clinch a spot in Miami with a strong showing at Texas.
Who’s not
Jimmie Johnson. An excellent piece of strategy after starting at the rear of the field got Johnson into the lead pack by the end of Stage 1, but he couldn’t stay there. The No. 48 slowly fell through the field over the final half of the race, ultimately finishing 12th.
Chase Elliott. It’s stunning to see Elliott on this side of the bubble after he led 123 laps and was pushing for the win with five laps to go. A late wreck, though, dropped him to 27th place. He’s in bad shape with two races remaining before the postseason field is set.
BUBBLE WATCH
| Rank | Driver | Points to cutoff |
| 1. | Martin Truex Jr. | +67 |
| 2. | Kyle Busch* | WINNER |
| 3. | Brad Keselowski | +29 |
| 4. | Kevin Harvick | +3 |
| ————— | CUT-OFF LINE | ————— |
| 5. | Jimmie Johnson | -3 |
| 6. | Ryan Blaney | -6 |
| 7. | Denny Hamlin | -8 |
| 8. | Chase Elliott | -26 |
Next race
The Monster Energy Series travels to Texas Motor Speedway for a Sunday afternoon race on Nov. 5 (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Who it favors
Wins at Texas: Jimmie Johnson (7), Kyle Busch (2), Denny Hamlin (2)
Average Finish at Texas: Chase Elliott (6.0), Jimmie Johnson (8.1), Kevin Harvick (11.7)
Driver Rating at Texas: Jimmie Johnson (107.3), Kyle Busch (101.5), Chase Elliott (98.3)
Who it hurts
Fewest Top-10s in past 10 starts at Texas: Ryan Blaney (0), Chase Elliott (3), Denny Hamlin (3)
Worst Average Finish at Texas: Ryan Blaney (27.6), Brad Keselowski (15.7)
Worst Driver Rating at Texas: Ryan Blaney (70.8), Brad Keselowski (88.1)