After the eighth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race, and the second in the Round of 8, here’s a brief look at the playoff picture. There is one race 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.
RELATED: Current standings | Texas results
Winner
Kevin Harvick won on Nov. 5 at Texas Motor Speedway, clinching a spot in the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami.
Who’s hot
Martin Truex Jr. He missed out on winning his fifth consecutive race on a 1.5-mile track, but Truex Jr. led the most laps with 107 and reinforced his billing as the championship favorite.
Brad Keselowski. Speed at intermediate tracks was in question for the Team Penske camp, which makes Brad Keselowski’s fifth-place run so important. He’s above the cutoff line with one race remaining in the Round of 8.
Who’s not
Jimmie Johnson. Johnson sank from his ninth-place starting position immediately, and pitted off-cycle in Stage 1 due to a vibration. That put him two laps down, and he finished 27th. He is in win-or-bust mode heading into Phoenix, with a shot at winning his eighth Monster Energy Series championship at stake.
Chase Elliott. Elliott paid for starting 34th, missing out on collecting a bounty of stage points like his competitors. Finishing eighth place in the race was sixth-best out of eight playoff drivers at Texas, digging a deeper hole with just one race remaining until the Championship 4 is set.
* = Denotes driver has clinched spot in Championship 4.
BUBBLE WATCH
| Rank | Driver | Points to cutoff |
| 1. | Martin Truex Jr.* | +76 |
| 2. | Kyle Busch* | WINNER |
| 3. | Kevin Harvick* | WINNER |
| 4. | Brad Keselowski | +19 |
| ————— | CUT-OFF LINE | ————— |
| 5. | Denny Hamlin | -19 |
| 6. | Ryan Blaney | -22 |
| 7. | Chase Elliott | -49 |
| 8. | Jimmie Johnson | -51 |
Next race
The Monster Energy Series travels to Phoenix Raceway for a Sunday afternoon race on Nov. 12 (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Who it favors
Wins at Phoenix: Kevin Harvick (8), Jimmie Johnson (4)
Average Finish at Phoenix: Jimmie Johnson (9.0), Chase Elliott (9.7), Kevin Harvick (9.9)
Driver Rating at Phoenix: Jimmie Johnson (111.0), Kevin Harvick (110.3), Chase Elliott (107.9)
Who it hurts
Fewest Top-10s in past 10 starts at Phoenix: Ryan Blaney (2), Chase Elliott (2)
Worst Average Finish at Phoenix: Martin Truex Jr. (17.6), Brad Keselowski (14.0)
Worst Driver Rating at Phoenix: Ryan Blaney (83.0), Martin Truex Jr. (84.4)