Following the fifth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race, here’s a brief look at the playoffs picture. The 10-race postseason is exactly at the halfway point, and there is just one race remaining in the Round of 12 before the field is whittled to eight, with four drivers eliminated from the postseason following Kansas (Oct. 21).
Winner
Aric Almirola, who was in agony following last week’s blown opportunity at Dover, passed teammate Kurt Busch on the last lap after Busch ran out of gas and took his first checkered flag of 2018.
MORE: Full race results
Who’s hot
Stewart-Haas Racing. Yep, pick any driver. Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola and Clint Bowyer were collectively the class of the field Sunday, using pure horsepower and a unified strategy to control the entire race. Almirola won and Bowyer finished second — the only reason it wasn’t a 1-2-3-4 finish is because Harvick and Busch ran out of fuel.
Joey Logano. It was tough for anyone to keep up with the Stewart-Haas Racing Fords, including multi-time Talladega winner Logano. But Logano made veteran moves all race, avoided calamity at the end and held on for a top-five finish to jump to third in the standings.
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Who’s not
Martin Truex Jr. Surprise, surprise. Truex Jr.’s Furniture Row Racing No. 78 Toyota was off all day with a rear handling issue, running near the back most of the afternoon. A fortuitous late wreck is the only reason why Truex Jr. is not below the cutline with one race remaining in this round.
Kyle Larson. Larson’s solo spin following a tire issue on Lap 103 took him out of the lead pack and punctuated what had been a frustrating day for the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing group. While he rebounded back to the lead lap admirably (11th), the 26-year-old faces essentially a must-win situation at Kansas following his finish.
MORE: Updated playoff standings
BUBBLE WATCH
| Rank | Driver | Points to cutoff |
| 5. | Joey Logano | +39 |
| 6. | Kurt Busch | +30 |
| 7. | Clint Bowyer | +21 |
| 8. | Martin Truex Jr. | +18 |
| ————— | CUT-OFF LINE | ————— |
| 9. | Brad Keselowski | -18 |
| 10. | Ryan Blaney | -22 |
| 11. | Kyle Larson | -26 |
| 12. | Alex Bowman | -68 |
– Does not include Chase Elliott or Aric Almirola, who won at Dover and Talladega, respectively, to lock themselves into the Round of 8.
Next race
The Monster Energy Series travels to Kansas Speedway for a Sunday race on Oct. 21 (2 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). It is the final race in the Round of 12.
Who it favors
Ryan Blaney. The “Big 3” has collectively won the past five Kansas races, but Blaney’s numbers are nearly in the same echelon as those of Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. The Team Penske driver has three top-five finishes and has led 140 laps over the past five Kansas events. Yes, he wrecked out late this spring battling with Kyle Larson, but he also finished third in this race last year.
Who it hurts
Clint Bowyer. It is especially cruel to place Bowyer’s name here, considering Kansas is his home track. But the facility hasn’t been kind to the driver of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. He has started outside the top 30 in four of the past five Kansas races, and his one top-10 finish during that time frame is tied for worst with Alex Bowman among all playoff drivers.