With the NASCAR Playoffs transitioning from the Round of 16 to the Round of 12, here’s a round reset with an overview of the three races to date and the three ahead for the Monster Energy Series:
MORE: NASCAR Playoffs standings
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– Who’s in (in order): Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Clint Bowyer.
– Who’s out (in order): Aric Almirola, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, Erik Jones.
– Best Round of 16: Martin Truex Jr. Honorable mention to both Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski for completing the opening round with an average finish of 4.0, but the nod goes to Truex for winning the first two of the three and rallying for a seventh-place effort at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval.
– Worst Round of 16: Erik Jones. The Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 driver finished outside the top 35 in all three events.
– Next up: Dover International Speedway (Oct. 6), Talladega Superspeedway (Oct. 13), Kansas Speedway (Oct. 20).
– Trending up for Round of 12: Chase Elliott. Fresh from a momentum-stoking Roval victory, the No. 9 Chevrolet’s driver heads to three tracks where he holds recent wins.
– Trending down for Round of 12: Kyle Busch. Though he has won at all three tracks for this round, the three Round of 12 venues all rank in his bottom half based on average finish, with Talladega at the bottom (minimum five starts).