Several of the drivers that have already won this season and have earned a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs still need to clinch their postseason position by earning enough points that no matter where they finish in the remaining races of the regular season, they will not fall out of the top 30 in points. Once a driver has achieved that points total, they have officially clinched a spot in the postseason. Below is a breakdown of the drivers that can clinch their spot in the postseason this weekend:
MORE: Full weekend schedule | Watkins Glen winnersAlready Clinched
The following 10 drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field: Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick.
Can Clinch Via Previous Wins
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Alex Bowman, Denny Hamlin, Daniel Suarez, Tyler Reddick, Austin Cindric, Chase Briscoe or Kurt Busch:
- Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Daniel Suarez: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Austin Cindric: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Chase Briscoe: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Kurt Busch: Would clinch regardless of finish
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Aric Almirola, Erik Jones, Bubba Wallace or Austin Dillon:
- Alex Bowman: Would clinch with 4 points
- Daniel Suarez: Would clinch with 22 points
- Austin Cindric: Would clinch with 40 points
- Chase Briscoe: Would clinch with 47 points
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Chris Buescher:
- Alex Bowman: Would clinch with 1 point
- Daniel Suarez: Would clinch with 22 points
- Austin Cindric: Would clinch with 37 points
- Chase Briscoe: Would clinch with 44 points
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Justin Haley:
- Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Daniel Suarez: Would clinch with 3 points
- Austin Cindric: Would clinch with 20 points
- Chase Briscoe: Would clinch with 28 points
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Ricky Stenhouse Jr.:
- Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Daniel Suarez: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Austin Cindric: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Chase Briscoe: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Kurt Busch: Would clinch with 41 points
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Cole Custer:
- Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Daniel Suarez: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Austin Cindric: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Chase Briscoe: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Kurt Busch: Would clinch with 33 points
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Michael McDowell, Brad Keselowski or a win by another winless driver lower in the standings:
- Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Daniel Suarez: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Austin Cindric: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Chase Briscoe: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Kurt Busch: Would clinch with 23 points
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Harrison Burton or a win by another winless driver lower in the standings:
- Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Daniel Suarez: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Austin Cindric: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Chase Briscoe: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Kurt Busch: Would clinch with 16 points
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Todd Gilliland or a win by another winless driver lower in the standings:
- Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Daniel Suarez: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Austin Cindric: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Chase Briscoe: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Kurt Busch: Would clinch regardless of finish
Can Clinch Via Win
The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Daniel Suarez, Austin Cindric, Chase Briscoe and Kurt Busch.
The following drivers could clinch with a win:
- Aric Almirola: Would clinch with 44 points
- Erik Jones: Would clinch with 56 points
- Bubba Wallace: Could only clinch with help
- Austin Dillon: Could only clinch with help