After the eighth race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs concluded at Homestead-Miami Speedway, here’s a quick look at the playoff picture.
WINNER
Christopher Bell took the checkered flag to win at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Bell was almost out of contention for the win before a red flag caused by Kyle Larson’s crash eventually brought him into the top three with 38 laps to go. After struggling with handling all day, the short-run speed paid off for Bell as he was able to make a crucial pass on William Byron for the win.
RELATED: Official results | At-track photos
WHO’S HOT?
Ryan Blaney. After a mix of emotions last week, Blaney was rejuvenated and quick at Homestead. After going top-three fastest in practice, Blaney continued to ride the wall, grabbing a stage win and finished second. He has some newfound momentum heading into Martinsville above the elimination line.
William Byron. After a quiet weekend in Las Vegas, Byron roared back to the front in Homestead. Byron steadily improved all weekend at Homestead. He was a threat to win all race long but managed to net a fourth-place finish, keeping him red-hot in the playoffs.
RELATED: Full playoff standings
WHO’S NOT?
Denny Hamlin. Hamlin ran strong all weekend and even looked like a threat to win in Miami. However, a late race run-in with the wall due to an apparent mechanical issue in his car took him out of the lead. He would finish 30th. There is hope in next week’s race at Martinsville, a track where Hamlin has three top-five finishes in his last five starts and five career wins overall. He may need a sixth win there to advance to the Championship 4.
Martin Truex Jr. Truex and the No. 19 team continue to face major challenges in these playoffs. A late engine issue took him out of the race after he ran most of the day inside the top 10. Like Hamlin, Truex is 17 points below the elimination line with one race to go before the Championship 4 is set.
NEXT RACE
The Round of 8 concludes at Martinsville Speedway for the Xfinity 500 on Oct. 29 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
BUBBLE WATCH
Rank Driver Cutoff
1 Kyle Larson WIN
2 Christopher Bell WIN
3 William Byron 30
4 Ryan Blaney 10
ELIMINATION LINE
5 Tyler Reddick -10
6 Martin Truex Jr -17
7 Denny Hamlin -17
8 Chris Buescher -43