What the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Scenario Looks Like Ahead of the Round of 8
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Earlier today, Chase Elliott seized victory at the Charlotte Roval for the second consecutive time. Naturally, this sealed his berth in the next round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. At the same time, it spelled curtains for Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, Clint Bowyer, and Aric Almirola.
As a result, the drivers moving to the next round of the playoffs are – Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and Kurt Busch. Also joining them are Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr, Alex Bowman, and Brad Keselowski. These eight drivers will now battle it out in the next round of the playoff to decide the final 4 in the championship fight.
Cup pts: Harvick +45, Hamlin +32, Keselowski +13, Elliott +5, Logano -5, Truex -10, Bowman -18, KuBusch -21 #nascar (also included points before reset) pic.twitter.com/Gk4hcZvqwF
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 11, 2020
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Which NASCAR Cup Series drivers hold the advantage?
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From a points’ perspective, Kevin Harvick is running away with a 45-point gap to the cutoff line. Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin has a 32-point buffer, with Keselowski and Elliott, 13 and 5 points away, respectively.
Now, Logano, Truex Jr, Bowman, and Busch are the drivers in danger. Logano lies five points away from the drop zone, while Truex is 10 points adrift. Meanwhile, Bowman and Busch have to make up for 18 and 21-point deficits, respectively. As the NASCAR playoff field shrinks, the competition grows fiercer.
The 2020 NASCAR season is reaching its final stretch and edging closer to crowning its new champion. Sadly for the Joe Gibbs Racing team, it will not be Kyle Busch as he missed out on a berth.
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Truthfully speaking, it is appearing more and more likely that Kevin Harvick will emerge at the champion. Harvick has won twice at Kansas, with a hat-trick of wins at Texas and four at Phoenix.
However, he has yet to stamp his authority at the Martinsville Speedway. This will provide his rivals with a much-needed boost to mount a fresh challenge to the #4 driver. One thing is for sure, the final four races will definitely provide plenty of entertainment.