Playoff Points: Dover Edition

By Aaron Bearden, Motorsports Editor

Following each regular season points race, Kickin’ the Tires takes a deep look at the current playoff grids for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, evaluating each team’s postseason odds and highlighting those that made steps in the right direction, as well as those who dug themselves into a hole. 

Track: Dover International Speedway

Event: AAA 400 Drive for Autism

Race Winner: Kevin Harvick

Stage Winner(s): Kevin Harvick (Won Both Stages)

Who Won Big

• Kevin Harvick: Going into 2018, Harvick hadn’t won more than five races in any full season. This year the Stewart-Haas Racing veteran has four wins in 11 races, with 25 events to match – and likely surpass – his best season win total.
• Daniel Suarez: With Harvick and Kyle Busch dominating the Cup schedule, there’s a strong chance that a host of drivers make the playoffs on points. That made Suarez’s third-place run at Dover all the more important, as the sophomore trails 15th-place Chase Elliott by just seven points for the final spot in the current postseason field.
• Jimmie Johnson: Make no mistake – Johnson wanted a win in Dover. But his ninth-place run continued a positive streak that’s seen the seven-time Cup champion rise to 12th in the series standings.

Who Hurt Their Odds

• Paul Menard: The Wood Brothers Racing veteran seemed poised for a good run in Delaware, but mechanical issues relegated him to a 34th-place result. Now the 2011 Brickyard 400 winner sits 32 points out of the playoff field in 21st.
• Ryan Newman: As he showed in his resilient 2014 playoff run, Newman makes his gains with consistency. It’s because of that fact that his 33rd-place finish – a result that dropped to Hoosier to 20th in the standings – hurt his playoff odds so greatly.

Playoff Standings: 

*Technically ineligible due to missed races. Would require a waiver.
**One or more race wins ineligible due to post-race inspection failures.

Where They Stand

(All But) Locked In

• Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr., Austin Dillon
  • Race Winners

Safe (For Now)

• Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Aric Almirola

More Work to Do

On the Bubble

• Jimmie Johnson, Erik Jones, Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott

Within Reach 

• Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Daniel Suarez, William Byron, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard, Darrell Wallace Jr., Jamie McMurray

Likely Need to Win

• A.J. Allmendinger, Chris Buescher, David Ragan, Kasey Kahne, Ty Dillon, Trevor Bayne, Michael McDowell

Playoff Points

Stage Points

Previous Race Results

Season Totals

*One or more stage wins ineligible due to post-race inspection failures