Playoff Points: Talladega 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: Talladega Superspeedway

Event: Geico 500

Race Winner: Joey Logano

Stage Winner(s): Brad Keselowski, Paul Menard

Who Won Big

• Joey Logano: Finally. Logano held the field at bay in the closing laps to earn his first victory in a year, removing himself from the cloud of his encumbered 2017 win at Richmond Raceway and adding a guaranteed postseason berth to his strong 2018 start.
• Chase Elliott: He fell short of victory lane again, but Elliott’s third-place run was enough to boost him to within eight points of the playoff bubble. A strong summer surge could cement the Georgian into his third-consecutive postseason appearance.
• Brad Keselowski and Paul Menard: Both drivers ended their days in a disappointing late crash, but Keselowski and Menard each tallied a stage win to leave Alabama with a playoff point. Menard still has more work to do, though – he currently trails the playoff bubble by 11 points.

Who Hurt Their Odds

• Erik Jones and Kyle Larson: Young stars Jones and Larson ended their days in 39th and 40th, respectively, after crashing out early at Talladega. Both drivers remain in the current playoff field, but Jones’ advantage is down to a mere 20 points.
• A.J. Allmendinger: After spending the early season in fringe playoff contention, Allmendinger dropped to a 54-point hole with a 34th-place run in Alabama. It’ll likely take a victory for he and JTG Daugherty Racing to make their second postseason appearance.
• Jamie McMurray and Willam Byron: A group of crashes ruined the days of McMurray and Byron in Talladega, dropping them to finishes of 28th and 29th, respectively. That kept both drivers off of the playoff grid, with Byron in 20th and McMurray 23rd.

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)

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

More Work to Do

On the Bubble

• Alex Bowman, Erik Jones, Jimmie Johnson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Within Reach 

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

Likely Need to Win

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

Playoff Points

Stage Points

Previous Race Results

Season Totals

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