Playoff Points: Dover 2 Edition

By Aaron Bearden, Motorsports Editor

Following each 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: Apache Warrior 400

Race Winner: Kyle Busch

Stage Winner(s): Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson

Who Won Big

• Kyle Busch: Is Busch becoming the new closer? The 2015 Cup Series champion chased down Chase Elliott over the final run to snag his second-consecutive victory and add five more playoff points to his total. Suddenly ‘Rowdy’ has 41 playoff points – a 33-point edge on the Round of 8 cutoff line.
• Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson: Neither were the star attraction on Sunday, but both Keselowski and Larson made the most of their afternoons to claim stages and snag a valuable playoff point.
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Sometimes it takes a bit of luck to make a playoff run. Stenhouse got just that on Sunday, snagging seven stage points after a timely caution flag during pit stops in Stage 1 and using those points to hold on to the final spot in the Round of 12. Now Stenhouse has a chance to play spoiler moving forward – either through points or a potential season sweep at Talladega Superspeedway.

Who Hurt Their Odds:

• Kurt Busch: Three poor races, and Busch’s entrance to the playoffs as a dark horse turned into an early exit. Surprising.
• Richard Childress Racing: RCR teammates Ryan Newman and Austin Dillon each made the playoffs with surprising victories during the season. It’s perhaps not a surprise, then, that both drivers were quickly dispatched in the Round of 16.
• Kasey Kahne: An unexpected Brickyard 400 win got Kahne into the playoffs in his Hendrick Motorsports swan song, but the Washington native was never much of a factor. He exited the postseason quietly, without much hope for a postseason run during his three-race playoff trek.

Playoff Standings: 

Where They Stand

Safe (For Now)

• Martin Truex Jr.
  • Truex holds, in essence, a full race advantage on the cutoff line.

More Work to Do

• Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson
  • Busch and Larson hold a healthy advantage over the Round of 8 cutoff line, but are one mistake away from entering the fray.

On the Bubble

• Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Within Reach 

• Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray

Likely Need to Win

Playoff Points

Stage Points

Previous Race Results

Playoff Totals

Season Totals