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: Martinsville Speedway
Event: First Data 500
Race Winner: Joey Logano
Stage Winner(s): Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano
Who Won Big
- Joey Logano: One of the main storylines entering the Round of 8 revolved around who outside of the Big Three could punch their ticket into the Championship 4. Logano provided an answer with a late bump-and-run at Martinsville that secured his berth in the final round. The Team Penske veteran may have a new rival in Martin Truex Jr., but he has something that Truex doesn’t – a secure spot in the title fight that allows him to cruise through the next two races.
- Kyle Busch and Truex: Post-race anger and disappointment aside, Truex and fourth-place finisher Busch did what they needed to do on Sunday, tallying top fives and maintaining their significant playoff advantages. Only a mistake or another surprise winner will cost this duo a shot at the title at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Who Hurt Their Odds
- Everyone outside of the top four: If you’re a fan of Chase Elliott, Kurt Busch, Aric Almirola or Kurt Busch, then I have some bad news for you – your driver probably needs a win in the next two races to keep their playoff hopes alive. Logano’s big victory in Martinsville left the remaining underdogs well behind the Big Three on points, meaning it’ll take a victory or a slip up from one of the top contenders for them to have a solid shot at Championship 4 contention.
- Kevin Harvick: A rare quiet race left Harvick in jeopardy leaving Martinsville. Stewart-Haas Racing’s top contender ended the race tied with Truex for the final spot on the current playoff grid, meaning he could be in trouble if another surprise winner pops up in the next two races. Harvick’s odds of making the finale are still strong, but Martinsville revealed a small weakness that could be exploited.
Playoff Standings:
| Rank | Driver | Round Wins | Points | Vs. Cutoff |
| 4 | Joey Logano | 1 | 4074 | 16 |
| 1 | Kyle Busch | 0 | 4104 | 46 |
| 2 (tie) | Martin Truex Jr. | 0 | 4083 | 25 |
| 2 (tie) | Kevin Harvick | 0 | 4083 | 25 |
| Championship 4 Cutoff | ||||
| 5 | Kurt Busch | 0 | 4058 | -25 |
| 6 | Chase Elliott | 0 | 4052 | -31 |
| 7 | Clint Bowyer | 0 | 4041 | -42 |
| 8 | Aric Almirola | 0 | 4033 | -50 |
Bold = Locked into the Championship 4
Playoff Points
| Playoff Points Earned On-Track | ||
| Rank | Driver | Playoff Points |
| 1 | Kevin Harvick | 44 |
| 2 | Kyle Busch | 40 |
| 3 | Martin Truex Jr. | 30 |
| 4 | Brad Keselowski | 20 |
| 5 | Chase Elliott | 18 |
| 6 | Joey Logano | 15 |
| 7 (tie) | Clint Bowyer | 11 |
| 7 (tie) | Ryan Blaney | 11 |
| 9 | Kurt Busch | 8 |
| 10 | Aric Almirola | 6 |
| 11 (tie) | Austin Dillon | 5 |
| 11 (tie) | Erik Jones | 5 |
| 13 (tie) | Kyle Larson | 3 |
| 13 (tie) | Denny Hamlin | 3 |
| 14 (tie) | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 2 |
| 16 (tie) | A.J. Allmendinger | 1 |
| 16 (tie) | Paul Menard | 1 |
| 16 (tie) | Matt Kenseth | 1 |
| Total Playoff Points | ||
| Rank | Driver | Playoff Points |
| 1 | Kyle Busch | 55 |
| 2 | Kevin Harvick | 54 |
| 3 | Martin Truex Jr. | 38 |
| 4 | Chase Elliott | 18 |
| 5 | Joey Logano | 16 |
| 6 (tie) | Clint Bowyer | 15 |
| 6 (tie) | Kurt Busch | 15 |
| 8 | Aric Almirola | 6 |
Stage Points
| Stage 1 | Stage 2 | ||||
| Pos. | Driver | Points | Pos. | Driver | Points |
| 1 | Denny Hamlin | 10 | 1 | Joey Logano | 10 |
| 2 | Joey Logano | 9 | 2 | Denny Hamlin | 9 |
| 3 | Kyle Busch | 8 | 3 | Kyle Busch | 8 |
| 4 | Clint Bowyer | 7 | 4 | Martin Truex Jr. | 7 |
| 5 | Kurt Busch | 6 | 5 | Kurt Busch | 6 |
| 6 | Ryan Newman | 5 | 6 | Ryan Newman | 5 |
| 7 | Martin Truex. Jr. | 4 | 7 | Chase Elliott | 4 |
| 8 | Ryan Blaney | 3 | 8 | Clint Bowyer | 3 |
| 9 | Kevin Harvick | 2 | 9 | A.J. Allmendinger | 2 |
| 10 | Aric Almirola | 1 | 10 | Brad Keselowski | 1 |
Season Totals
| Pos. | Driver | Totals | Stage Wins |
| 1 | Kevin Harvick | 348 | 16 |
| 2 | Kyle Busch | 332 | 5 |
| 3 | Kurt Busch | 284 | 3 |
| 4 | Brad Keselowski | 263 | 5 |
| 5 | Martin Truex Jr. | 262 | 10 |
| 6 | Joey Logano | 247 | 5 |
| 7 | Clint Bowyer | 243 | 1 |
| 8 | Ryan Blaney | 240 | 6 |
| 9 | Kyle Larson | 223 | 4 |
| 10 | Chase Elliott | 217 | 3 |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | 162 | 3 |
| 12 | Aric Almirola | 147 | 1 |
| 13 | Jimmie Johnson | 131 | 0 |
| 14 | Erik Jones | 93 | 0 |
| 15 | Alex Bowman | 69 | 0 |
| 16 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 59 | 2 |
| 17 (tie) | Paul Menard | 52 | 1 |
| 17 (tie) | Ryan Newman | 52 | 0 |
| 19 | William Byron | 39 | 0 |
| 20 | A.J. Allmendinger | 35 | 1 |
| 21 | Michael McDowell | 33 | 0 |
| 22 | Daniel Suarez | 32 | 0 |
| 23 (tie) | Jamie McMurray | 29 | 0 |
| 23 (tie) | Austin Dillon | 29 | 0 |
| 25 | Kasey Kahne | 14 | 0 |
| 26 | Ty Dillon | 12 | 0 |
| 27 | Matt Kenseth | 11 | 1 |
| 28 | David Ragan | 8 | 0 |
| 29 | Chris Buescher | 7 | 0 |
| 30 | Trevor Bayne | 6 | 0 |
| 31 | Darrell Wallace Jr. | 5 | 0 |
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