Playoff Points: Michigan 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: Michigan International Speedway

Event: FireKeepers Casino 400

Race Winner: Clint Bowyer

Stage Winner(s): Ryan Blaney, Kevin Harvick

Who Won Big

• Clint Bowyer: The party’s on, and it’s likely lasting through the off-week. Bowyer earned his second win of 2018 at Michigan, adding five playoff points and a surge of momentum as his Stewart-Haas Racing team enters the summer stretch.
• Kevin Harvick: So he didn’t win. Harvick still claimed a stage, finished second and closed in narrowly on points leader Kyle Busch. That’s a successful weekend, all things told.
• Paul Menard: Few drivers needed a top five quite like Paul Menard. The Wood Brothers Racing veteran finished fifth in the Irish Hills, rising to within four points of the playoff bubble in the process.

Who Hurt Their Odds

• Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Drivers on the playoff bubble have little margin for error by the time summer arrives. It’s unfortunate for Stenhouse, then, that he tallied a 29th-place finish in Michigan. The run dropped the two-time Cup winner out of the current playoff grid – albeit only by four points – heading into the off weekend.
• Kyle Larson: What Larson hoped would be a fourth-consecutive Michigan win instead ended in a 28th-place finish after a mid-race crash. As a result the Californian goes into Father’s Day weekend winless, 10th in points with no playoff bid secured. His odds of making the postseason are strong, but Larson will need some wins to give himself enough playoff points for a fighting chance at the title.

Playoff Standings: 

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

Where They Stand

(All But) Locked In

• Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer, Austin Dillon, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch
  • Race Winners
  • Drivers up 150+ points on the playoff bubble

Safe (For Now)

• Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, Aric Almirola

More Work to Do

• Jimmie Johnson

On the Bubble

• Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, Alex Bowman

Within Reach 

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

Likely Need to Win

• A.J. Allmendinger, Darrell Wallace Jr., David Ragan, Chris Buescher, Michael McDowell, Kasey Kahne, 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