Playoff Points: Richmond 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: Richmond Raceway

Event: Toyota Owners 400

Race Winner: Kyle Busch

Stage Winner(s): Joey Logano (Won Both Stages)

Who Won Big

• Kyle Busch: Rowdy took care of business for the third-straight week in Richmond, rising through the field with help of his pit crew in the waning moments to claim another victory. Busch has more wins than finishes outside of the top two in the past eight races.
• Joey Logano: He didn’t quite pull off a storybook win at the track that ruined his season one year ago, but Logano did bolster his championship pursuit. The Team Penske ace won both early stages and finished fourth to tally two playoff points and hold down second in the standings.
• Chase Elliott: As frustrating as his eighth second-place run without a win must have been, Elliott did help his playoff odds with his solid run in Richmond. Elliott now sits 20th in the standings, within 17 points of teammate William Byron on the postseason bubble.
• Jimmie Johnson: In what might have been the quietest sixth-place finish of his career, Johnson surged late to tally another much-needed top 10 and leave Virginia 15th in the standings.

Who Hurt Their Odds

• Ryan Newman: The overall lack of crashes and problems in Richmond bit those few drivers that did suffer through them. The hardest hit of the bunch went to Newman, who finished 37th and dropped six points out of the playoff grid in 17th.
• Darrell Wallace Jr.: If Bristol was the run that showed promise and potential for Wallace’s playoff pursuit, then Richmond was the race that drove Richard Petty Motorsports back down to reality. The rookie struggled in a 25th-place performance, dropping 32 points out of the playoff field in the process.
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: One week after tallying yet another strong Bristol result, Stenhouse dropped after crashing late in Saturday night’s race. The Mississippian finished 23rd in Richmond, relegating him to 19th in the standings with 16 points to gain on Byron for a spot in the top 16.

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, Clint Bowyer Martin Truex Jr., Austin Dillon
  • Race Winners

Safe (For Now)

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

More Work to Do

• Erik Jones

On the Bubble

• Alex Bowman, Jimmie Johnson, William Byron

Within Reach 

• Ryan Newman, Paul Menard, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chase Elliott, Daniel Suarez, Darrell Wallace Jr., A.J. Allmendinger, Jamie McMurray

Likely Need to Win

• 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