Playoff Points: Talladega II 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: Talladega Superspeedway

Event: 1000Bulbs.com 500

Race Winner: Aric Almirola

Stage Winner(s): Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick

Who Won Big

• Aric Almirola: Finally a breakthrough. After a host of close calls, Almirola surged to the lead on the last lap to bring home his first win of 2018 at Talladega. The result pushed Almirola into the Round of 8 just one week after a late crash left his playoff advancement uncertain.
• Clint Bowyer: He wasn’t guaranteed into the next round with a win like Almirola, but Bowyer scored 53 points with his second-place result to move from the wrong side of the playoff grid to a 21-point advantage heading into the cutoff race.
• Joey Logano and Kurt Busch: Logano wasn’t the factor to win that he expected to be and Busch lost ground after running out of fuel on the last lap, but the Ford veterans both left Talladega with a heavy points advantage after solid outings in Alabama. Logano holds a 43-point edge in third, while Busch sits 34 points clear of the Round of 8 cutoff in fourth.

Who Hurt Their Odds

• The other two Team Penske drivers: While Logano brought home a solid points day, teammates Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney ran out of gas and plummeted to finishes of 27th and 29th in the closing laps. The results leave the pair outside of the playoff bubble heading into Kansas, with Keselowski 18 points back in ninth, and Blaney an additional four markers back in 10th.
• Alex Bowman: Entered Talladega in a must-win situation and crashed out early. Bowman’s going to have to bring home his first Cup win at Kansas Speedway if he hopes to keep his underdog season alive.
• Kyle Larson: That wasn’t pretty. Larson struggled throughout the weekend and blew a tire mid-race at Talladega en-route to an 11th-place run. The sprint car ace now has to either make up a 26-point gap or bring home a win at Kansas to stave off Round of 12 elimination for the second-straight season.

 Playoff Standings: 

Playoff Points

Stage Points

Season Totals