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  • Hendrick Motorsports Playoff drivers are likeliest to advance following Talladega Playoff event

    Hendrick Motorsports Playoff drivers are likeliest to advance following Talladega Playoff event

    Despite being behind in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup win column, Chevrolets face the likeliest chance to succeed at Talladega for Sunday’s 1000Bulbs.com 500 Playoff event. The 2.66-mile superspeedway is no stranger to upset winners, but if the April event is any indicator then not only do the Hendrick Chevrolets face the likeliest chance of winning, they’re also the likeliest to carry on the recent Bowtie winning streak but also advance to the Playoff Round of Eight.

    Chase Elliott – His Daytona results notwithstanding, Elliott is showing to be a steady performer on the superspeedways. Along with his April victory in Alabama, he holds three top-fives and three top-10s. It may not seem like much in seven starts, but in the races where he held a dismal finish including his two DNFs in 2017, he has always run near the front including leading 26 laps before a hard crash in the Fall 2017 event.

    Still, with two of his three teammates also in the Playoffs as well as the performance of teammate Alex Bowman in the Spring, Elliott could be leading the charge to get out of the Playoff rut his last-place finish at Dover has left him in.

    Alex Bowman – 2019 has become the defining year of Bowman’s Cup Series career. It has been a breakout in every sense of the word – one win, six top-fives, 10 top-10s, and a comfortable spot in the seventh slot in the standings. Bowman isn’t satisfied, however, and with Talladega around the corner, a track where he finished second to teammate Elliott in April, he could be kicking his Playoff campaign into high gear and showing the rest of the field that the No. 88 Greg Ives-led crew could be the team to beat in the Playoffs.

    Bowman and Elliott proved themselves to be a formidable duo in the Spring, not unlike the early 00s’ when Dale Earnhardt Incorporated drivers Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were winning every other race at Talladega. Should Bowman or Elliott win at Talladega, then it could be the dawn of a new era in NASCAR.

    William Byron – Byron’s 2019 Playoff campaign is showing zero signs of a sophomore slump. If anything, it shows that Hendrick Motorsports is catching up in leaps and bounds with the rest of the field, currently led by the Team Penske Fords and the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas. He’s scored five poles already, with three top-fives (including a second at Daytona in July) and 11 top-10s to boot.

    He’s only in his second full-time Cup Series campaign, so his previous Talladega results can be chalked up as educational experiences. Same thing goes with his Daytona results, although he has led 56 laps at the 2.5-mile Superspeedway. But one thing to take into account for the Chad Knaus-led No. 24 team is momentum. Byron has been quietly consistent, having finished in the top-25 in every race this season. Granted, that doesn’t equate to wins, but still, quiet consistency is better than no consistency. He could be a sleeper at Talladega, if not in the Playoffs overall. He could have a run equivalent to Ryan Newman’s in 2014 if the could just keep up with the consistency.

    Although those drivers are the only Hendrick Chevrolets in the Playoffs at this moment, there are other drivers to consider for the win in Sunday’s race. Talladega is well-known for upset winners, and although rookie Ryan Preece is not a Playoff driver, he’s been stout on the superspeedways in 2019. He was in contention to win the Daytona 500 late in the going before being shuffled back to eighth, for one.

    But it was his Talladega performance in April which could translate to a win on Sunday, as the No. 47 was able to latch onto the Hendrick Motorsports train of Elliott and Bowman en route to a third-place finish in the final order. His JTG-Daugherty Racing No. 47 is also powered by Hendrick engines, and given their proclivity for running up front on the superspeedways, he could very well put his car at the front in Sunday’s event. Preece is definitely the dark horse pick for the 1000Bulbs.com 500.

    The 1000Bulbs.com 500 will be on NBC on Sunday, October 13, at 2 p.m.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Martin Truex Jr.    : Truex finished second at Dover.

    “Kyle Larson just had too much of a lead,” Truex said. “I knew I couldn’t catch him, so I felt like there was really no point in extending myself trying to catch him. It was a case of ‘too much cushion for the pushin.”

    2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished sixth at Dover and is second in the points standings.

    “We certainly looked better than we did last week at Charlotte,” Busch said. “And I was very excited. Heck, I actually felt like hanging around for the finish.”

    3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started on the pole at Dover and led 218 laps on his way to a fifth at Dover.

    “We were fast most of the race,” Hamlin said. “And we were even faster late in the race. Just to clarify, we were ‘fading fast.’”

    4. Kyle Larson: Larson led 154 laps and won at Dover to secure his spot in the next round of the playoffs. The win snapped a 75-race winless streak.

    “My wife Katelyn shotgunned a beer in Victory Lane,” Larson said. “That makes her ‘pound-for-pound,’ the absolute best wife in NASCAR.”

    5. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started fourth and finished fourth at Dover.

    “It’s a sad state of the sport,” Harvick said, “when the biggest feud in NASCAR right now is Bubba Wallace versus Alex Bowman. And it’s all about Bubba squirting a little water in Alex’s face. For fans of the sport who like to see a few punches thrown, this is absolute torture. In other words, it’s ‘water boring.’”

    6. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished third at Dover and solidified his standing in the points. He is seventh, 46 behind Martin Truex, Jr.

    “Luckily,” Bowman said, “I didn’t have to deal with Bubba Wallace. At Charlotte, he squirted me in the face with water. I can understand it from his standpoint because that’s the only way he can ‘make a splash’ in this sport.”

    7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 11th, one lap down, in the Drydene 400 at Dover.

    “Penske hasn’t been to Victory Lane since June,” Keselowski said. “We’re gonna try our darndest to end this slump. I mean, we’re going to go to great lengths to make it happen. I told Joey Logano we’re gonna work on it until the wheels fall off.”

    8. Joey Logano: Logano finished 34th at Dover after a broken axle prevented him from starting the race until he was already 20 laps down.

    “That’s not what you would call being on a ‘roll,’” Logano said. “My first reaction was to say, ‘Aw hell! Broke loose!’”

    9. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished last at Dover after his engine blew just eight laps into the race.

    “‘That was quick,’” Elliott said, “is usually a phrase you don’t mind using to describe your car.”

    10. William Byron:     Byron finished 13th at Dover and is now eighth in the playoff points standings.

    “We’re off to Talladega,” Byron said, “where anything can happen. Tensions will be high, and with playoff spots and positioning on the line, anxieties will be heightened. So, most drivers will be a ‘wreck’ before they even get on the track.”

  • Truex falls short at Dover after pit stop mistake

    Truex falls short at Dover after pit stop mistake

    He didn’t quite have the best car or the dominating car, but Martin Truex Jr. was there at the end in case Kyle Larson would happen to make a mistake and leave an opening.

    Truex Jr had a decent car at Dover International Speedway, taking the lead away from his teammate Denny Hamlin on Lap 229. It would be the only time that Truex was out front. When he took the Stage 2 win, one of the No. 19 pit crew members slipped while coming around to change the right rear tire. The stop would eventually cost Truex the race win.

    It caused Truex to lose a couple of spots on pit road. It was just enough and he was unable to take the lead from Larson and challenge him for the race win. He did have a little bit of help in the late stages but he ultimately fell short and wound up second.

    “Just ran out of time there,” Truex Jr told MRN Radio. “Got bobbled up in traffic pretty good and so did the 42 (Larson). We just really ran out of time. We were six seconds back after the pit stop. At the end, we were maybe one. We did a good job of gaining on them but it’s always gaining on the leader but a harder time with the lap guys. The same thing being said, I caught some at the end and they weren’t very courteous. It’s just the way it goes.”

    “We had a very fast car, our Bass Pro Toyota was strong. We had a shot at winning for sure. It’s the playoffs, it’s the best of the best and one little tiny mistake like that, five positions or whatever on the restart, it’s game over. I hate that it happened, but I know our guys are working hard to get it cleaned up. Overall, it was a really good points day. Just go to Talladega next week and hopefully, we can at least make it to the finish, which we haven’t been good at there. I’m feeling good going forward and looking forward to Kansas as well.”

    The second-place finish was Truex’s 13th top five of the season.

  • Bowman follows up with a third-place at Dover

    Bowman follows up with a third-place at Dover

    After racing his way into Round of 12 on a tiebreaker, Alex Bowman knew he had to have a solid opening race at Dover if he wanted to move forward to the Round of 8 which begins at Martinsville Speedway later this month.

    After Bowman had been in the news all week with the Bubba Wallace controversy following the Charlotte Roval, he was looking to putting that behind him and having a strong finish this weekend at Dover International Speedway.

    The Tucson, Arizona native qualified his No. 88 Nationwide Insurance Chevy 12th in Saturday’s qualifying session. Knowing Dover is a track where it is tough to pass, Bowman would have to have a good car early to stay up front and avoid going a lap down early. The Hendrick Motorsports driver finished sixth in both stages.

    Despite making adjustments during his pit stops, Bowman had to settle for a strong third-place finish after finishing in second previously at Charlotte Roval.

    “Yeah, we had a solid day,” Bowman said to MRN Radio. “Really thankful for Cincinnati, it’s their first time on the car as a primary, so it’s neat to have a good day with them. We would like to be two spots better, but we overcame some things. We had a couple of pit stops, where we had some issues and had to drive back through. It’s so hard to pass here, it’s tough. Just need to be a little better, but pretty happy how we ended up.”

    The third-place finish was Bowman’s sixth top five of the season. He heads to Talladega seventh in the playoff points standings, +17 above the cut line.

  • Harvick quietly places top five at Dover

    Harvick quietly places top five at Dover

    It was a quiet day for Kevin Harvick and his Stewart-Haas Racing team who had a special paint scheme design on the No. 4 Ford. Harvick was hoping to bring his “Harvick Beer” car to victory lane at Dover, a track that he has been so strong at in the past.

    Harvick had a solid qualifying effort of fourth and he was consistently strong throughout the race, at one point catching the leaders. However, despite having a good car Harvick was never able to challenge for the lead and wound up settling for a fourth-place finish.

    “Our “Harvick Beer” Ford never gripped today,” Harvick described to MRN Radio. “Took off on the first lap, the front tires never turned and the back tires never gripped. Just way different then practice, but our guys did a great job of staying in there and grind one out today and finished fourth. Still, a solid day, just not what we thought we had after practice.”

    Harvick was able to place his No. 4 “Harvick Beer” Ford Mustang fifth and fourth in both stages respectively. The Stewart Haas Racing driver sits fifth in the playoff points standings, +42 above the cut line heading into Talladega Superspeedway next Sunday. Harvick won at Talladega, 10 years ago in 2010 during a Chase race and has not won since.

  • Hamlin disappointed with fifth-place finish at Dover

    Hamlin disappointed with fifth-place finish at Dover

    It was a dominating day for Denny Hamlin who was making his 500th career Cup Series start this weekend at Dover. Hamlin made it even more special by qualifying on the pole which gave him great track position to begin the race.

    Hamlin was strong early in his No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camary and led almost every lap. The car was strong enough that Hamlin ended Stage 1 as the victor. After the pit stops, he was still able to maintain his lead for the most part in Stage 2.

    However, on Lap 229 Hamlin was passed by his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. for the lead. It would be the last time we saw Hamlin out front, as he would have a challenging car while being stuck back in traffic.

    At the end of the day, it wasn’t the result the No. 11 team wanted with Hamlin finishing fifth after leading nearly half the race despite a potential engine issue, only to come up short.

    “I didn’t do a good job under caution, I missed a shift there on that last restart,” Hamlin described to MRN Radio. “It’s just unfortunate, I didn’t do my best, but I’m proud of the effort we had today. We did a hell of a job with our racecar. I just didn’t quite keep up with the race track. This is by far the best race I had at this race track. So, really happy with that result and happy we could go out there, compete and lead laps at this track.”

    The fifth-place finish was Hamlin’s 15th top five of the season. He also led 218 laps, won Stage 1 and finished third in Stage 2.

  • Larson snaps 75-race winless streak at Dover

    Larson snaps 75-race winless streak at Dover

    For the first time in over two years, Kyle Larson took the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing team to victory lane. It was his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win at Dover International Speedway and the sixth overall of his Cup Series career. Larson took the lead on pit road after Martin Truex Jr. had a slow stop on the right rear after his crew member slipped on pit road.

    “It’s such a team event, to win in NASCAR, not only myself has to be on my game but everybody on our team does,” Larson said to MRN Radio describing the win. “We qualified well yesterday and had good pit stops today, great car obviously and made good adjustments. Just a well rounded day and you can’t thank them (pit crew) enough for it. It’s been fun. It was a struggle earlier in the year, obviously with all of our crashes and DNF’s but we had fast cars the whole time and today we showed how good we really are.”

    Stages were 120-120-160 to make up the 400 lap race.

    Stage 1: Lap 1- Lap 120

    It wasn’t all Kyle Larson as the race started. Denny Hamlin, who was making his 500th career Cup Series start, began on the pole and was dominant early on. In fact, Stage 1 was picture-perfect for Hamlin and his No. 11 team who went on to win the first stage.

    However, a few others weren’t so lucky and were caught by “Miles The Monster” before the race even started. Playoff driver Joey Logano couldn’t even make a lap before he had an issue with a broken axle. Logano had to go behind the wall and fix the issue before returning to the track, 23 laps down.

    Another playoff driver also had issues. Last week’s winner, Chase Elliott, had his engine expire on Lap 8. The team took it behind the wall to try and fix the problem but wound up with a disappointing last-place finish to begin the Round of 12.

    After a few drivers had their problems early, Hamlin was smooth and took the win for Stage 1. Martin Truex Jr., Larson, William Byron, Kevin Harvick, Alex Bowman, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Erik Jones and Ryan Blaney were the top-10 finishers in Stage 1.

    During the stage break, Kyle Busch was caught speeding on pit road and Paul Menard had an uncontrolled tire sending both to the back of the field prior to Stage 2.

    Stage 2: Lap 127- Lap 240

    Stage 2 saw no yellows for incidents, but it did see a lead change. On lap 229, Truex took the lead from Hamlin and held on to win the second stage. Larson, Hamlin, Harvick, Johnson, Bowman, Jones, Blaney, Keselowski and Clint Bowyer rounded out the top-10.

    The pivotal moment of the race came on pit road. One of Truex’s crew members slipped while coming to change the right rear. This made Truex lose time and eventually the lead. In this case, Larson ended up winning the race off pit road, which would be crucial later on.

    Stage 3: Lap 247- Lap 400

    Like Stage 2, there were hardly any incidents that would bring out the caution, however, there were some notable problems that occurred for playoff drivers.

    On Lap 272, Hamlin reported that his engine could be blowing up, though he was able to stay on track and finish the race. Then, on Lap 298 another playoff driver, Ryan Blaney, had his own issues. Blaney took his No. 12 machine behind the wall as he had lost his brakes. Blaney would end up in 35th.

    Despite the challenges the playoff drivers faced, there were no problems for Larson and his No. 42 team. He won at Dover for the first time in his career and went to victory lane for the first time since Richmond in 2017.

    “At some point in the second stage, I started changing what I was doing in the car,” Larson added to MRN Radio. “I was able to calm down and hit my marks better and keep my car lasting longer and we were making good adjustments at the same time. Just kind of how it all came together there. We had a good pit stop to restart as the leader. It was so hard to pass today.”

    “Being the leader was important. Obviously we had a good car to go along with it and stretch out and maintain that gap. Traffic got a little crazy there but it got cleared out and it was smooth sailing the rest of the way.”

    Larson led four times for 154 laps and finished third in Stage 1, while finishing second in Stage 2. This is the first time that Chip Ganassi Racing has a team moving on to the Round of 8.

    There were three cautions for 17 laps and 14 lead changes among nine drivers.

    Official Playoff Standings

    1. Kyle Larson, Advanced to Round of 8
    2. Martin Truex Jr., +63
    3. Kyle Busch, +48
    4. Denny Hamlin, +48
    5. Kevin Harvick, +42
    6. Brad Keselowski, +20
    7. Alex Bowman, +17
    8. Joey Logano, +0
      Below the cut line
    9. William Byron, -0
    10. Clint Bowyer, -4
    11. Chase Elliott, -7
    12. Ryan Blaney, -22

    Official Results

    1. Kyle Larson, led 154 laps
    2. Martin Truex Jr., led 15 laps and won Stage 2
    3. Alex Bowman
    4. Kevin Harvick
    5. Denny Hamlin, led 218 laps and won Stage 1
    6. Kyle Busch
    7. Matt DiBenedetto
    8. Jimmie Johnson
    9. Kurt Busch, one lap down
    10. Clint Bowyer, one lap down
    11. Brad Keselowski, one lap down
    12. Paul Menard, two laps down
    13. William Byron, two laps down
    14. Daniel Suarez, two laps down
    15. Erik Jones, two laps down
    16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., two laps down
    17. Aric Almirola, two laps down
    18. Austin Dillon, two laps down
    19. Ryan Preece, four laps down
    20. Bubba Wallace, five laps down
    21. Daniel Hemric, six laps down
    22. Ryan Newman, seven laps down
    23. Ty Dillon, seven laps down
    24. Michael McDowell, nine laps down
    25. Matt Tifft, 10 laps down
    26. Landon Cassill, 11 laps down
    27. David Ragan, 12 laps down
    28. Corey LaJoie, 15 laps down
    29. B.J. McLeod, 18 laps down
    30. Joe Nemechek, 19 laps down
    31. Ross Chastain, 20 laps down
    32. J.J. Yeley, 20 laps down
    33. Garrett Smithley, 23 laps down
    34. Joey Logano, 25 laps down
    35. Ryan Blaney, OUT, Suspension
    36. Chris Buescher, OUT, Engine
    37. Reed Sorenson, OUT, Handling
    38. Chase Elliott, OUT, Engine

    Up Next: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers head to Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, Oct. 13 for the continuation of the Round of 12.

  • Logano has issues early, finishes 34th at Dover

    Logano has issues early, finishes 34th at Dover

    It was a strange race for Joey Logano and his No. 22 Team Penske team. In fact, Logano did not even make a lap before he suffered his own problems. Just as soon as he rolled off pit road, he had a broken axle and had to take it behind the wall.

    However, Logano would return to the track several laps down. All he could do at this point was salvage the best finish he could and avoid a DNF which would hurt him in the points. The Team Penske driver managed to stay out there on the track. While doing so, Logano did receive some criticism from other drivers for holding them up, but he stayed in his lane.

    In the end, it wasn’t the day Logano was looking for and he finished a disappointing 34th at Dover.

    “Bummer,” Logano said to MRN Radio describing his day. “Things happen, I guess. I don’t know, something broke back there and I’m not sure what it was. We fixed it and got back out there, and rode around 20 something laps down all day. It’s a long day to run around and hopefully have a few guys fall out and gain a couple of spots. We may gain two or three by being out there. I think we’re the last one in right now. We’ll press on from here, we’re not out.”

    Logano is tied with William Byron in the playoff points standings heading into Talladega Superspeedway for the next race in the Round of 12.

  • Dover could be Larson’s chance to break drought, advance to Round of 8 in Playoffs

    Dover could be Larson’s chance to break drought, advance to Round of 8 in Playoffs

    Of the tracks in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series where Kyle Larson is the likeliest to have success, it’s a shock that he hasn’t found any as of yet at the Dover International Speedway.

    Topping Friday’s final practice session for Sunday’s Drydene 400 with a lap of 162.705, Larson’s No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet looks to be fast enough to better his record of five top-fives and eight top-10s in 11 starts, including two runner-ups and two third-place finishes.

    One good reason for Larson’s consistency at Dover is that it’s a track where the driver actually drives the car. Larson is in his element when racing a track that requires more out of the driver like a bullring or a road course; there’s a reason he’s as prolific as he is in sprint cars.

    However, Dover is a fast bullring. It’s got a short-track spirit with the speed of an intermediate track, and that leads to drivers getting in trouble easily. The adequate mixture of speed and driver is right in Larson’s comfort zone, not to mention he knows just how pressing it is he gets to victory lane soon. Last year he made it into the Round of 12 on a bonzai run at Charlotte only to drop out with a quickness following Kansas, echoing his failed 2017 Playoff bid.

    But Dover has been kind to Larson, which is all the more reason for the No. 42 crew to be optimistic heading into Sunday. In 2017 he dominated both events, leading 378 of the season’s 806 laps run at the speedway. He didn’t seal the deal, but top-fives in both events told that they were among the strongest on the track. Overall, Larson holds an average finish of eighth at the one-mile speedway.

    After a dismal 2018 season though, winning at Dover is a must for Larson. He hasn’t won since Richmond in the Fall of ’17, and a return trip to Victory lane would be a great way to validate his 2019 campaign. He’s had the strength of his ’17 season along with the luck of his ’18 season, so it’s imperative that the No. 42 solidifies his Round of 8 spot early on, since Talladega is next on the calendar with Kansas coming after.

    Without a win, Larson would be going into the midway point of the Playoffs at Talladega at a high risk of once again missing the next round. Larson holds an average finish of 20.6 at the 2.66-mile superspeedway with a best finish of sixth in the Fall 2016 event, and holds three DNFs including a spectacular tumble in the Spring event of this year. He holds some strong finishes at Talladega and Daytona, but he hasn’t established himself as a pack racer.

    Meanwhile, his luck at Kansas is closer to Dover than it is to Talladega, although it is still cause for concern. He holds three top-fives and five top-10s in 11 starts on the 1.5-mile speedway, but he also has three DNFs. He holds an average finish of 16.6 at Kansas, meaning that Larson may very well consider it as much a Wild Card event as Talladega.

    Not only is Larson needing to seal the deal and make Dover his 2019 championship statement, he is long overdue for a win at the speedway in the first place. Chad Johnston has done his best to bring success to the CGR No. 42, but if Larson doesn’t go from consistent to contender this year it may be time for a personnel overhaul within that camp.

  • Weekend schedule for Dover

    Weekend schedule for Dover

    This weekend the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the Xfinity Series head to Dover International Speedway. This will be the first race in the Cup Series Round of 12. Chase Elliott is the defending race winner.

    It will serve as the elimination race for the Xfinity Series Round of 12. Only the top eight will move on to the next round in the hunt for the championship. Christopher Bell won the event in 2018.

    The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series is off and will return to competition at Talladega Superspeedway Saturday, Oct. 12.

    All times are Eastern.

    Friday, October 4

    12:35 p.m. – 1:25 p.m. Xfinity Series First Practice -NBCSN
    1:35 p.m. – 2:25 p.m. Monster Energy Cup Series First Practice – NBCSN
    2:35 p.m. – 3:25 p.m. Xfinity Series Final Practice – NBCSN
    3:35 p.m. – 4:25 p.m. Monster Energy Cup Series Final Practice – NBCSN

    Saturday, October 5

    12:05 p.m. Xfinity Series Qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle/Two Laps All Positions) – NBC Sports App/NBCSN joins in at 12:30 p.m.
    1:35 p.m. Monster Energy Cup Series Qualifying – Impound (Single Vehicle/Two Laps All Positions) NBCSN/MRN
    3:00 p.m. Xfinity Series Use Your Melon Drive Sober 200 – 200 miles/200 Laps – Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200) – NBCSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Sunday, October 6

    2:30 p.m. Monster Energy Cup Series Drydene 400 – 400 miles/400 Laps -Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 120), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 240), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 400) – NBCSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Cup Series Playoff Standings Prior to Dover

    Rank Driver Points Starts Race Wins Stage Wins Playoff Pts Pts From Cutoff
    1 Kyle Busch 3,046 29 4 11 46 41
    2 Martin Truex Jr. 3,041 29 6 5 41 36
    3 Denny Hamlin 3,030 29 4 3 30 25
    4 Joey Logano 3,029 29 2 9 29 24
    5 Kevin Harvick 3,028 29 3 5 28 23
    6 Chase Elliott 3,024 29 3 5 24 19
    7 Brad Keselowski 3,024 29 3 4 24 19
    8 Kyle Larson 3,006 29 0 5 6 1
    9 Alex Bowman 3,005 29 1 0 5 -1
    10 Ryan Blaney 3,004 29 0 2 4 -2
    11 William Byron 3,001 29 0 1 1 -5
    12 Clint Bowyer 3,000 29 0 0 0 -6

    Xfinity Series Playoff Standings Prior to Dover

    Rank Driver Points Starts Race Wins Stage Wins Playoff Pts Pts From Cutoff
    1 Christopher Bell 2,143 28 7 17 62 In On Wins
    2 Cole Custer 2,133 28 6 7 45 Clinched On Points
    3 Tyler Reddick 2,114 28 5 4 44 52
    4 Austin Cindric 2,112 28 2 1 17 50
    5 Justin Allgaier 2,102 28 0 5 12 40
    6 Chase Briscoe 2,097 28 1 3 13 35
    7 Noah Gragson 2,088 28 0 1 5 26
    8 Michael Annett 2,073 28 1 1 9 11
    9 John H. Nemechek 2,062 28 0 0 0 -11
    10 Brandon Jones 2,062 28 0 3 4 -11
    11 Ryan Sieg 2,036 28 0 1 1 -37
    12 Justin Haley 2,034 28 0 1 3 -39

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