The NASCAR Playoff field has been cut from 16 to 12 drivers, and Kyle Larson leads the point standings after a statement victory at Bristol.
In what was a far less chaotic event than the spring Bristol race – where tire degradation was so severe that teams were struggling to run 50 laps at a time – track position and long run speed was key on Saturday night.
Larson started on the inside of the front row, and once he had the lead never looked back, leading an incredible 462 of 500 laps en route to victory.
Here’s an updated look at the playoff standings, and the four drivers eliminated after the Round of 16.
NASCAR drivers eliminated from the playoffs
Ty Gibbs
Gibbs had the best run among the eliminated drivers, finishing 15th, but a speeding penalty doomed what could have been a much better finish.
Martin Truex Jr.
Truex Jr. started up front and appeared to be a contender in the opening stage, but a speeding penalty cost him track position and he never recovered, finishing 24th.
Brad Keselowski
Keselowski battled his way to a 26th place finish, and said after the race that the car didn’t have the pace he needed. “We ran as hard as we could, but there wasn’t anything there.”
Harrison Burton
Burton entered the night needing something to go wrong for the playoff drivers ahead of him in the standings. Instead, Burton lost power steering and could only complete 422 laps, finishing 35th.
NASCAR Playoff standings entering the Round of 12
- Kyle Larson (+39 points)
- Christopher Bell (+24)
- Tyler Reddick (+20)
- William Byron (+14)
- Ryan Blaney (+11)
- Denny Hamlin (+7)
- Chase Elliott (+6)
- Joey Logano (+4)
- Austin Cindric (-4)
- Daniel Suarez (-6)
- Alex Bowman (-7)
- Chase Briscoe (-7)