Denny Hamlin won the first race of a double-header at Dover on Saturday, and there are only two races remaining in the regular season before the Playoffs begin on September 6th in Darlington.
7-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson moved into playoff position with a solid 7th-place finish at a track he’s won more races at than any other driver.
Unfortunately for Hendrick Motorsports, Johnson’s ascension into the top-16 in points came at the expense of William Byron, who now trails Johnson by just three points. Erik Jones and Tyler Reddick still have a shot to race their way into the playoffs as well, and anything could happen next week at Daytona.
Here is the current playoff field. 16 drivers will advance to the 10-race playoff. Any driver who has not yet won a race this season can clinch a playoff spot by winning on Sunday at Dover or next week at Daytona.
The following drivers are locked into the Playoff field:
- Kevin Harvick
- Denny Hamlin
- Brad Keselowski
- Chase Elliott
- Joey Logano
- Ryan Blaney
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Alex Bowman
- Austin Dillon
- Cole Custer
There are nine drivers competing for six open playoff spots on points. Here is the current playoff bubble, via @bobpockrass:
Aric Almirola: +117 points
Kyle Busch: +107 points
Kurt Busch: +88 points
Clint Bowyer: +78 points
Matt DiBenedetto: +27 points
Jimmie Johnson: +3 points
William Byron: -3 points
Erik Jones: -22 points
Tyler Reddick: -45 points
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