Michael McDowell’s victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on Sunday shook up the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings with only two races left in the regular season.
Heading into Indy, McDowell sat three points out of the 16th and final playoff spot. Now that the Front Row Motorsports driver is locked in with a win, the cutline has shifted.
In addition to McDowell, Martin Truex Jr., William Byron, Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell, Chris Buescher, Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. have clinched playoff spots with victories.
The playoff standings:
14. Kevin Harvick (+145)
Kevin Harvick is nearing one final playoff appearance before retiring at the end of the season. Despite going winless through the first 24 races, Harvick has been consistent aboard the No. 4 for Stewart-Haas Racing.
The 2014 Cup Series champion has 11 top-10 finishes, including four in the last five races. While he has a comfortable cushion to make the playoffs on points, Harvick isn’t out of the woods yet.
With two races left on tracks that many would consider to be potential wildcard tracks at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int’l and Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway, two new winners would bump Harvick out of the playoffs.
Harvick has one win at Watkins Glen (2006) and has an average finish of 12.6.
15. Brad Keselowski (+143)
In a similar boat as Harvick, Brad Keselowski has been consistent throughout the entire season. The RFK Racing driver has 10 top-10 finishes, along with four in the last six races.
Keselowski’s teammate Chris Buescher locked into the playoffs a few weeks ago after winning at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. Buescher backed up his performance the following week at Michigan Int’l Speedway with another victory.
Traveling to The Glen, Keselowski’s finished second three times, and has a respectable average finish of 13.8.
The uptick in performance is apparent for the No. 6 team, though two new winners could spoil a two-car RFK parade in the playoffs.
16. Bubba Wallace (+28)
Just last week, Wallace appeared to be safely in the playoffs with a 58-point advantage above the cutline. Though after McDowell’s win on Sunday, Wallace’s Though after McDowell’s victory, Wallace fell to 16th with an advantage of only 28 markers..
The 23XI Racing driver’s season has been up and down. In two out of the last three races, Wallace has led at least 20 laps. Though with four consecutive races without a top-10 finish, Wallace is in danger of missing the playoffs.
In four previous starts at Watkins Glen, the 29-year-old has never finished better than 23rd at the historic road course.
17. Daniel Suarez (-28)
While it was a stellar day at Indianapolis for Daniel Suarez, who started on pole and finished third, McDowell’s win arguably hurt Suarez the most.
The Trackhouse Racing driver went from five points below the cutline to 28 by race’s end due to McDowell leapfrogging the non-winners on the playoff grid.
Looking ahead, Suarez’s track record at Watkins Glen is a mixed bag with three top-10s in five starts on the 2.45-mile course.
A winner at California’s Sonoma Raceway last year, The Glen may be a bright spot for Suarez to gain more ground on Wallace, or potentially lock in with a victory.
18. Ty Gibbs (-49)
Rookie Ty Gibbs has shown flashes of what he could eventually become with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Though with only six top-10 finishes and four of them coming between March and April, Gibbs is searching for consistency.
The playoff grid can change in a heartbeat, and Gibbs is a prime example of that.
The JGR driver started Sunday’s Verizon 200 at the Brickyard three points above the cutline, but finished 12th and is now 49 points out of the postseason.
Currently 18th on the playoff grid, the 20-year-old is going to need two stellar runs and a lot of help.
19. Chase Elliott (-80)
Watching McDowell wrap up a postseason position at Indianapolis was a large blow to Chase Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team.
The 2020 Cup Series champion finished second on Sunday, his first top-five result since the Chicago Street Race in early July.
An 80-point gap is a large climb for any driver to overcome in two races, making Elliott’s playoff bid a near must-win situation.
Luckily for Elliott, Watkins Glen is a welcome sign this weekend. Two victories and an additional two top-fives in his last four races at The Glen could be a sign of a potential breakthrough victory.
20. Alex Bowman (-80)
Tied with his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Elliott, Alex Bowman is also in need of a victory to secure a playoff berth.
Missing three races due to a back injury early in the season derailed Bowman’s consistent start where he led the points for three weeks.
Though the driver of the No. 48 HMS Chevrolet is gaining momentum at the right time. Sunday’s race at the Indy Road Course was Bowman’s first top-10 result (fifth) since Richmond in April.
Heading into this weekend, Bowman has never posted a top-10 effort at The Glen. His best result is 14th (three times).