After a chaotic first round of the 2024 Cup Series playoffs, many favorites survived. The first round had it all, with an exciting victory for Joey Logano at Atlanta, a Chris Buescher victory at the Glen, and another snooze-fest of a race at Bristol with Kyle Larson leading 462 out of 500 laps.
The headline of the night was the cutoff race aspect, as Ty Gibbs, Harrison Burton, and Brad Keselowski were three of the four eliminated from the playoffs. Martin Truex Jr., who is running his final full-time season, was also eliminated. Coming out of the Spring Bristol race, Truex Jr. was tied with Larson for the regular-season lead.
As NASCAR heads into the Kansas weekend, the standings are:
- Kyle Larson (5) +39
- Christopher Bell (20) +24
- Tyler Reddick (45) +20
- William Byron (24) +14
- Ryan Blaney (12) +11
- Denny Hamlin (11) + 7
- Chase Elliott (9) +6
- Joey Logano (22) +4
Cutoff Line
- Austin Cindric (2) -4
- Daniel Suárez (99) -6
- Alex Bowman (48) -7
- Chase Briscoe (14) -7
Kansas
Earlier this season, NASCAR and the world witnessed the closest finish in the sport’s history as Larson inched by Buescher to win the Kansas Spring race by .001 of a second.
With the next-gen package, NASCAR has had spectacles on 1.5-mile tracks, and Kansas is easily becoming a fan and driver favorite because of it.
Ones To Watch – Kansas
Kyle Larson: The winner of the most recent race at Kansas is obviously a favorite again. His first round of the playoffs was hectic, as his early wreck in Atlanta cut his points above the line exponentially. Larson’s playoffs were much better after Atlanta, as he finished twelfth at the Glen, and first at Bristol.
23XI & Joe Gibbs: Yes, it is very broad, but why should it not be? Since the introduction of the next-gen, Toyota has won four of the last fivr races at Kansas with Hamlin and Bell finishing in the top six in May. All four Toyota wins at Kansas since 2022 have been by a different driver (Two by 23XI and Two by JGR).
Alex Bowman: Since 2021, Bowman has a 9.8 average finish at Kansas, which is fifth best among all drivers. Bowman also dominated the field in the round of 16 when it came to point totals, as he has scored 120 points so far in the playoffs.
Talladega
The Round of 12 continues as the series heads South to Talladega. Legend has it that Talladega sits on top of a Native American burial ground. That must explain the wild card of a track and the racing it produces.
The 2023 Fall ‘Dega race saw 70 lead changes with a side-by-side finish. The victor was eventual champion Ryan Blaney.
Ones To Watch – Talladega
To predict a winner at Talladega is to predict the lottery. Those who do well at Talladega are the ones who can avoid all chaos around them.
Ryan Blaney: .007 himself comes into the round of 12 with an 11-point advantage above the cutline. Blaney ranks first in average finish at Talladega since 2021 (14.2) and has two victories at the super-speedway. His victory in the fall race continued his hot streak that led him to the championship.
Bubba Wallace: Four top fives and 12 top 20s is all one needs to know about how Wallace does at his home track of Talladega. Wallace has had trouble in two of the last three races at ‘Dega as he has failed to reach the top 20 since 2022. Wallace led laps in both Talladega races of 2023.
This is called a wild card for a reason. Watch out for the Harrison Burtons of the world.
Charlotte Roval
The cutoff race for the Round of 12 has guaranteed entertainment since the Roval format has been run. Last season’s winner was A.J. Allmendinger. This season, road courses have been dominated by Hendrick Motorsports, with three out of the four races being an HMS victory.
Ones To Watch – Charlotte Roval
Tyler Reddick: While without a win at the Charlotte Roval, Reddick’s average finish of 5.3 since 2021 is the second best in the series. Reddick is also 3/3 in top tens at the Roval.
Kyle Busch: While 2024 has not been the season Busch would have liked, he is still searching for the first victory of 2024 to extend his consecutive years winning streak to 20 years. Now, if any, is the time for the RCR driver to gain his first victory, as he has a 3.3 average finish at the Roval since 2021. His lowest finish in three attempts is fourth. If Busch is anywhere near the lead late, expect to see an old-school style of Busch.
Chris Buescher: A man who was .001 seconds away from being in the playoffs would have had a great opportunity for a title. Sadly for the Texan, he is not in the playoffs. The best remedy for not making the playoffs is winning, and that is exactly what the RFK driver has done. Coming off his victory at the Glen, Buescher can grab another road course victory at the Roval as he is tied with Busch with a 5.3 average finish.