With one race left in NASCAR’s Regular season here’s who is in, who is out, and how the field could be set next Saturday night at Daytona.
Already Clinched
The following 10 drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field: Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick.
Can Clinch Via Previous Wins
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Alex Bowman, Denny Hamlin, Daniel Suarez, Tyler Reddick, Austin Cindric, Chase Briscoe or Kurt Busch:
Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
Daniel Suarez: Would clinch regardless of finish
Austin Cindric: Would clinch regardless of finish
Chase Briscoe: Would clinch regardless of finish
Kurt Busch: Would clinch regardless of finish
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Aric Almirola, Erik Jones, Bubba Wallace or Austin Dillon:
Alex Bowman: Would clinch with 4 points
Daniel Suarez: Would clinch with 22 points
Austin Cindric: Would clinch with 40 points
Chase Briscoe: Would clinch with 47 points
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Chris Buescher:
Alex Bowman: Would clinch with 1 point
Daniel Suarez: Would clinch with 22 points
Austin Cindric: Would clinch with 37 points
Chase Briscoe: Would clinch with 44 points
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Justin Haley:
Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
Daniel Suarez: Would clinch with 3 points
Austin Cindric: Would clinch with 20 points
Chase Briscoe: Would clinch with 28 points
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Ricky Stenhouse Jr.:
Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
Daniel Suarez: Would clinch regardless of finish
Austin Cindric: Would clinch regardless of finish
Chase Briscoe: Would clinch regardless of finish
Kurt Busch: Would clinch with 41 points
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Cole Custer:
Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
Daniel Suarez: Would clinch regardless of finish
Austin Cindric: Would clinch regardless of finish
Chase Briscoe: Would clinch regardless of finish
Kurt Busch: Would clinch with 33 points
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Michael McDowell, Brad Keselowski or a win by another winless driver lower in the standings:
Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
Daniel Suarez: Would clinch regardless of finish
Austin Cindric: Would clinch regardless of finish
Chase Briscoe: Would clinch regardless of finish
Kurt Busch: Would clinch with 23 points
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Harrison Burton or a win by another winless driver lower in the standings:
Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
Daniel Suarez: Would clinch regardless of finish
Austin Cindric: Would clinch regardless of finish
Chase Briscoe: Would clinch regardless of finish
Kurt Busch: Would clinch with 16 points
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Todd Gilliland or a win by another winless driver lower in the standings:
Alex Bowman: Would clinch regardless of finish
Daniel Suarez: Would clinch regardless of finish
Austin Cindric: Would clinch regardless of finish
Chase Briscoe: Would clinch regardless of finish
Kurt Busch: Would clinch regardless of finish
Can Clinch Via Win
The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Daniel Suarez, Austin Cindric, Chase Briscoe and Kurt Busch.
The following drivers could clinch with a win:
Aric Almirola: Would clinch with 44 points
Erik Jones: Would clinch with 56 points
Bubba Wallace: Could only clinch with help
Austin Dillon: Could only clinch with help
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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