Photo Credit: Noel Lanier/OnPitRoad.com
Even if there is a new winner Saturday night, two drivers will make the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs via points. Three drivers are going to battle it out for those remaining positions and will certainly keep an eye on the leader and who that person is.
Matt Kenseth, Chase Elliott and Jamie McMurray are those three drivers who will battle for points, even should one of them win.
Out of the three, Kenseth has had the most success lately at Richmond Raceway, earning the first stage win earlier this season. Kenseth has been close to victory lane numerous times this season, but he just hasn’t been to close out the deal. He currently has a 92-point advantage over Clint Bowyer, the next highest driver outside the playoffs in points, but isn’t a lock to battle for the championship if a new winner emerges. Should that happen and the points sit as they do today, Kenseth just barely makes the playoffs on points.
In his sophomore season, Elliott has still yet to find victory lane but like last year he’s been close. Elliott has a 94-point cushion over 17th-place Bowyer and finds himself in the best setting of the three drivers looking to point their way in. He’s tallied six top-fives and 13 top-10s. Elliott hasn’t had quite the season he had last year, but he’s managed to find points when need be and finds himself in the playoff discussion yet again. Though a victory isn’t absolutely needed, it’ll be the surest way for him to lock himself into the playoffs.
McMurray currently sits on the bubble of the playoff standings, and needs to either win himself, or have a repeat winner on Saturday. Should that happen, all three of these drivers earn berths in playoffs by points and McMurray could begin focusing on the final races of the season. McMurray managed to make his second playoffs last season and will look to repeat this weekend at Richmond. Look for the No. 1 up front at the end of the evening and maybe even in victory lane.
Elliott and McMurray both points raced their way into the playoffs last season, which puts them in the same shoes as the previous year, while Kenseth has won in the regular season every season since this format was adopted in 2014.
