NASCAR: Larson win further clouds playoff picture

Add Kyle Larson to the list of NASCAR playoff bracket busters following his first Sprint Cup victory on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.

Larson entered the weekend with a win representing his only chance to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – and he rose to the occasion. However, the Larson and Chris Buescher upsets over the past month have completely changed the dynamic of the playoff battle.

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Their victories mean there are now two winless drivers ranked higher in the championship standings who find themselves on the outside looking in. For example, Larson bumped Ryan Newman from the provisional Round of 16.

However, Buescher is only seven points ahead of 31st-place David Ragan, so if they were to swap by the end of the regular season, Newman would get the final spot instead. And then there is Jamie McMurray, currently on the bubble, who holds the final provisional spot by just 15 markers over Newman.

In short, a lot could change over the next two races.

"Well you just have to get the most points you can and try to win," McMurray said. "I honestly didn't think we could have another first-time winner but we did. So we just have to go and get all the points we can."

Even Kasey Kahne, 18th and 52 points out of a playoff spot, has won on Labor Day weekend before in order to clinch a spot in the Chase. He did so in 2014 at Atlanta after most had counted him out. This time he and his contemporaries will have to do it at either Darlington or Richmond in a season where nothing seems out of the question.

With only two races left, 12 of the 13 winners are guaranteed a spot in the playoffs: Larson, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Martin Truex and Tony Stewart.

Buescher's win will only transfer him if he's inside the top 30 after Richmond. He's now seven points to the good. Winless Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon and McMurray are in based on points should no one outside of the listed drivers win the next two races.

Right now, that bubble looks like this:

Elliott +27

Dillon +21

McMurray +15

Newman -15

Kahne -52

But if Buescher can't maintain his spot in the top 30 come the end of Richmond, Newman would be in as they run by 37 points over Kahne.

So stay tuned.