Four races will decide last three playoff spots after Wallace wins at IMS

Bubba Wallace is officially in the NASCAR Cup Series postseason with his victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but his crew chief never had any doubt.

“We were going to make it either way,” Charles Denike told TNT Sports with a smile.

Wallace, Denike, and the No. 23 team were on the bubble going into Sunday’s race, but it was a slim 16-point margin.

The victory doesn’t change the provisional playoff grid, but it does push the drivers who are on the outside looking in and trying to make the grid on points further behind.

Four regular-season races remain. There are three spots still to be decided.

Standings after Indianapolis:

1.     Denny Hamlin: 4 wins

2.     Kyle Larson: 3 wins

3.     Christopher Bell: 3 wins

4.     Shane van Gisbergen: 3 wins

5.     William Byron: 1 win

6.     Ryan Blaney: 1 win

7.     Austin Cindric: 1 win

8.     Chase Briscoe: 1 win

9.     Bubba Wallace: 1 win

10.  Joey Logano: 1 win

11.  Chase Elliott: 1 win

12.  Ross Chastain: 1 win

13.  Josh Berry: 1 win

14.  Tyler Reddick + 138

15.  Alex Bowman + 63

16.  Chris Buescher + 42

––––––

17.  Ryan Preece – 42

18.  Kyle Busch – 81

19.  Ty Gibbs – 95

20.  AJ Allmendinger – 124

This is Wallace's second playoff berth. He last qualified for the postseason in 2023, finishing a career-best 10th in the championship standings.

Iowa Speedway is next on the calendar for the Cup Series.