Charlotte Roval set to cut Cup Series playoff field once again

The five drivers who have spent the first two races in the Round of 12 battling for the transfer spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will be the ones on the hot seat going into the elimination race.

Joey Logano, reigning series champion, is sitting on the final spot for the Round of 8. He is 13 points above Ross Chastain.

Chastain, Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick and Austin Cindric are the four drivers below the cutline. This round started with Cindric, Logano, Chastain and Reddick below the cutline. Through two races, at New Hampshire and Kansas, the only movement was Logano going from the outside to inside the transfer spot, and Wallace, who entered the round above, dropping below.

A Wallace victory Sunday in Kansas would have changed the playoff picture. He would have locked into the next round and put Chase Briscoe on the cutline by three points over Logano, 20 points over Chastain, 35 points over Reddick and 60 points over Cindric. Chase Elliott, who did win the race, was sitting just four points above the cutline in the second overtime attempt as Wallace led.

Instead, going into the Charlotte Roval next weekend, the grid looks like this:

1.     Chase Elliott: ADV

2.     Ryan Blaney: ADV

3.     Kyle Larson +54

4.     Denny Hamlin +48

5.     Christopher Bell +44

6.     William Byron +40

7.     Chase Briscoe +21

8.     Joey Logano + 13

9.     Ross Chastain – 13

10.  Bubba Wallace – 26

11.  Tyler Reddick – 29

12.  Austin Cindric – 48

“We’re plus 13,” Logano said. “It is what it is. We’ve got to go race, but it’s going to be close.”

Cindric looks at next weekend as a must-win for his No. 2 Team Penske team.

“Yep,” Cindric said. “It’s that simple.”

Kyle Larson won the elimination race at the Charlotte Roval in 2024.