Eleven NASCAR Cup Series locked into playoffs after The Glen
Kyle Larson earned his fifth win of 2021 in Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen and was one of 11 drivers to clinch a NASCAR Cup Series playoff spot following the race.
Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, William Byron, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch and Christopher Bell also clinched a playoff spot with one win or more this season.
Larson (five wins) and Bowman (three wins) have each earned career-high wins totals in 2021.
Christopher Bell earned his first playoff berth with a win at Daytona road course in February.
Bell finished seventh in Sunday’s race after being spun by Larson while racing for the lead.
On the other end, Kurt Busch will make his 15th career playoff appearance which is tied for the most appearances of any active NASCAR Cup Series driver.
Kevin Harvick, who has not secured a playoff spot yet, has also made 15 career playoff appearances, including 12 consecutive appearances from 2010 to 2020.
CLINCH SCENARIOS
Harvick, Michael McDowell, Aric Almirola, Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick hold the five remaining playoff spots.
Each driver can clinch a playoff spot by winning any of the remaining regular-season races at Indianapolis road course, Michigan and Daytona.
McDowell can also clinch a playoff spot at Indianapolis with a finish of 22nd or better.
McDowell, Hamlin and Almirola can each clinch a playoff spot if there is not a new winner at Indianapolis.
Almirola and Harvick can each clinch a playoff spot if there are no new winners at Indianapolis and Michigan.
Hamlin, the regular-season points leader, can clinch a playoff spot by holding on to the lead.
Reddick can also clinch a spot if there are no new winners at any of the next three races. He must also score more points than teammate Austin Dillon in the next three races.
SOURCES:
NASCAR
Racing-Reference.Info
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com