Bubba Wallace’s win at the Indy Brickyard 400 secured his spot in the NASCAR playoffs, making the playoff picture clearer with just four regular-season races remaining. Here are the latest standings for the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs following the weekend’s race:
NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Rankings
- Denny Hamlin (4 wins)*
- Kyle Larson (3 wins)*
- Christopher Bell (3 wins)*
- Shane Van Gisbergen (3 wins)*
- Chase Elliott (Win)
- William Byron (Win)
- Ryan Blaney (Win)
- Chase Briscoe (Win)
- Bubba Wallace (Win)
- Joey Logano (Win)
- Ross Chastain (Win)
- Austin Cindric (Win)
- Josh Berry (Win)
- Tyler Reddick (+138 points)
- Alex Bowman (+63 points)
- Chris Buescher (+42 points)
The top 16 drivers advance to the NASCAR playoffs. Those with an asterisk (*) have secured a playoff position by winning races.
How Do the NASCAR Playoffs Work?
Sixteen drivers qualify for the playoffs, with race winners during the regular season automatically securing spots unless the number of winners exceeds the playoff spots available. In that case, the remaining positions are filled based on points and tiebreakers. Currently, there are 13 winners, and the regular-season champion is likely among them. Unless there are multiple new winners in the remaining races, nearly all winners will advance to the postseason.
Fan Take: Bubba Wallace’s breakthrough victory at Indy is a major milestone that shakes up the playoff picture and boosts diversity spotlight in NASCAR. This excitement about fresh faces and competitive entries makes the playoffs more thrilling and can attract a wider fanbase, vital for the sport’s growth.
