The chaos from the Roval is over and it’s time for the 12 remaining playoff drivers to get ready for the second round of the Cup playoffs, which begin Sunday at Dover International Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN).
MOVING ON
The 12 remaining playoff drivers are Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, Ryan Blaney, William Byron and Clint Bowyer.
DIVIDING LINE
There is an 18-point gap between Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski (both tied for sixth with 3,024 points) and Kyle Larson, who is eighth at 3,006 points. For Larson and those behind — Bowman, Blaney, Byron and Bowyer — the gap means they can ill afford mistakes in this round.
MORE: Charlotte Roval winners and losers
BRIGHT OUTLOOK?
Alex Bowman slipped into the second round of the playoffs after his up-and-down weekend at Charlotte, but the second round features tracks he scored runner-up finishes earlier this season (Dover, Talladega and Kansas). While there’s no guarantee what did in the spring will carry over to the playoffs, it should present a sense of comfort …
UNLESS
Bubba Wallace or Austin Dillon or maybe someone else Alex Bowman may have angered during the season decides to make things difficult for the Hendrick Motorsports driver.
DOMINANT TRIO
Chase Elliott (three wins), Martin Truex Jr. (two), Joey Logano (two) have combined to win seven of the last 10 playoff races, dating back to last year. Elliott, who is coming off his win at the Roval, won at Dover and Kansas last year in the second round.
TEAM BREAKDOWN
Joe Gibbs Racing, Team Penske and Hendrick Motorsports each have three drivers left in the playoffs. The other quarter of the field features drivers from Chip Ganassi Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing.
POINTS STANDINGS
3046 — Kyle Busch
3041 — Martin Truex Jr.
3030 — Denny Hamlin
3029 — Joey Logano
3028 — Kevin Harvick
3024 — Chase Elliott
3024 — Brad Keselowski
3006 — Kyle Larson
3005 — Alex Bowman
3004 — Ryan Blaney
3001 — William Byron
3000 — Clint Bowyer