Misfortune for the likes of Ty Gibbs and Ross Chastain has tightened up the NASCAR Cup Collection playoff bubble battle. With solely 5 races remaining within the Cup Collection regular-season, this is the place the bubble drivers stand within the factors.
13. Martin Truex Jr (+127)
Truex remained regular on Sunday, bringing dwelling an eighth-place end to cap a strong weekend. The No. 19 workforce remains to be trying to find their first win of the season, however they’re in a superb place to make the postseason discipline.
14. Ty Gibbs (+67)
Gibbs’ blown engine did not damage as badly because it might’ve — a Twenty seventh-place end was the results of quite a few different DNF’s — however mechanical failures at this level within the season actually aren’t welcome. The excellent news? Gibbs gained the pole and led laps early, proving that he is persevering with to develop right into a weekly contender.
15. Chris Buescher (+44)
Buescher solely misplaced one level to the reduce line and gained a spot within the factors at Pocono, so Sunday needs to be thought of successful for the No. 17. Buescher led laps and put collectively a strong Eleventh-place effort, and whereas Buescher should not really feel snug, extra races like Sunday would be the key to Buescher making the postseason.
16. Ross Chastain (+27)
Chastain’s 2022 Championship 4 look all of a sudden feels prefer it occurred a century in the past. An incident on Sunday relegated Chastain to a Thirty sixth-place end and now places him on the playoff bubble. It is time for Phil Surgen and the No. 1 workforce to hit the panic button, or they could be disregarded of the postseason solely.
17. Bubba Wallace (-27)
Wallace’s gritty Tenth-place run appeared unattainable early within the day, when the No. 23 automotive struggled to seek out any semblance of pace. If Wallace can scratch collectively one other top-10 effort subsequent Sunday in Indianapolis, he’ll be placing the strain on Chastain because the Olympic break commences.
18. Chase Briscoe (-75)
Briscoe — and everybody under him — is probably going in a must-win state of affairs to make the playoffs with solely 5 races remaining. A Fifteenth-place end on Sunday is not horrible, however it may take much more than a mid-pack run for Briscoe to make the postseason in his closing 12 months with Stewart-Haas Racing.
19. Kyle Busch (-102)
If there was a approach for Busch’s career-worst 2024 season to sink any decrease, this is able to be it. Pre-race mechanical points could be the least of his troubles, as contact with Corey LaJoie despatched Busch’s No. 8 automotive spinning into oncoming visitors, inflicting a serious crash. A ninth-place end at Chicago might have quickly stopped the bleeding, however the wounds of Busch’s dismal 2024 marketing campaign are actually opened again up.
20. Todd Gilliland (-127)
Gilliland’s streak of 9 straight top-20 finishes got here to an finish on Sunday, as a damaged toe hyperlink would show to be the loss of life knell for his run at Pocono. Gilliland’s Thirty fourth-place end should not deter the No. 38 workforce, nevertheless — they have been among the finest groups by the summer season, and a have an opportunity to get again on monitor at Indianapolis.