Martinsville NASCAR results, 3 takeaways on another win by 2018’s dominant operation

Clint Bowyer won the STP 500 on Monday, his first win in 190 races, but there are other implications from the race as well. Here are the three biggest takeaways from Monday’s race:

1. We have our first (sort of) surprising playoff driver this season.

Not that Bowyer is a bad driver by any means – he has finished in the top 10 in half of this season’s races so far – but he was far from a lock to win a race this season. The guy hasn’t won since 2012, you know? But now Bowyer has another victory under his belt and he’s into the 2018 playoffs. Bowyer’s victory could prove to be a sign of more to come in 2018, or it could turn out to be a fluke. Either way, his slot in the playoffs is all but guaranteed. Last year, Austin Dillon won the Coca-Cola 600 to sneak into the playoffs. Are there more drivers waiting to steal victories? We’ll see, but for the time being, Bowyer’s inclusion in the playoffs has to come as a bit of a surprise.

2. One team has risen above the rest.

So much for the titans at Hendrick Motorsports or Joe Gibbs Racing (or really, most of the top teams in NASCAR’s Cup Series). So far this season, Stewart-Haas Racing has proven far and away the best team in racing’s best division. Kevin Harvick has three victories, and now Bowyer has one, too. Add in that Aric Almirola was a half lap away from winning the Daytona 500, and it was feasible for SHR to take home five of the first six trophies. Those three and Kurt Busch are all in the top 11 of the standings, and it doesn’t seem like Stewart-Haas will drop off anytime soon. If anything, SHR is only getting started on what could be a runaway year.

3. The manufacturers are starting to fall more in line with expectations.

Before the year began, the general consensus was that the Toyotas would continue their dominance, the new Chevy would take time to break in, and the Fords would ... well, the Fords were the wild card. And after a crazy first few weeks, the manufacturers standings are finally starting to fall in line with everyone’s expectations. Two Toyotas are atop the charts in Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr., followed by three Fords and then another Toyota. The best Chevy is Kyle Larson in ninth. Now, will those standings hold up all season? Probably not. But for now, it’s somewhat reassuring that things are working out as anticipated.

Brendan Marks: 704-358-5889, @brendanrmarks

This story was originally published March 26, 2018 at 7:37 PM with the headline "Martinsville NASCAR results, 3 takeaways on another win by 2018’s dominant operation."