Here are the 12 drivers remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs after the Bristol race
Denny Hamlin has won at Bristol as the Round of 16 came to a close.
Joey Logano, the 2018 and 2022 Cup Series champion, has been eliminated after being involved in a wreck early in the final stage. He becomes the first reigning Cup Series champion to not make it past the first round.
Regular-season champion Martin Truex Jr. entered Bristol on the bubble. He ran toward the middle of the pack for most of the race and ended up a lap down after hitting a wall and getting caught up, eliciting a caution, though he continued racing and finished above the cut line.
Kevin Harvick will not advance to the Round of 12 in his final postseason. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who won the Daytona 500, has also been eliminated.
Here are the 12 drivers who have advanced:
Kyle Larson, Chevy: His win at Darlington locked him into the Round of 12, and strong performances at Kansas and Bristol have the No. 5 car advancing as the field’s top seed.
William Byron, Chevy: The No. 24 car continued his strong season with three consistent playoff races and remains a favorite to reach the Championship Four. He clinched his position on points during Lap 259 at Bristol.
Denny Hamlin, Toyota: Hamlin easily advanced on points, locking in his position during the Bristol race. The runner-up in 2010, the longtime driver is still chasing his first Cup Series championship.
Tyler Reddick, Toyota: The driver of the No. 45 car won at Kansas following his second-place finish at Darlington. It’s the first time the 23XI Racing driver has advanced after being eliminated in both the 2021 and 2022 opening rounds.
Christopher Bell, Toyota: The pole-winner didn’t leave the front of the pack for the first half of Saturday night’s race, sweeping both stages as he led for most of them.
Brad Keselowski, Ford: After missing the playoffs last year, Keselowski is in the second round for the eighth time in nine years.
Chris Buescher, Ford: The winner of three of the last five regular season races, Buescher had himself among the top drivers at the start of the playoffs. He finished third at Darlington.
Kyle Busch, Chevy: The two-time Cup Series champion is back in the Round of 12.
Ryan Blaney, Ford: Blaney has advanced out of the first round for the sixth time in his seven playoff appearances.
Ross Chastain, Chevy: The driver of the No. 1 car, who recently said racing in the playoffs is what he dreamed of five years ago, reached the second round once again. His best finish in the Cup Series playoffs was seventh in 2020.
Martin Truex Jr., Toyota: Despite wrecking and falling a lap behind, the regular-season champion hung on, finished the race and moves to 11th in the standings.
Bubba Wallace, Toyota: A strong finish at Bristol propelled the No. 23 car into the second round.
This story was originally published September 16, 2023 at 10:22 PM.