NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Standings: Christopher 'Clutch' Bell does it again

Another great race at Homestead-Miami Speedway sets us up for the penultimate NASCAR race at Martinsville. The NASCAR Playoff standings took a big swing this week with all that happened in South Beach. So, let’s get into it.

During the race, there were a few drivers who looked ready to win this 4EVER 400. William Byron, Kyle Larson, and Ryan Blaney looked like the top of the field. They ran fast for most of the day. Then, things changed.

Larson hit the sand barrels entering pit road. Ryan Blaney was used up while racing with Denny Hamlin. Then, just as Byron was set to take the lead, Christopher Bell came out of nowhere and delivered another clutch performance.

Here is how the NASCAR Playoff standings shook out following last night’s race.

NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Standings:
Kyle Larson – W
Christopher Bell – W
William Byron – 4126
Ryan Blaney – 4106
————————
Tyler Reddick – 4096
Martin Truex Jr. – 4089
Denny Hamlin – 4089
Chris Buescher – 4048

Joe Gibbs Racing had the biggest up-and-down day. Christopher Bell wins. However, both Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. failed to finish this race and paid dearly.

We have two drivers locked into the Championship 4. Now, there are six cars competing for just two spots. Points are important, but for most of these drivers, winning will be their only way to the big dance. We’re bound to get another amazing race at Martinsville.

NASCAR Playoff Standings: Winners and Losers at Homestead-Miami

Winners

• Christopher Bell – The big winner here is obviously Bell. He came out and put together another classic playoff performance. He wasn’t the best car all day. Bell had to struggle in the middle of the pack for much of the race. However, he plugged away and under pressure, he came out victorious, once again. As far as the pressure goes? “I love it,” Bell said after the race.

• Ryan Blaney – It’s hard to say that Blaney is a winner here. He looked like he could have won this race running away at one point. When Larson wrecked on pit road, the door was open. However, Hamlin made sure that he wouldn’t get a chance to win this race. Still, from -17 points to +10 points in the NASCAR Playoff standings, that’s a huge swing.

• William Byron – Steady Bill. Byron is keeping his wheel straight and making sure he makes no mistakes. For that, he’s +30 points on the cutline. He could advance on points or with a win next week at Martinsville. Byron is still a championship favorite in my eyes.

Losers

• Denny Hamlin – Just a collapse at the end of this race. It could have been another top-5 finish, but it seemed that Hamlin got a little too aggressive. He raced Blaney for position late in this race and it didn’t pay off for him. Now, he’s going to try and win at Martinsville to advance to Phoenix. Is Homestead once again the place that sinks Hamlin’s championship hopes?

• Martin Truex Jr. – This race looked like it would be a solid day for Martin Truex Jr. He was the pole winner, but dropped off the speed in the long run. Still, a top-10, maybe a sneaky top-5 looked very possible. Just as Hamlin hit the wall, Truex lost his engine. His day was over early as well and now he’s right there with his teammate.

• Chris Buescher – For whatever reason, Buescher didn’t have speed at all. He was a back-of-the-pack driver for this entire race. He’s on the bottom of the NASCAR Playoff standings. Even though Brad Keselowski led laps before taking damage in this race, Buescher just didn’t have it. Now, he’s absolutely in must-win territory to make the Phoenix race.