With the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff’s Round of 16 coming to a close, four drivers – Ryan Blaney, Cole Custer, William Byron and Matt DiBenedetto – have been eliminated from the postseason, making way for the Round of 12 and it’s dozen competitors to battle it out for a spot in the Round of 8. Once again after the three races in the Round of 12 (Las Vegas, Talladega, Kansas), four more drivers will be eliminated from the postseason.
This season’s Round of 12 is made up of five Ford drivers, four Chevrolet drivers and three Toyota drivers from six different organizations.
| Rank | Driver | Points | Starts | Race Wins | Stage Wins | Playoff Pts | Pts from Cutoff |
| 1 | Kevin Harvick (P) | 3,067 | 29 | 9 | 7 | 67 | 62 |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin (P) | 3,048 | 29 | 6 | 8 | 48 | 43 |
| 3 | Brad Keselowski (P) | 3,035 | 29 | 4 | 7 | 35 | 30 |
| 4 | Joey Logano (P) | 3,022 | 29 | 2 | 6 | 22 | 17 |
| 5 | Chase Elliott (P) | 3,021 | 29 | 2 | 7 | 21 | 16 |
| 6 | Martin Truex Jr. (P) | 3,016 | 29 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 11 |
| 7 | Alex Bowman (P) | 3,009 | 29 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 4 |
| 8 | Austin Dillon (P) | 3,005 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 9 | Aric Almirola (P) | 3,005 | 29 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 10 | Kyle Busch (P) | 3,004 | 29 | 0 | 2 | 4 | -1 |
| 11 | Clint Bowyer (P) | 3,004 | 29 | 0 | 3 | 4 | -1 |
| 12 | Kurt Busch (P) | 3,001 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -4 |
| 13 | Cole Custer # (P) | 2,067 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 5 | Eliminated from The Playoffs |
| 14 | William Byron (P) | 2,062 | 29 | 1 | 2 | 7 | |
| 15 | Ryan Blaney (P) | 2,058 | 29 | 1 | 3 | 13 | |
| 16 | Matt DiBenedetto (P) | 2,054 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Below is a look at the current 12 Playoff contenders and their career performances at Las Vegas Motor Speedway ahead of this weekend’s South Point 400 on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. (Playoff contenders are in order of seeding).
- Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford) leads the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings with 3,067 points – 62 points above the Round of 8 cutline. Harvick’s 2020 Playoffs have been off to a strong start winning two of the first three races (Darlington and Bristol) of the postseason and making the Round of 12 for the seventh time in his career (2014-2020). He now has a total of 16 career Playoff wins on his resume. Harvick turns his attention to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend, the first race of the Round of 12. The Californian, Harvick, has made 22 series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway posting two wins, seven top fives and 11 top 10s.
- Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) sits in second in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings with 3,048 points – 43 points ahead of the Round of 8 cutoff. Hamlin’s Round 16 performance didn’t quite have the same swagger he ended the regular season with, only posting two top-15 finishes, but he managed to make the Round of 12 for the sixth time in his career (2014-2017, 2019, 2020). The Virginia native, Hamlin, is looking to bounce back this weekend at Las Vegas; a track he has made 17 starts putting up two top fives and seven top 10s.
- Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Team Penske Ford) holds on to third in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs standings with 3,035 points – 30 points up on the Round of 8 cutoff. Keselowski also kicked off the 2020 Playoffs in impressive fashion winning the second race of the Round of 16 at Richmond Raceway. The 2020 Playoffs mark the seventh time in his career Keselowski has made the Round of 12 (2014-2020). The Michigan native, Keselowski, head to Las Vegas looking to build on his early postseason success. He has made 14 series starts at the 1.5-mile track collecting three wins, seven top fives and 10 top 10s.
- Joey Logano (No. 22 Team Penske Ford) resides in fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings with 3,022 points – 17 points ahead of the Round of 8 cutoff. The 2020 Playoffs mark the sixth time Logano has made the Round of 12 (2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020). The Connecticut native, Logano, has put up two top-five finishes in the first three races of the 2020 Playoffs. Looking ahead to Las Vegas, Logano has made 14 series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway, posting two wins, six top fives and 10 top 10s; which includes bringing home the checkered flag from Vegas back in February.
- Chase Elliott (No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) rests in fifth in the NASCAR cup Series Playoff standings with 3,021 points – 16 points ahead of the Round of 8 cutoff. This season is the fifth time in Elliott’s career he has qualified for the Round of 12 (2016-2020). In the Round of 16, Elliott put up one top five and two top 10s. The Georgia native, Elliott, heads to Las Vegas this weekend having made seven series starts at the 1.5-mile raceway posting two top fives and three top 10s.
- Martin Truex Jr. (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) is sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with 3,016 points – 11 points ahead of the Round of 8 cutoff. The 2020 Playoffs mark the sixth time Truex has made the Round of 12 (2015-2020). Truex looked strong in the first round of the Playoffs but had mixed results only posting one top-five finish. Now the New Jersey native, Truex, turns his attention to Las Vegas where he has made 17 series starts posting two wins, five top fives and eight top 10s. Truex is the defending winner of the 2019 Las Vegas Playoff race.
- Alex Bowman (No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) hangs on to seventh in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings with 3,009 points – just a scant four points ahead of the Round of 8 cutoff. The 2020 Playoffs mark the third straight season he has qualified for the Round of 12. Bowman made good use of the tracks in the Round of 16 putting up two top-10 finishes. The Arizona native, Bowman, is hoping to continue his postseason success at Las Vegas this weekend. Bowman has made seven series starts at the 1.5-mile facility posting one top-10 finish – a ninth-place finish in the Playoff race last season.
- Austin Dillon (No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) grasps the eighth and final transfer spot to the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings with 3,005 points. Dillon is tied in points with Aric Almirola in ninth – the first spot outside the Round of 8 cutoff – but Dillon holds the tiebreaker of best finish in the Round of 16. The 2020 Playoffs mark just the second time Dillon has advanced to the Round of 12 in his postseason career (2016, 2020). Dillon was impressive in the Round of 16 amassing two top-five finishes.
- Aric Almirola (No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford) clings to ninth, the first spot outside the Round of 8 cutoff, in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings with 3,005 points. Almirola is tied in points with Austin Dillon in eighth – the final transfer spot into the Round of 8 – but Dillon holds the tiebreaker of best finish in the Round of 16. This is the second time Almirola has qualified for the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2016, 2020). Almirola was consistent in the Round of 12 posting one top five and three top 10s. Now, Florida native, Almirola, looks to build on his Round of 16 performance in the Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas. Almirola has made 14 series starts at Las Vegas posting three top-10 finishes.
- Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota), the defending series champion, holds on to 10th in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings with 3,004 points – just one point behind the Round of 8 cutoff. Busch is currently tied in points with Clint Bowyer in 11th, but Busch holds the tiebreaker – best finish in the Round of 16. The 2020 season marks the seventh time Busch has made the Round of 12. The Las Vegas native, Busch, put up one top five and two top 10s during the Round of 16. Now the two-time champ heads to his home track to keep his Playoffs hopes churning. Busch has made 18 series starts at Las Vegas posting one win, seven top fives and nine top 10s.
- Clint Bowyer (No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford) clenches the 11th spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings with 3,004 points – just one point behind the Round of 8 cutoff. Bowyer is currently tied in points with Kyle Busch in 10th, but Busch holds the tiebreaker – best finish in the Round of 16. This is the third-straight season Bowyer has made the Round of 12 in the Playoffs. Bowyer’s consistency of three top-10 finishes in the Round of 16 helped catapult him into the Round of 12. Now the Kansas native, Bowyer, focuses on Las Vegas Motor Speedway; a track he has made 17 starts posting one top five and four top 10s.
- Kurt Busch (No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet) clutches the 12th and final spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff’s Round of 12 with 3,001 points – four points behind the Round of 8 cutoff. The 2020 Playoffs mark the fourth time in his career he has advanced to the Round of 12 (2015, 2016, 2018, 2020). Busch posted just one top-10 finish in the round of 16. Now, the elder of the two Busch brothers, heads to his home track looking to rebound in the Playoff standings. Kurt Busch has made 21 series starts at the 1.5-mile Vegas track posting two top fives and five top 10s.
