Below is a quick look at the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff driver’s performances at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course.
Denny Hamlin is currently one of two drivers (Kurt Busch) locked into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff’s Round of 8 on wins – the fifth time in his career he has advanced to the Round of 8 (2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020). Hamlin has made two starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL posting a 12th-place finish in 2018 and a 19th-place finish in 2019. His average finish is 15.5, 12th-best. He has put up an Average Running Position of 21.101, 19th-best, a Driver Rating of 66.9, 17th-best and has spent 66 Laps in the Top 15 (30.3%), 19th-most. Hamlin will start on the pole in Sunday’s Bank of America 400.
Kurt Busch is currently one of two drivers that have locked themselves into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff’s Round of 8 on wins – the fourth time in his career he has advanced to the Round of 8 (2015, 2016, 2018, 2020). Busch has made two starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL posting a fifth-place finish in 2018 and a 20th-place finish in 2019. His average finish is 12.5, 10th-best. He also has put up an Average Running Position of 15.188, 10th-best, a Driver Rating of 85.9, ninth-best and has spent 127 Laps in the Top 15 (58.3%), 11th-most. Busch will be starting this Sunday’s race in the 10th starting position.
Kevin Harvick is currently ranked third in NASCAR Cup Series Playoff outlook – the first driver without a win in the Round of 12 – 68 points ahead of the Round of 8 cutoff. Harvick has made two starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, posting a ninth-place finish in 2018 and a third-place finish in 2019. His average finish is 6.0, fifth-best. He has also managed an Average Running Position of 6.390, series-best, a Driver Rating of 111.7, second-best and has spent 201 Laps in the Top 15 (92.2%), series-most. Harvick will start Sunday’s race in the fourth starting position in his hunt to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 8 for the seventh consecutive time in his career (2014-2019).
Chase Elliott is currently ranked fourth in NASCAR Cup Series Playoff outlook, 44 points ahead of the Round of 8 cutoff. Elliott has made two starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, posting a sixth-place finish in 2018 and winning the event in 2019. His average finish is 3.5, second-best. He has also accumulated an Average Running Position of 8.188, second-best, a Driver Rating of 122.0, series-best and spent 187 Laps in the Top 15 (85.8%), second-most. Elliott will start on the outside front row this weekend in his pursuit to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 8 for the fourth consecutive year in a row (2017-2019).
Brad Keselowski is currently ranked fifth in NASCAR Cup Series Playoff outlook, 41 points ahead of the Round of 8 cutoff. Keselowski has made two starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, posting a 31st-place finish in 2018 due to an incident and a fifth-place finish in 2019. His average finish is 18.0, 15th-best. He has also posted an Average Running Position of 11.966, seventh-best, a Driver Rating of 97.6, seventh-best and has spent 149 Laps in the Top 15 (68.3%), eighth-most. Keselowski will start Sunday’s race in the third starting position in his journey to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 8 for the fourth time in his career (2014, 2015 and 2017).
Martin Truex Jr. is currently ranked sixth in NASCAR Cup Series Playoff outlook, 32 points ahead of the Round of 8 cutoff. Truex has made two starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL posting a 14th-place finish in 2018 due to an incident with Jimmie Johnson on the final turn and a seventh-place finish in 2019. His average finish is 10.5, eighth-best. Plus, he has amassed an Average Running Position of 8.862, third-best, a Driver Rating of 101.3, fifth-best and has spent 178 Laps in the Top 15 (81.7%), fourth-most. Truex will start from the seventh starting position on Sunday in his quest to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 8 for the fifth time in his career (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019).
Alex Bowman was named this week the next driver to pilot the famous No. 48 for Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, replacing seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. Bowman is currently ranked seventh in NASCAR Cup Series Playoff outlook, 22 points ahead of the Round of 8 cutoff. Bowman has made two starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, posting a fourth-place finish in 2018 and a runner-up finish in 2019. His average finish is 3.0, series-best. He has also put up an Average Running Position of 17.656, 15th-best, a Driver Rating of 84.9, 11th-best and has spent 92 Laps in the Top 15 (42.2%), 14th-most. Bowman will start Sunday’s race from the fifth starting spot in his mission to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 8 for the first time in his career.
Joey Logano is currently in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff’s Round of 12 ‘hot seat’ in the eighth and final transfer position to the Round of 8 – just 21 points ahead of the cutoff.Logano has made two starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, posting a 10th-place finish in both starts (2018, 2019). His average finish is 10.0, seventh-best. Plus, he has accumulated an Average Running Position of 13.996, ninth-best, a Driver Rating of 85.9, 10th-best, and has spent 119 Laps in the Top 15 (54.6%), 12th-most. Logano will start Sunday’s Bank of America 400 from the eighth starting position in his pursuit to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 8 for the sixth time in his career (2014. 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019).
Kyle Busch is currently ninth in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs – the first spot outside the Round of 8 cutoff – 21 points back from Joey Logano in the eighth and final transfer spot. Busch has made two starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, posting a 32nd-place finish in 2018 due to an incident and a 37th-place finish in 2019 due to a suspension failure. His average finish is 34.500, 29th-best. He has also collected an Average Running Position of 15.541, 11th-best, a Driver Rating of 79.0, 12th-best and has spent 136 Laps in the Top 15 (62.4), ninth-most. Busch will start this Sunday’s race from the ninth starting spot in his quest to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 8 for the sixth consecutive time in his career (2015-2019).
Austin Dillon is currently 10th in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff outlook, 21 points back from Joey Logano in the eighth and final transfer spot to the Round of 8. Dillon has made two starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, posting a 39th-place finish in 2018 due to an incident and a 23rd-place finish in 2019. His average finish is 31.0, 27th-best. He has also put up an Average Running Position of 23.555, 23rd-best, a Driver Rating of 63.7, 20th-best and has spent 44 Laps in the Top 15 (20.2%), 21st-most. Dillon will start Sunday’s race in the sixth starting position in his journey to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 8 for the first time in his career.
Clint Bowyer is currently 11th in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff outlook, 38 points back from Joey Logano in the eighth and final transfer spot to the Round of 8. Bowyer has made two starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, posting a third-place finish in 2018 and a fourth-place finish in 2019. His average finish is 3.5, third-best. He has also put up an Average Running Position of 10.977, fifth-best, a Driver Rating of 103.5, fourth-best and has spent 157 Laps in the Top 15 (72.0%), seventh-most. Bowyer will start the Bank of America 400 this Sunday in the 11th starting position in his quest to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 8 for the second time in his career (2018).
Aric Almirola is currently 12th in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff outlook, 48 points back from Joey Logano in the eighth and final transfer spot to the Round of 8. Almirola has made two starts at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, posting a 19th-place finish in 2018 and a 14th-place finish in 2019. His average finish of 16.5, 13th-best. He has also amassed an Average Running Position of 16.706, 14th-best, a Driver Rating of 77.0, 13th-best and has spent 101 Laps in the Top 15 (46.3%), 13th-most. Almirola will start Sunday’s race from the 12th starting position in his pursuit to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Round of 8 for the second time in his career (2018).
