Denny Hamlin is locked into the Championship 4 after a big win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and now his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe has done the same with a big win at Talladega Superspeedway, taking the lead on the final lap.
The battle around the final two transfer spots will be wild. Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson have a large margin over the elimination zone, but there is just one point between them.
A win by Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, or Chase Elliott at Martinsville will automatically eliminate whoever the unfortunate driver in fourth is at the checkered flag. All four of these drivers currently in the elimination zone have won at Martinsville before, and some very recently.
Larson and Byron were running 1-2 at the start of the final overtime restart, but Larson ran out of fuel and Byron spun in a nightmarish final lap for Hendrick Motorsports.
Photos from Talladega – Race
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Ty Dillon, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing Toyota, Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Chevrolet
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford, Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Cody Ware, Rick Ware Racing Ford, Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota, Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
General view
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
General view
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
General view
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
General view
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
General view
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
General view
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
General view
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
General view
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Here's a look at the full standings ahead of the Round of 8 cutoff race:
Read Also:
Kyle Larson, crew chief explain running out of fuel in battle for Talladega win
Chase Elliott out early in major NASCAR Cup crash at Talladega
Disaster for Hendrick and victory for Chase Briscoe in Talladega NASCAR Cup thriller
NASCAR Cup playoff standings after Talladega
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points above/below cutline |
| 1 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | ADVANCED |
| 2 | Chase Briscoe | Joe Gibbs Racing | ADVANCED |
| 3 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | +37 |
| 4 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | +36 |
| CUTLINE | CUTLINE | CUTLINE | CUTLINE |
| 5 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | -36 |
| 6 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | -38 |
| 7 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | -47 |
| 8 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | -62 |
To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.
Read the full article here
