Driver rankings, points, calendar before Bristol

Two NASCAR Cup Series Elimination races are now scheduled and two drivers will not have to burn out in the first elimination.

Tyler Reddick continued his strong start to the playoffs, taking victory Sunday at Kansas Speedway a week after finishing second at Darlington. 23XI Racing driver joins Darlington winner and Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson with automatic spots for the second round.

But Kansas proved extremely costly for regular season champion Martin Truex Jr. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver clipped a tire moments into the race, and the resulting crash left his car beyond repair and out of the race – and dropped him from sixth place in the playoffs. ranking at 13^th and below the cut line.

The teams will now head to Bristol Motor Speedway for an evening of short track racing to determine which drivers will advance and which will be eliminated.

How are the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs going?

THE playoffs consist of 10 racesstarting with 16 drivers. The first nine races are divided into three rounds of three races each, with the winners automatically advancing to the next round. Four drivers will be eliminated after the third, sixth and ninth races, leaving the final four to fight for the championship on November 5 at Phoenix Raceway.