Werbung

Bubble Watch: Larson's win changes complexion of race for final Chase spots

Ryan Newman is now outside of the Chase with two races to go (Getty Imags).
Ryan Newman is now outside of the Chase with two races to go before it begins (Getty Imags).

The fight for the final few Chase spots looks a whole hell of a lot different after Kyle Larson’s victory Sunday at Michigan than it did entering the race.

Larson, who was outside of the Chase via points standings before the race began, became the 13th Sprint Cup winner in 2016. Drivers who win a race in the first 26 races of the season (and are in the top 30 in points) are automatically guaranteed a berth in the 16-driver playoff that starts in three weeks at Chicago.

[Related: Larson gets first Cup Series win]

Since we’re confident you can subtract properly, we don’t need to tell you that the win now means there are just three Chase spots currently available to drivers who haven’t won a race this season.

Sunday’s biggest loser was Ryan Newman. Had Larson finished, say, 10th, Newman would still be provisionally in the Chase. Now, he’s the first driver on the outside looking in and is 15 points behind Jamie McMurray.

This is how the points standings look among drivers without wins:

11. Chase Elliott, 628 points
12. Austin Dillon, 622
13. Jamie McMurray, 616
14. Ryan Newman, 601
16. Kasey Kahne, 564
17. Trevor Bayne, 545
18. Ryan Blaney, 544

While Newman has to look to make up points on McMurray, Dillon and Elliott, he can also get into the Chase another way. Chris Buescher, who won at Pocono, had an early engine issue at Michigan and finished 35th. He’s now 30th in the standings and seven points ahead of David Ragan and 25 points ahead of Regan Smith.

If Buescher falls out of the top 30 in the standings over the next two races, another spot would open up in the Chase for a driver to make it on points. Assuming, of course, that another winless driver doesn’t win at Darlington or Richmond. If someone like Kahne, Blaney or even Ricky Stenhouse Jr. or another driver behind McMurray in the standings wins next week, the cut line on points moves up ahead of 13th and narrows the Chase avenues even further.

– – – – – – –

Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!