Joey Logano earned one of the four coveted spots to the NASCAR Cup Series Championship, and with his win at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, shook up the playoff standings. As a result of Logano’s victory, Chase Elliott is now on the outside looking in at the NASCAR Cup Championship.
If the NASCAR Cup Championship was held today, it would be Logano, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, and Brad Keselowski fighting for the title at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 8.
Odds to Win NASCAR Cup Championship
| Cup Championship Odds | Cup Playoff Standings | |
| Kevin Harvick | +120 | Second |
| Joey Logano | +300 | First |
| Denny Hamlin | +350 | Third |
| Brad Keselowski | +800 | Fourth |
| Chase Elliott | +1000 | Fifth |
| Martin Truex Jr. | +2500 | Seventh |
| Alex Bowman | +6000 | Sixth |
| Kurt Busch | +20000 | Eighth |
Source: WestgateÂ
Each of the remaining drivers in the Group of 8 can still qualify for one of the three coveted spots if they win a race. Elliott, who is currently fifth, knows what he needs to do to get to Phoenix in three weeks.
“Like I’ve been saying all week, I feel like you can’t have bad tracks and expect to win a championship,” Elliott said. “You need to have a shot to win every week and I believe in that a lot. We’ll go to Texas, give it our best shot to go win, and [the] same at Martinsville. Hopefully, we’re still alive come Phoenix.”
Two Races Remain Until NASCAR CUP Championship
On Sunday, the NASCAR drivers will be at Texas Motor Speedway for the Auto Trader Echo Park Automotive 500. Kevin Harvick is the favorite to win at +250. Denny Hamlin is second at +400.
Last year, Harvick won the race. The 44-year-old, who finished second at Kansas, likes his chances in the Lone Star State.
“I feel better about Texas than I do here,” Harvick said after the race at Kansas Speedway. “Our guys did a pretty good job of bringing a whole lot better car than what we had at the first race. If our car’s that much better at Texas than it was the first race, it should be a good weekend. You just never know how the cautions are going to fall, the strategy, anything like that. You just have to go lap by lap and see where it falls.”
Hamlin Full of Confidence
Even though Hamlin finished 15th in his previous two races, the Joe Gibbs driver believes he can capture his eighth victory of the season.
“We can win every week,” Hamlin said of his chances. “Every week we’re up front. I think we can win next week. We can win the week after that, and we can win the week after that. Not too worried about having to go out there and win because I know we can do it.”
The task will be much greater for Alex Bowman. The 27-year-old is proud he and his team have made it this far, and believes he can reach the NASCAR Cup Championship.
“A lot of people said we were going to go out early in the playoffs,” Bowman said. “We’re still here fighting. We’re still bringing really fast cars to the race track each and every week.”