NASCAR Cup Series playoff bubble battle: Austin Dillon's win shakes up the postseason picture

After a controversial finish at Richmond Raceway, Austin Dillon won his way into the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Dillon is the 13th driver to win a race in 2024, leaving just three playoff spots open. Here's where the bubble drivers stand after Richmond.

14. Martin Truex Jr. (+78)

A blown engine resulted in a less-than-ideal 37th-place finish for Truex, but with a 78-point cushion and only three regular-season races remaining, Truex should have a big enough cushion to make the postseason. However, if three new winners appear over the next three races, Truex would be in more trouble, giving the 2017 champ all the more reason to drive the race of his life at Michigan.

15. Ty Gibbs (+18)

Gibbs' once stellar season continued to go south with a 22nd-place finish on Sunday. Gibbs hasn't finished inside the top-10 since Chicago on July 7, and with little momentum present, a solid day at Michigan is of the utmost importance for the No. 54 team. Engine failures at Pocono and Indianapolis look worse with every passing week, and it's time for a standout performance from the 21-year-old driver.

16. Bubba Wallace (+3)

Wallace's hot streak continued at Richmond, where the Mobile, Alabama native brought home a fourth-place finish that keeps him above the cut line. Wallace gained 10 points on the cut line at Richmond, and now has four top-10 finishes in the last five races. With three solid tracks ahead for Wallace, he has a good shot to make the playoffs for the second year in a row.

17. Chris Buescher (-3)

Buescher went the opposite direction of Wallace on Sunday night, losing 20 points to the cut line and finishing 18th after pit road issues. Buescher's downward trajectory continues, but he won at Michigan and Daytona — the next two races on the schedule — a season ago.

18. Ross Chastain (-3)

A fifth-place finish is cause for celebration for the No. 1 team, which has been devoid of speed for most of the season. The downside? Chastain lost 10 points to the cut line on Sunday and is now in danger of missing the Cup Series playoffs for the first time since 2021. Chastain should focus on stringing together consistent results if he wants to be included in the postseason festivities.

19. Chase Briscoe (-102)

Briscoe — and every driver below him, for that matter — must win to make the 2024 playoffs, but a rather uninspiring 21st-place run by the No. 14 team inspires little hope that Briscoe could get that much-needed win. It's getting easier to tell that Stewart-Haas Racing is shutting down at year's end, and Briscoe's lack of speed may be the biggest indicator.

20. Kyle Busch (-122)

Seeing your teammate win to clinch a playoff spot must have stung for Busch, who is in a must-win situation of his own with three races to go. A 12th-place finish showed signs of progress on Sunday, but pit road issues and a lack of speed early on prove that Busch won't turn around his season overnight. The No. 8 team may be best off putting all of their eggs in the Daytona basket.