The pressure continued to mount for NASCAR Cup Series playoff drivers and their teams Sunday as the Round of 12 began at Kansas Speedway. Three responded by delivering standout performances.
Alex Bowman, Ryan Blaney, and William Byron entered the race in different situations. Byron was 14 points above the cutline while Blaney was 11 points above. Bowman was 11th in the standings and seven points below the cutline.
How did these drivers respond? They piled up stage points and delivered top-10 finishes.
Byron, who finished 17th or worse in four of the past five races, turned his postseason around. He forced Christopher Bell into an error near the end of the first stage and he went on to take the green and white checkered flag. This secured 10 points and a playoff point.
Byron then finished fourth in stage 2 and second in the race. He exited Kansas with a race-high 52 points and took the points lead heading to Talladega. Now, he is 34 points above the cutline with two races remaining in the round.
From the Heartland to the Biggest and Baddest.
The #NASCARPlayoffs are off to @TALLADEGA. pic.twitter.com/lBvaobw4Vy
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 29, 2024
"Damn it, I wanted that one really bad," Byron said after the race. "It just sucks, man. You're so close, and you know going to Talladega you know what that is. So just sucks, but proud of the effort.
"Brought an awesome car. Proud of all my guys. They've been working their tails off. We've gotten a lot of BS over the summer from the outside and just I know how good this team is, and I know what we're capable of. So this is a great day to build on."
Bowman, fresh off a standout first round, continued his hot streak. He started the race in the 12th position, but he moved up to ninth by the end of stage 1. He then gambled near the end of stage 2 by staying out on the track after a late caution.
Bowman took the lead from Bell and won his first stage of the season. He locked up another 10 points and another playoff point.
Bowman was in position to contend for the win on the final restart. He lined up on the second row behind Ross Chastain and Martin Truex Jr., but he fell back through the field after getting stuck between Byron and Truex.
Chastain with a huge restart to take the lead late!
Less than 15 to go! pic.twitter.com/bddbUF2GaY
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 29, 2024
Bowman avoided a potential race-ending crash, but he was no longer in a position to fight for the win. He ultimately crossed the line sixth and left Kansas with 43 points. Now he is eight points above the cutline.
"We have had a little better pace in the playoffs than where we were prior (in the regular season), and it's made my job a little easier," Bowman said.
"So, yeah, we are not perfect by any means, and we have got a lot of things we need to improve on. But we are kind of headed in the right direction right now and doing the right things."
Bowman had a close call on the final restart, but compared to Blaney, his day was uneventful.
The reigning Cup Series champion had speed early, which he used to score 16 stage points. He ran inside the top 10 for the majority of the day, but he also encountered an unexpected issue during the final stage of the race.
Blaney had to make an unscheduled pit stop under green flag conditions on Lap 192. His No. 12 Ford Mustang had a loose wheel. He was the third Team Penske driver to make an unscheduled stop at Kansas due to a loose wheel.
This potentially spelled disaster for Blaney considering that the stop put him one lap down. He was also outside of the fuel window so he could not make it to the end of the race without another stop.
The reigning champion received some lucky breaks as the end of the playoff race approached. He regained track position as other drivers made their green flag pit stops. A caution for Kyle Busch spinning with just over 30 laps remaining then provided an opportunity to top off with fuel.
Blaney was on the third row for the final restart of the race. He moved past Bowman as the Hendrick Motorsports driver got stuck between Byron and Truex. Blaney then worked his way up to fourth before taking the checkered flag.
The reigning champion left Kansas Speedway with 49 points, the second-most in the field. This moved him to 28 points above the cutline heading to Talladega, a track where Blaney has three wins since 2019. This includes last season's playoff race.
"It was a good recovery and we have a few things to work on but I am proud of the fast car," Blaney said. "I appreciate the 12 guys for sticking with it all day.
"That is probably the best we have run here in a long time, especially with this NextGen car. I am proud of that and it gives us hope going on."