NASCAR Playoff Power Rankings 2025: Who's in trouble for Charlotte Roval elimination as Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney lock in

Chase Elliott drove past Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace in the final turn of Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway to win in thrilling fashion. It was the second win of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season for the driver of the #9 and guaranteed him a spot in the Round of 8 of the playoffs.

With one more race left in the Round of 12 at the Charlotte Roval, some drivers are sitting on a comfortable points cushion to advance. Others, meanwhile, will be desperate for a win or a solid points day to advance. Whose playoff hopes are in jeopardy? We'll take a look in this week's NASCAR Playoff Power Rankings.

5. Joey Logano

NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 Presented by ESPN BET - Source: Getty

After a strong fourth-place finish in the first race of the Round of 12 at New Hampshire, Joey Logano lost some ground on his barrier over the cut line. The driver of the #22 finished 21st on Sunday at Kansas, dropping him to just 13 points above the cutoff heading into the Charlotte Roval.

Joey Logano has posted one win this season at Texas along with six top-five finishes an average finish of 16th. At the Charlotte Roval, the three-time Cup Series champion has finished top 10 in the last two races, including fifth in 2023. With a 13-point cushion over Ross Chastain, Logano will need a smooth day to come away with a spot in the Round of 8.

4. Ross Chastain

NASCAR: NASCAR Cup Series Race at New Hampshire - Source: Imagn

Despite leaving Kansas with an 11th-place finish on Sunday, Ross Chastain lost a point on the cutoff with one race left in the Round of 8. The driver of the #1 entered Kansas trailing the cut line by 12 points and left with a 13-point deficit between himself and Joey Logano.

With a ninth-place finish at New Hampshire to go with Sunday's 11th-place effort, the Trackhouse Racing driver has had a solid Round of 12. However, he'll need more than solid to overtake eighth place in the points standings. In six starts at the Charlotte Roval, Chastain has one top-10 finish and finished outside the top 20 in the other five starts.

3. Bubba Wallace

NASCAR Cup Series Mobil 1 301 - Qualifying - Source: Getty

Bubba Wallace led at the white flag of Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 at the Kansas Speedway. However, the 23XI Racing driver's chances at winning were dashed when he and 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin got together in the final corner, allowing Chase Elliott to scoot by on the inside and win.

Heading into the final race of the Round of 18, the driver of the #23 trails the cut line by 26 points. At the Roval, Wallace has two top-10 finishes in seven starts, including a ninth-place finish last year. However, a 26-point gap will be difficult to overcome with just a top 10. If he wants to keep his playoff hopes alive, Wallace might be in a must-win situation.

2. Tyler Reddick

Much like his 23XI Racing teammate, Tyler Reddick is facing a possible must-win scenario this Sunday at the Charlotte Roval. The driver of the #45 finished 21st at New Hampshire and ninth at Kansas, ultimately leaving him behind the cut line by 29 points heading into the final race of the Round of 12.

In five starts at the Charlotte Roval, Reddick has finished no worse than 12th and posted a runner-up finish in 2021. He is a proven road-course racer with three victories, last coming at CoTA in 2023. While the points deficit isn't impossible to overcome, Reddick might be forced to win his way into the Round of 8 if he wants to clinch a spot.

1. Austin Cindric

NASCAR: NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Race at Kansas - Source: Imagn

No one will be more desperate for a victory on Sunday at the Charlotte Roval than Austin Cindric. The driver of the #2 is all but in a must-win situation as he trails the playoff cut line by 48 points. After a 17th-place effort at New Hampshire followed by a 30th-place result at Kansas, the Team Penske driver is at the bottom of the playoff standings.

Fortunately for the three-time Cup Series winner, he had speed at the Charlotte Roval last year. Cindric wheeled his way to a fourth-place finish after starting fifth, yet finished outside the top 20 in his other two starts at the track. The 2022 Daytona 500 winner faces a tall task to advance to the Round of 12, but it's not impossible.

About the author

John Breeden is a NASCAR content writer at Sportskeeda with over four years of sports journalism experience. His career began back in 2021, when he started writing for The Breeze - a student-run publication at James Madison University that covered a wide variety of JMU collegiate sports. He graduated from JMU in May 2022 with a degree in media arts and design concentrating in journalism. He currently writes for his local publication, the Daily News-Record, in Harrisonburg, VA, where he covers a variety of sports at the high school and collegiate level.

John has been a lifelong NASCAR fan and has followed the sport closely since 2005. He stays informed on motorsports developments through social media, NASCAR.com, and NASCAR podcasts, which help him craft unique and engaging stories. Interviewing Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon at Martinsville Speedway was a career highlight for John, where he wrote about William Byron taking the famed No. 24 car back to the Championship 4.

Beyond motorsports, John enjoys writing about other sports such as football, baseball, and basketball. He believes that NASCAR could reach the global popularity of Formula 1 by expanding its audience with more international races and enhancing its mainstream appeal, just like F1 has done.

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Edited by John Breeden