NASCAR Power Rankings: Who's safe and who should worry heading into the 2024 Kansas playoff race

The NASCAR Cup Series kicks off the Round of 12 in the playoffs this weekend, returning to Kansas Speedway. The second round will also include races at Talladega Superspeedway and the Charlotte Roval.

Kyle Larson dominated at Bristol Motor Speedway, securing a win and advancing to the Round of 12. Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, and Daniel Suarez also made it to the next round. Meanwhile, Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, Ty Gibbs, and Harrison Burton were eliminated from the playoffs.

The Round of 12 is a wildcard round with a Superspeedway and a road course event capable of derailing championship contenders. Playoff drivers will need to maximize their results at Kansas or earn an outright win to advance to the next round.

Let us take a look at four unsafe NASCAR playoff drivers and three drivers who are relatively safe from being eliminated.

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4 NASCAR playoff drivers below the Round of 12 cutline

Chase Briscoe (-7)

Chase Briscoe (Image via Imagn)

Chase Briscoe has been a pleasant surprise in the NASCAR playoffs, having advanced into the Round of 12 in Stewart Haas Racing's swansong season. Sitting seven points below the cutline, Briscoe will have to limit damages at Kansas, where he has never breached the top 10, and maximize opportunities at Talladega and the Roval.

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Alex Bowman (-7)

Alex Bowman (Image via Getty)

Alex Bowman has silenced his critics with impressive results in the first NASCAR playoff round. Despite being seven points below the cutline, the #48 Hendrick Motorsports driver could advance into the next round, as he has consistent top-10 results at Kansas and the Roval. Bowman cannot afford a slipup as that will further increase his deficit.

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Daniel Suarez (-6)

Daniel Suarez (Image via Getty)

With a 31st-place finish at Bristol, Daniel Suarez managed to advance into the Round of 12 by the barest of margins. Suarez must limit his damages in Kansas, where his last top-10 finish came in 2017. The #99 Trackhouse Racing driver needs to maximize his points haul at the wildcard races at Talladega and Roval, to have any shot at advancing into the next round.

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Austin Cindric (-4)

Austin Cindric (Image via Imagn)

Austin Cindric's strong results at Atlanta and the Glen helped him advance into the next round. Cindric and Team Penske in general, have struggled at intermediate ovals. The #2 Ford driver has finished outside the top 30 in his last three visits to Kansas. Talladega is the only track where Cindric and Team Penske can make an impact.

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Top 3 NASCAR playoff seeds in Round of 12

Kyle Larson (+39)

Kyle Larson (Image via Getty)

With five race wins and 12 stage wins, Kyle Larson enters the Round of 12 as the top seed with a 39-point advantage to the cutline. Larson is the favorite to win at Kansas, having earned two victories and five top-five finishes in the last six races at the intermediate oval. However, it will be crucial for the 2021 NASCAR champion to navigate this round, having previously been eliminated as the reigning champion in 2022.

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Christopher Bell (+24)

Christopher Bell (Image via Imagn)

Christopher Bell has been the most consistent driver in recent weeks, entering the playoffs with a 24-point advantage. Having started on pole in the previous two races at Kansas, he can contend for victory this weekend. Bell has the ability to navigate this round with ease but needs a decent points haul this weekend.

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Tyler Reddick (+20)

Tyler Reddick (Image via Imagn)

Tyler Reddick lost his momentum in the Round of 16, but can very well bounce back with a victory in Kansas. He won the fall race last year but struggled at the track earlier this season. The upcoming races also favor Reddick, who recently won at Talladega and has a strong track record on road courses.