NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Standings After Talladega

Chase Briscoe's win in the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway secured his spot in the Championship 4. For the remaining six drivers fighting for the final two opportunities to fight for the title at Phoenix Raceway on November 2, next Sunday's Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway almost certainly feel like a must-win race.

While Briscoe raced to the checkered flag, both Kyle Larson and William Byron ran into issues on the final lap. Larson ran out of fuel while in contention for the win, while Byron spun exiting the tri-oval after a push from Carson Hocevar.

Byron finished 25th, with Larson limping to a 26th-place finish. Larson exits Talladega 36 points above the cutline, just one point behind Christopher Bell.

The 36-point margin looks healthy on paper, but one driver below the cutoff winning at Martinsville changes the math dramatically. In that case, Bell and Larson's one-point difference suddenly becomes the fight to stay above the cutoff.

Byron is the driver 36 points behind Larson in fifth, followed by Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott. Logano was the highest finishing of those three drivers in 16th, while Elliott fell out of the race after an early accident and finished 40th. Blaney finished 23rd in Sunday's race.

Of the eight drivers currently in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, only Briscoe - Sunday's Talladega winner - has not won a Cup race at Martinsville. Blaney won last year's Xfinity 500 to join the Championship 4, and both he and Byron are two-time winners at Martinsville.

The Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway will determine the two drivers who will join Briscoe and Denny Hamlin in the Championship 4. Coverage of the event on Sunday, October 26 will start at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

-Photo credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Standings Following Talladega