Well, the Round of 16 ended. And to be fair, it was a little anticlimactic. Yes, it was exciting seeing Kyle Busch try to catch Kevin Harvick for the last hundred laps or so, and William Byron getting knocked out of the playoffs by accident (physical accident, not not-on-purpose accident, though the physical accident was not on purpose) was a big moment, but this was Bristol. It was supposed to be mayhem. It was not mayhem. And we didn’t even get a video of the Byron accident because NBC is evidently incapable of adequately covering a stock car race, and it’s at a level of incapability where even NIT bloggers moonlighting as NASCAR bloggers despite only having watched a dozen or two races in their lives can notice it blatantly.
Woof.
Anyway, the Round of 16 is over. Here’s how it ended:
Kevin Harvick: Unstoppable?
The way the NASCAR Playoffs are set up, it’s really hard to see any scenario in which Harvick isn’t still around when the championship race comes. He’s got approximately seven thousand playoff points, which are the ones you carry over round-to-round (actually, he has 67, but the fifth-place dude’s at 21, and you can only gain a maximum of 59 points on a guy in a race and that takes perfection and one utter disaster). He just keeps winning.
Kyle Busch: Alive?
Kyle Busch was right there all night. Just couldn’t beat Harvick. No one can beat Harvick this year. Well, it feels that way. But it was fun to have this guy back in the mix, with it being such a frustrating year. Won a stage or two, even.
William Byron: ‘Til Next Year
I know nothing about NASCAR, but seems like a fairly impressive season from the young dude? Held his own in the playoffs until he wrecked last night? Made the playoffs in the first place? Big things.
Matt DiBenedetto: It Was Fun
Good-enough-seeming guy, nice to have a wildcard in the mix. Again, I know nothing about NASCAR, so I don’t know if there’s often a wildcard in the mix or if it was rare to have a driver from an unheralded team around, but I, for one, was impressed.
Cole Custer: It Was Very Fun
We’ll always have the “Where are the beers” tweet. And, you know, a lot more seasons. ‘Cause Custer was a rookie this year.
Ryan Blaney: Great Moment for a Future Championship Video
The low point. Just got nothing going in all three races this round.
Denny Hamlin: No Kevin Harvick, But He’ll Do
Hamlin remains the closest man to Harvick, starting the Round of 12 a sizable-but-still-closest 19 points back. The format makes it very easy for Harvick to lose in the finale at Phoenix, which makes Hamlin and these next few all factors.
Brad Keselowski: Factor
32 points back of Harvick. Rough night with the power steering, but didn’t really matter.
Joey Logano: Factor
45 back of Harvick. Sounded like the Penske cars just weren’t built for those long green-flag stretches (see: Blaney, Ryan).
Chase Elliott: Star Rising? Factor
The Most Popular Driver is very much in the mix, and my guess is he’ll be the favorite at the Roval at Charlotte since it’s a road course? Meaning his path to the Round of 8 is even more straightforward than the standings already portray it to be?
Martin Truex, Jr: Great Soundbites
Hearing him explain that he couldn’t explain why he slid in front of his teammate, Hamlin, and accidentally wrecked both of them was awesome.
Alex Bowman: Exists
It is so hard to notice this man.
Austin Dillon: Still in It
Starting the Round of 12 in eighth place. Just has to hold it to make the Round of 8. And just 17 points back of Logano for the fourth spot, which is a closable margin.
Aric Almirola: Points Racer Extraordinaire
The man doesn’t win, but he sure as heck advances.
Clint Bowyer: Another Trip Around the Sun
And another three meaningful races.
Kurt Busch: Not Going Away…Yet
Always present. Rarely a factor.
***
That’s where we’re at. Harvick, Hamlin, Keselowski, Logano, Elliott, Truex, Bowman, Dillon, Almirola, Bowyer, and the Busch brothers remain. Next stop: Las Vegas. To open the Round of 12.
