NASCAR Cup Series playoff bubble watch: Who rose, fell after Nashville

12. Martin Truex Jr (+143)

13. Ty Gibbs (+70)

14. Ross Chastain (+66)

Chastain looked primed to repeat at Nashville, proving to be the dominant car of Stage 3. However, a late-race incident with Kyle Larson relegated Chastain to 33rd on the results sheet and threw away what could've been a stellar points day. Chastain is still looking for his first win of 2024, and if one more driver below the cut line were to win, he could be in the danger zone. 

15. Chris Buescher (+56)

Buescher continues to hover around 15th place, but a fifth-place finish for Buescher is certainly a welcome sign for the No. 17 team. Expect Buescher to be a contender at the Chicago Street Race next Sunday — he's been one of the best road-course racers since the introduction of the Next-Gen car in 2022. 

16. Alex Bowman (+51)

Despite a season in which he's tied for the third most top-10 finishes in the Cup Series, Bowman now finds himself as the last man inside the provisional playoff picture with seven races to go. Bowman has been quietly consistent — he survived the Nashville carnage and earned a 14th-place finish on Sunday — but it may take a win for the No. 48 team to feel comfortable about the playoff positioning. 

17. Bubba Wallace (-51)

Wallace did everything right on Sunday, driving through the field early and capitalizing on strategy late to earn a seventh-place finish. The problem? His biggest cut line competitor in Joey Logano found victory lane, meaning Wallace lost 38 points to the playoff bubble after driving one of his better races of the season. The goal for Wallace in Chicago should simply be survival, as good tracks for the No. 23 team in Pocono and Indianapolis follow the Chicago street race. 

18. Chase Briscoe (-78)

Briscoe found himself running as high as second late in Sunday's race before running out of fuel. With everybody below the playoff cut line likely needing a victory to make the postseason, it's up to Briscoe to manufacture a victory over the next seven races. 

19. Kyle Busch (-104)

It's time for Kyle Busch to hit the panic button. The two-time champion hasn't finished better than 12th over the last seven races, and now needs a win to make the Cup Series playoffs. Everything option is on the table for Busch, and whether he wins a race on speed or strategy, he'll be grateful to get in victory lane any way he can. 

20. Josh Berry (-131)

A late crash relegated Berry to 26th at the end of Sunday's race, ending a mini-run for the No. 4 team of top-seven finishes. With only one short track — Richmond on Aug. 11 — remaining in the regular-season, it may be wise for Berry to put all of his eggs in the Richmond basket, as the short ovals have been the No. 4 team's bread and butter this season.