NASCAR Cup Series playoff bubble watch: Harrison Burton's big win blows up playoff picture

Harrison Burton's win on Saturday drastically changed the outlook of the NASCAR Cup Series playoff picture. With the regular-season finale at Darlington looming, here's where the bubble stands with 13 drivers locked in. 

14. Martin Truex Jr. (+58)

Truex is all but locked heading to Darlington, though a 24th-place effort continues a string of concerning finishes for the No. 19 team. Darlington will be an important race to see how much speed Truex will carry into the postseason. If the No. 19 car struggles to find the front, Truex's final playoff run could be short-lived. 

15. Ty Gibbs (+39)

Gibbs' fifth-place finish is exactly what the doctor ordered for the No. 54 team after a rough summer stretch. Gibbs should have a relatively stress-free night at Darlington, but Toyota's recent engine woes may cause the young driver to lose a little sleep. Still, the path is clear for Gibbs to earn a playoff bid for the first time in his career — provided nothing goes terribly wrong at Darlington. 

16. Chris Buescher (+21)

Burton's win now moves Buescher to the cut line. A solid 10th-place run gives Buescher a momentum boost heading into Darlington, where he nearly won in May. Out of all the drivers battling for a playoff spot on points, he has the feel the most confident about his race-winning potential. 

17. Bubba Wallace (-21)

Wallace has an average finish of 10.1 over the last seven races, including a 26th-place finish at Michigan after he was caught up in a crash. Without the unfortunate result at Michigan, Wallace would have had an average finish of 7.5 over six races — one of the best stretches of his career. Unfortunately, Burton's win puts Wallace's tear in jeopardy of vanity, as both he and Ross Chastain will need stellar points days in order to make the playoffs. 

18. Ross Chastain (-27)

Chastain battled back from crash damage to finish a solid 12th at Daytona but now faces a large points deficit at Darlington. He's looked fast at Darlington in the past, and he'll likely need a top-five finish in order to sniff the postseason. Don't rule out some Hail Melon-esque antics from Chastain this week — he's no stranger to desperation moves in big races. 

19. Kyle Busch (-106)

Busch is truly in a must-win scenario after Daytona, but his runner-up finish marks two consecutive top-fives for the No. 8 team — a feat they haven't accomplished all season. Busch's close loss will undoubtedly be heartbreaking, but he has to feel much more optimistic about his chances at Darlington now as opposed to two weeks ago.