Playoff Bubble Watch: 2017 Edition

Well here we are again, fellow NASCAR fans.

It's the final race before the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series enters the playoffs. The annual fall race at Richmond has generated excitement and controversy over the years with some drivers desperately needing either a win or an impressive run to ensure a championship opportunity.

Today, let's look at some bubble drivers and see where they stand going into Saturday's Federated Auto Parts 400.

Chase Elliott - Things look fairly cozy for the young Elliott on paper. Sitting 14th in the playoff picture, Elliott is 94 points ahead of the cutoff line. However, he will need to be on his toes Saturday; Matt Kenseth and Jamie McMurray are only two points and three points behind him, respectively. That means if Elliott has a less-than-stellar night and a driver outside the cutoff line manages to win at Richmond, Elliott faces elimination. Richmond unfortunately hasn't been too kind to Elliott in his young career. In four career starts in the Cup Series, he has finished 16th, 12th, 19th and 24th. With Kenseth and McMurray also hungry for a playoff spot and rookie Erik Jones stringing together some impressive finishes as of late, Elliott will need a good run Saturday.

Matt Kenseth - I'm sure Kenseth will want to finish his tenure with Joe Gibbs Racing on a high note with yet another chance at a second championship. Kenseth has been unusually quiet on the track this season with no wins to his name, and Richmond is not a favorite track of his. Although he has two victories here, he also has an average finish of 16.14 and his last two Richmond starts ended with finishes of 38th and 23rd, respectively. Basically, Kenseth is in the same boat as Elliott, hoping no one outside the playoff cutoff line gets a surprise win.

Jamie McMurray - McMurray has been steady throughout the season, and while he has never won at Richmond in his career, recent history shows that fans should tune into Saturday's race with confidence. McMurray in his last six starts here has finished in the top 10 four times, including managing a 6th-place finish this spring. McMurray just needs for no one outside the cutoff line to get a surprise win and he'll be golden. However, it wouldn't hurt to finish ahead of Kenseth and/or Elliott if he can help it.

Clint Bowyer - 2017 has been a year for Bowyer to find himself again and while he has had flashes of past success this season, they aren't enough to propel him into the postseason. Bowyer is 91 points behind the cutoff line, so a win is needed Saturday for him to advance. He has two wins at the track, with his last trip to victory lane coming in 2012. Unfortunately finishes of 33rd, 22nd and 15th in his last three starts here don't really signal hope.

Erik Jones - This kid has been someone to watch out for in the past month and is someone to watch for at Richmond. Jones enters Richmond with five consecutive top-10 finishes, including three top-5's in a row. At Bristol, he managed to lead the most laps after winning the pole before a late-race pass by Kyle Busch. While he finished a dismal 38th place at Richmond earlier this year, it's almost completely safe to say that won't happen again. Jones unfortunately is 123 points behind the cutoff line, so a win is necessary to advance into the playoffs. Considering his recent success, it wouldn't surprise me to see him contend for his first Cup Series win again Saturday.

Joey Logano - Things have just not been going Logano's way since his encumbered win earlier this year at the Richmond spring race. While fans have reason to believe Logano can pull off a much-needed Richmond sweep, the No. 22 car hasn't been near the front enough since that first win. Logano has finished in the top 10 just three times, and this was after finishing in the top 10 eight times in the first nine races. He sits 129 points behind the cutoff line, so a trip to victory lane is the doctor's order here. However, Logano's struggles throughout the season don't bode well for his playoff hopes.

Daniel Suarez - Suarez has had a nice showing in his rookie season, with eight top-10s under his belt. However, a win and maybe some Dunkin Donuts are needed for Suarez considering his 196-point deficit. While a 12th-place fin

ish at the Richmond spring race shows promise, being a contender to win races hasn't been Suarez's penchant this season unlike his rookie counterpart, Jones.

Theoretically, anyone inside the top 30 can get into the playoffs with a win Saturday. The only driver who has won at Richmond before in this situation is Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (three wins), who is currently 22nd in the standings. While the win-and-in style of the current incarnation of the playoffs has its faults, it can't be denied that it creates more excitement, especially when it comes to these bubble drivers come Saturday night.