Breaking down NASCAR's playoff picture with just 10 regular-season races left

Going into the race weekend at Nashville Superspeedway for Sunday’s Ally 400, the NASCAR Cup Series has just 10 of 26 regular-season races remaining, which means only 10 more chances for drivers to win a race and lock themselves into the playoffs, starting in September.

After a rare off-weekend, NASCAR is headed to Nashville before taking on Chicago’s street course race in a new event, followed by races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Richmond Raceway to close out the month.

If a driver wins at least one of the 26 regular-season races, they secure their spot in the 10-race playoffs culminating in a winner-take-all championship race at Phoenix Raceway in November. If there are fewer than 16 different race winners in the regular season, the rest of the playoff field is determined by points.

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With the season’s first 16 races in the books, Martin Truex Jr. is at the top of the regular-season standings, and the regular-season winner gets a 15-point bonus headed into the playoffs.

Notably absent from the current projected playoff picture is 2020 champ Chase Elliott, who’s recent suspension and injury have kept him sidelined for seven races. At 27th in the regular-season standings, he’ll likely have to win a race to make the postseason at this point.

So with 10 races remaining before the playoffs, here’s a look at the top-20 drivers in the regular-season standings, along with their projected playoff rank and points.