Record-Breaking Overtime Wins Shape NASCAR Cup Playoff Races as Bell, Bowman Battle for Final Spot

Rookie Zane Smith finished second in Sunday night’s NASCAR Cup race at Nashville Superspeedway, just behind winner Joey Logano who completed a record-breaking five overtimes before taking the checkered flag. Tyler Reddick finished third, Ryan Preece fourth, and Chris Buescher fifth.

Unfortunately, Christopher Bell crashed in the third stage and finished in the 36th position, ending his streak of five consecutive top-10 finishes. Despite this setback, Bell still holds a slim lead over Alex Bowman for the final playoff spot. With seven races remaining and five spots still available via points, Bowman must maintain his momentum to secure a playoff berth.

Logano’s win resulted in a significant shift in the playoff cutline, elevating him from the final playoff spot to 11th place. This makes him the 11th driver to lock in a playoff berth through a win this season. The remaining playoff positions are currently held by Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe, and Kyle Busch, but they trail by considerable margins with only seven races left to go.