Stubbs: Cup Series' Round of 12 offers plenty of storylines

Following Kyle Larson's dominant showing at the Bristol Night Race on Saturday, the NASCAR Cup Series playoff field was reduced from 16 drivers to 12. Ty Gibbs, Brad Keselowski, Harrison Burton, and Martin Truex Jr. all saw their postseason dreams come to an end at Bristol, and four more drivers will be eliminated after the Charlotte race on October 13th.

With the playoff grid reset, here are the key storylines to watch before the Round of 12, which includes races at Kansas, Talladega, and the Charlotte Roval.

Will Talladega be Larson's downfall, or just a minor setback?

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Larson has always had a tumultuous relationship with superspeedway racing. Since finishing 38th in his first Daytona 500 start in 2014, he has struggled on drafting tracks. While Talladega falls between two of Larson's best tracks, a poor performance at Kansas could spell disaster for his championship hopes if he has a disastrous day at Talladega. While he can't be counted out at the Charlotte Roval, it's fair to say that Kansas could make or break his chances at the title. Talladega doesn't care about your championship aspirations, as has been proven since the track joined the Chase schedule in 2004.

Hamlin's hopes hanging by a thread

Over the past month, Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 team have made one thing clear: momentum is crucial. A penalty that resulted in the loss of 10 playoff points after Michigan sent the team into a downward spiral. Finishes of 24th and 23rd at Atlanta and Watkins Glen forced Hamlin to put on a stellar performance at Bristol. While a fourth-place finish secured his spot in the Round of 12, the team's speed just isn't where it needs to be at the moment. With the Next Gen car nullifying his drafting skills, Talladega is not a race where he is guaranteed to be at the front.

Blaney and Byron aiming to repeat 2023 success

Defending champion Ryan Blaney and William Byron both won in the Round of 12 last season, which propelled them to the Championship Four at Phoenix. Byron's victory came in the first race of the round at Texas, a track that has been replaced by Kansas this year. Unsurprisingly, Blaney's win came at Talladega, where he has won three of the last four races. While a win is not necessary for either driver to advance, it would certainly be beneficial to secure a spot in the Round of 8 early on.

'Bowman the Showman' no longer the underdog

Making it through the first round may have been the most crucial step in Alex Bowman's championship pursuit. He had strong finishes of seventh and fifth at Kansas and Talladega earlier this season, and in his five races at the Charlotte Roval, he has never finished outside of the top 10. This round sets up well for Bowman, who has also won at Las Vegas and Martinsville in his career, two tracks that make up two of the three races in the Round of 8.

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And the eliminations begin...

With each passing round, the margin for error becomes smaller. The top teams and drivers will rise to the top after this round. Here are the four drivers I predict will not make it to the Round of 8.

Austin Cindric

Cindric has made it to the Round of 12 for the second time in three seasons. While he may have silenced his critics in the first round, the No. 2 team simply does not have the speed or experience to knock out one of the favorites. Cindric's best chance at advancing could be a win at Talladega, but relying solely on that is not advisable. Cindric's solid playoff run will come to an end at Charlotte.

Daniel Suarez

Similar to Cindric, the No. 99 team overperformed in the first round. However, Trackhouse as a whole has been slightly off this season, and it's hard to trust a driver who finished 31st in the elimination race at Bristol, only saved by strong performances at Atlanta and Watkins Glen. While Suarez cannot be completely counted out, his second playoff run with Trackhouse will end just like his first.

Chase Briscoe

While "The Lady in Black" may have slipped on Briscoe's glass slipper when he won the Southern 500, the