A reasonably early look at the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series playoff picture and who needs to step up

Following Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, we’ve officially hit the halfway point in the 26-race regular season. And through the first 13 races, there have been 11 different winners with William Byron and Ross Chastain as the lone repeat winners so far.

And all those winners can breathe a little and look ahead to the playoffs beginning in September.

The top-16 drivers in the standings after the regular season — which ends at Daytona International Speedway in August — will advance to the 10-race playoffs.

Those 11 race winners have already locked themselves into the postseason — assuming there won’t be more than 16 different winners by the end of the first 26 races, which would be unexpected but certainly not impossible — especially when you consider the heavy hitters who have yet to make it to Victory Lane. For drivers who have won a race, they also need to be in the top 30 in points at the end of the regular season to be eligible.

So sure, there’s still half the regular season to go, but it’s never too early to see what the playoff picture looks like. Here’s a look at the top-25 drivers in the standings, along with their projected playoff rank and points, as NASCAR presses pause on the points races for the All-Star Race on Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.