NASCAR playoff standings, point totals: Logano, Earnhardt Jr. need wins at Bristol

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are getting closer with 22 of 26 regular-season races in the books. When the circuit heads to Chicagoland Speedway in September, 16 drivers will be competing for a championship.

Here is a look at where things stand heading into Saturday's race at Bristol Motor Speedway:

Locked in

Martin Truex Jr.: Simply said, this guy has everyone beat in much the same fashion Jimmie Johnson has dominated the past decade. Truex's résumé is impressive to say the least, with four race wins and 15 stage victories this year. Truex nearly won his fifth race at Michigan but gave way to Kyle Larson on the last lap.

Kyle Larson: This guy is a serious playoff contender. Larson added his third win of the season, pulling off the hat trick at Michigan and is hungry for more. The victory moved Larson back into second place in the regular-season standings and propelled him ahead of seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson in the playoff points.

Kyle Busch: The No. 18 has been so strong and successful this season that a 10th-place finish at Michigan almost seems disappointing. Busch has five wins at Bristol and could use another to help his odds for another NASCAR championship.

Kevin Harvick: The No. 4 continues to impress for Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick has been one of the most consistent drivers this season, which is why he's fourth in the regular-season standings. A winner at Bristol in 2016, Harvick could be in line for some bonus points ahead of the playoffs.

Brad Keselowski: It was a disappointing end for the Michigan native last week, finishing 17th after qualifying on the pole. However, like many drivers atop the playoff standings, Keselowski knows how to win at Bristol and has been putting out consistently good cars each week. Granted, he hasn't won there since 2012, the No. 2 could be due for another trip to Victory Lane soon.

Denny Hamlin: Add the No. 11 to the long list of playoff drivers that have won at Bristol. Despite recent consistency, Hamlin is going to need to start adding more stage wins and checkered flags. His seven playoff points is eighth among qualified drivers.

Jimmie Johnson: Let's face it, Johnson has not been good since the beginning of the season. He's wrecked out of multiple races and it feels like years since he's finished in the top 10. All that said, the No. 48 somehow is third in the playoff points and poised to make yet another championship run. Look for Bristol, the track where he won in April, to be a catalyst.

Ryan Blaney: Despite early success this season, Blaney has been fairly average since his win at Pocono. That's not to say he can't start finding the groove come playoff time. At the moment, it seems he's just getting his feet wet but he will definitely have a shot at the title.

Kurt Busch: A Daytona 500 victory can go a long way. The Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41 hasn't been back to Victory Lane since. Busch has looked good in the Ford, and currently sits in 14th despite questions about what team he'll drive for next year.

Ryan Newman: An early victory at Phoenix locked Newman into the NASCAR playoff picture, and he has run consistently toward the top since. Newman has added a sneaky five top-five finishes this season, including a fourth-place finish at Michigan.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: We already know Stenhouse can absolutely dominate restrictor-plate tracks with wins at Daytona and Talladega, but those won't be enough to win the crown. Stenhouse will be tested at Bristol this weekend.

Kasey Kahne: It has been an up-and-down past few weeks for Kahne. After winning the Brickyard 400 and clinching a playoff spot a few weeks ago it was announced Kahne will not to drive the No. 5 next season at Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne won at Bristol in 2013 and could garner some momentum with a win on Saturday.

Austin Dillon: You might recall Dillon taking the No. 3 car back to Victory Lane at his hometown track, Charlotte. Dillon hasn't been all that impressive in stage racing, but either way, he will have a chance to compete for a championship.

In (for now)

Chase Elliott: The No. 24 is currently the first driver in on merit. He has continued to look good, adding another top-10 finish at Michigan. Basically if no new driver wins on Saturday and Elliott keeps up his pace, he will clinch a playoff spot.

Jamie McMurray: This guy has zero playoff points but is eighth in the regular-season standings. In the years before stage racing, McMurray would be talked about as a title contender, but even with his strong finishes, he never seems to run near the top spot. If the next two races go without a winner, you can probably count on McMurray getting one of those final playoff spots.

Matt Kenseth: Still without a job for next season, Kenseth is driving for his career. Luckily for him, he's a three-time winner at Bristol and keeps getting closer to a win. If anyone has a shot at winning their first race of the season before the playoffs, it's Kenseth.

Down, but not out (yet)

Clint Bowyer: The Stewart-Haas Racing driver has been good enough for 10th in the regular season standings but not good enough for the playoffs thus far. It was a disappointing finish outside the top 20 for Bowyer at Michigan heading into a track where he's never won before. Despite his position as first one out of the playoffs right now, his lack of success at the upcoming tracks make it hard to believe he'll get in without a win.

Joey Logano: It was another finish outside the top 25 for Logano at Michigan even after qualifying second. Despite having strong cars week after week, when it comes to race day, Logano seems to run into all sorts of issues. Either way, he will have a shot to earn his third career win at Bristol on Saturday night, which would put all these issues behind the 2016 championship runner-up.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: The only reason Junior is on this list is because he's won at Bristol before. His No. 88 Chevrolet simply hasn't been fast enough to compete with the likes of Truex, Larson and Kyle Busch this season, and for that reason it's hard to believe he'll pull off a win before the playoffs. That said, Junior has a knack for making memories and if not this Saturday, he'll have another chance at Richmond where he has two wins and an average finish of 13.71.

2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoff points

POSITION	DRIVER	CAR #	PLAYOFF POINTS	STAGE WINS	RACE WINS
1.	Martin Truex Jr.	78	35	15	4
2.	Kyle Larson	42	18	3	3
3.	Jimmie Johnson	48	16	1	3
4.	Kyle Busch	18	14	9	1
5.	Brad Keselowski	2	14	4	2
6.	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	17	10	0	2
7.	Ryan Blaney	21	8	3	1
8.	Kevin Harvick	4	8	3	1
9.	Denny Hamlin	11	7	2	1
10.	Kurt Busch	41	5	0	1
11.	Ryan Newman	31	5	0	1
12.	Austin Dillon	3	5	0	1
13.	Kasey Kahne	5	5	0	1
14.	Chase Elliott	24	2	2	0
15.	Matt Kenseth	20	2	2	0
16.	Clint Bowyer	14	1	1	0
17.	Daniel Suarez	19	1	1	0
18.	Joey Logano	22	1	1	1

2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings

POSITION	DRIVER	CAR #	POINTS	BEHIND	WINS
1.	Martin Truex Jr.	78	933	LEADER	4
2.	Kyle Larson	42	804	129	3
3.	Kyle Busch	18	797	136	1
4.	Kevin Harvick	4	787	146	1
5.	Brad Keselowski	2	720	213	2
6.	Denny Hamlin	11	710	223	1
7.	Chase Elliott	24	685	248	0
8.	Jamie McMurray	1	675	258	0
9.	Matt Kenseth	20	654	279	0
10.	Clint Bowyer	14	623	310	0
11.	Jimmie Johnson	48	592	341	3
12.	Ryan Blaney	21	592	341	1
13.	Joey Logano	22	556	377	1
14.	Kurt Busch	41	554	379	1
15.	Ryan Newman	31	536	397	1
16.	Erik Jones	77	524	409	0