Clint Bowyer sat slumped against the side of his car on Sunday afternoon after exhausting himself with a desperate push forward in the final laps of the Bank of America ROVAL 400.
His surprising announcement this past week that he would retire and move to a broadcast position added urgency to his fight to remain in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. But he and three other postseason contenders fell short of the Round of 8, unable to track down Chase Elliott's runaway No. 9 ride.
Bowyer went to the medical care center following the competition because he felt so drained. He finished in 10th place despite losing power steering capabilities in the middle of the race.
"I’m good," Bowyer assured fans on Twitter. "Was definitely outta gas!! Another couple three laps and I’d have been on the ground after race crappie floppin’"
MORE: Chase Elliott keeps up road course excellence
Bowyer and everyone else knocked out of the postseason (including fellow retiree Jimmie Johnson) will continue to participate in the final four races of the campaign, though they are no longer championship eligible.
Here's what to know about the results of the ROVAL race and what to expect from here.
Who was eliminated at the Charlotte ROVAL?
The NASCAR Cup Series playoff field went from 12 to eight after Sunday's race. Below are the four drivers who were eliminated.
- Clint Bowyer
- Kyle Busch
- Aric Almirola
- Austin Dillon
Who advanced to the next round of the Cup Series playoffs?
Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott earned automatic bids by winning Round of 12 races. Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr. and Alex Bowman advanced on points.
NASCAR playoff standings entering Round of 8
| Pos. | Driver | Distance from cut-off |
| 1 | Kevin Harvick | +45 |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | +32 |
| 3 | Brad Keselowski | +13 |
| 4 | Chase Elliott | +5 |
| CUT-OFF | CUT-OFF | CUT-OFF |
| 5 | Joey Logano | -5 |
| 6 | Martin Truex Jr. | -10 |
| 7 | Alex Bowman | -18 |
| 8 | Kurt Busch | -21 |
What is the first race of the Cup Series Round of 8?
The first race of the Round of 8 takes place at Kansas next weekend with the Hollywood Casino 400. The Cup Series will also visit Texas and Martinsville this round before holding its championship race at Phoenix.