This week on Podracing, Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta break down Denny Hamlin’s dominant victory in St. Louis — err, Illinois (which we enjoyed) — where his 142.2 driver rating secured a stress-free Round of 12 berth and kept Toyota’s perfect playoff run intact. Along those lines, we also dive into Neil’s latest NASCAR.com story on where this Toyota hot streak ranks historically, plus run through the updated playoff odds model: Who’s safe (Denny), who’s toast (SVG 😔), and who’s locked in a cutline duel at Bristol (the Battle of the Austins: Cindric vs. Dillon). Finally, we preview the chaos ahead on the Bristol concrete, where tire management could decide everything, and see whether Neil will swing big to reclaim the one-and-done lead from Tyler.

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