Kevin Harvick has shown up in the second leg of the Drydene Double, making a pass around the outside of Ryan Blaney with two laps to go in stage one, to claim his 5th stage victory of the season.
Ryan Blaney – who along with William Byron and Kurt Busch stayed out on a lap 34 caution on old tires — finished runner-up in stage one, with William Byron, Aric Almirola and Brad Keselowski rounding out the top-five finishers in the first stage.
All three playoff bubble drivers finished inside the top-ten in stage one, with William Byron gaining a total of five points on bubble driver Jimmie Johnson.
Stage and Playoff Points Awarded in Stage 1:
| Finish | Driver | Stage Points | Playoff Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Harvick | 10 | 1 |
| 2 | Ryan Blaney | 9 | 0 |
| 3 | William Byron | 8 | 0 |
| 4 | Aric Almirola | 7 | 0 |
| 5 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | 0 |
| 6 | Joey Logano | 5 | 0 |
| 7 | Matt DiBenedetto | 4 | 0 |
| 8 | Jimmie Johnson | 3 | 0 |
| 9 | Kurt Busch | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | Austin Dillon | 1 | 0 |
