2011 NASCAR Cup Series Head-to-Head Playoff Results

Originally published on Mar. 14, 2025

By Zane Miller

First round

(8) #39 Ryan Newman v. (1) #48 Jimmie Johnson

(7) #22 Kurt Busch v. (2) #99 Carl Edwards

(6) #17 Matt Kenseth v. (3) #18 Kyle Busch

(5) #24 Jeff Gordon v. (4) #29 Kevin Harvick

The opening race of the 2011 playoffs took place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where the Jeff Gordon led the postseason contenders with 78 laps led and a fourth-place finish. Kevin Harvick posted a solid 12^th-place finish, but it was not nearly enough to keep pace with Gordon. Meanwhile, Carl Edwards outlasted former teammate Kurt Busch with an eighth-place run as Busch struggled in 22^nd and Matt Kenseth won his duel with Kyle Busch, bouncing back from a slow qualifying run to finish sixth as Busch came home in 11^th. Neither Jimmie Johnson nor Ryan Newman had particularly awe-inspiring afternoons, but Johnson ultimately came out on top in 18^th as Newman finished a lap down in 25^th despite starting on the pole.

At Dover, Johnson easily disposed of Newman thanks to a runner-up finish after leading 157 laps, while Newman had yet another disappointing day, finishing two laps down in 23^rd. The battle between Kenseth and Kyle Busch was far more intense, ending with Kenseth holding off the Nevada native by just one position in fifth. The other Busch brother was far more fortunate, as Kurt took home the race win after leading the final 42 laps to thwart a late charge from Edwards in third. The string of close battles continued between Harvick and Gordon, ending with the former keeping his title hopes alive after rounding out the top 10 ahead of Gordon in 12^th. Busch’s luck ran out in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas, finishing an unlucky 13^th while Edwards claimed the fifth spot. This was certainly the most remarkable series of the afternoon, as Gordon’s playoff run went up in smoke after suffering a blown engine late in the going. Harvick followed right behind his soon-to-be postseason competitor in sixth.

Semifinal

(6) #17 Matt Kenseth v. (1) #48 Jimmie Johnson

(4) #29 Kevin Harvick v. (2) #99 Carl Edwards

Despite the Charlotte Motor Speedway usually being Jimmie Johnson’s playground, this was not the case in the semifinals of the 2011 playoffs. Kenseth led 46 laps on the way to the race win and his first at Charlotte since the 2000 season, while Johnson tangled with Kurt Busch and was left out of the race in 34^th. Edwards finished closely behind his Roush Fenway teammate in third, with Harvick in hot pursuit in sixth.

With the fight moving onto Talladega, Harvick would be the first to get swallowed up by the massive superspeedway. Just past the halfway point, he was collected in a multi-car accident that put him well out of contention for a good run as he eventually limped home in 32^nd. Edwards survived the race without major incident and finished ahead by a comfortable margin in 11^th. Meanwhile, Johnson spun with around 20 laps to go and, while he was able to avoid major damage, could not make his way back up through the field. Despite leading 21 laps, Kenseth dropped to 18^th in the final running order, but it was just enough to advance as Johnson took 26^th. This set up a teammate vs. teammate championship final.

Final

(6) #17 Matt Kenseth v. (2) #99 Carl Edwards

The finals began with a thriller at Texas, with both Kenseth and Edwards spending time at the front. After a hard-fought battle, though, it would be Edwards getting the early advantage with a runner-up finish to winner Tony Stewart, while Kenseth settled behind in fourth. However, the Phoenix race would be much less of a contest. Despite leading 49 laps early in the going, Kenseth’s car eventually faded while Edwards took the lead for himself. On lap 178, Kenseth was involved in a crash with Brian Vickers and was unable to continue, being credited with a 34^th-place finish as Edwards captured his second career Cup Series title with another second-place run.

Edwards’ stats for 2011 included one victory, 19 top-fives and 26 top-10s, ending the season second in the real-life point standings to champion Tony Stewart.