Even as the NASCAR Cup Series takes a two-week break, life is not easy for drivers on the brink of the playoffs. Most of the postseason field is set by the 12 drivers who have won a race so far. The last four spots will go to anyone else who can earn a win in the four remaining races of the regular season, followed by the highest winless drivers in points.
Of the competitors without a win in 2024, Martin Truex Jr. is in the best shape with a 108-point advantage above the cut line. Even if Truex does not win, he is unlikely to lose a points cushion of that size in four races. Ty Gibbs is next on the list at 42 points to the good. Engine issues in the last two races have cost Gibbs valuable points, but he still has a good opportunity to qualify for his first Cup Series playoffs.
After that, things start to get dicey. Chris Buescher holds the next-to-last spot in the playoff grid at 17 points above the cut line. Ross Chastain is the bubble driver by just seven points over Bubba Wallace.
A month ago, the gap between Chastain and Wallace was nearly 100 points, but the past four races have erased Wallace’s deficit. Crashes at Nashville Superspeedway and Pocono Raceway have disrupted Chastain’s consistent season, and he and the No. 1 team did not score a top-10 finish during that time.
On the other hand, Wallace has been very efficient in collecting points. He has not finished worse than 13th in the last four races and won his first stage of the season during the Brickyard 400. Even though wins by drivers like Joey Logano and Alex Bowman pushed the cut line further up the standings, Wallace still has a chance.
So, knowing that the playoff points battle is tight, who gets in? Will Wallace be able to overtake Chastain in the final weeks of the regular season, or can Chastain turn things around before it’s too late? Does any driver near the bubble have any advantage when looking ahead to the next four races?
The regular season will conclude with stops at Richmond Raceway, Michigan International Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, and Darlington Raceway. Based on that list, Buescher and the No. 17 team should be excited. They won Richmond, Michigan and Daytona last year in a late summer hot streak that gave Buescher huge momentum for the playoffs. Even Darlington could be big for Buescher, who had a shot to win the 400-mile race there earlier this year until contact with Tyler Reddick ended his bid for the…
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