With Christopher Bell’s NASCAR Cup Series victory Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 14 drivers have won a race in the series this season.
Those 14 drivers are tentatively locked into the post-season, with only two playoff positions remaining to be filled and six regular season races remaining.
Last week, we examined five potential contenders in this season’s playoffs.
Let’s take a look at five more contenders for the Cup Series title.
Joey Logano
Much of this season has been feast or famine for 2018 NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano. Though the driver of the No. 22 Ford has two victories this season, it hasn’t been a consistent effort for the Team Penske entry.
Logano celebrates in victory lane at Gateway. (HHP/Chris Owens)
Looking at Logano’s results since his most recent victory at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in early June, he’s only finished in the top 10 once (ninth at Nashville), and has sputtered with an average finish of 20.6 over that span.
Despite the recent misfortune, Logano is seventh in the driver standings. Like every other team in the garage area, Logano’s Paul Wolfe-led crew continues to face the challenges of the Next Gen race car.
Logano has been a consistent threat for the title since his breakthrough championship in 2018, with three final-four appearances during that time span.
Christopher Bell
Finally, Bell found himself back in victory lane, leading the final 42 laps en route to winning his first Cup Series race since his triumph on the road course at Daytona Int’l Speedway in February 2021.
Bell has been a sleeper so far this season, with 11 top-10 finishes in 20 starts. The former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion is eighth in points, right behind Logano.
The driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 is trending toward his best season since going full-time Cup Series racing in 2020.
His victory in New Hampshire may have been a crucial step forward for the 27-year-old, who battled point leader Chase Elliott during the closing laps.
William Byron
William Byron does a celebratory burnout after winning at Atlanta Motor Speedway. (HHP/Harold Hinson)
Like many in the series, the season has been a rollercoaster ride for William Byron. Byron kicked off the season with two finishes outside the top 30, but rebounded quickly with two victories, and four top-five finishes in the next six races.
Since then, the No. 24 Chevrolet has only finished in the top 10 once (ninth at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. Byron hasn’t earned a top-five finish since his victory at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in April.
Though Byron and company may be feeling the pressure to find that consistency again, having Hendrick Motorsports teammates Elliott and Kyle Larson to lean on as the playoffs approach could get Byron, who won last week’s Slinger Nationals in a super late model, back on track in the Cup Series.
Alex Bowman
Like his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Byron, Alex Bowman began the season strong, before tapering off as of late. After a dramatic overtime victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, Bowman has notched eight top 10s, and sits11th in the standings.
It’s been a rough stretch for the 29-year-old Arizona native. Since his 10th-place finish in the Coke 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Bowman has an average finish of 24th, which includes three DNF’s in the last four races.
Despite all of the bad luck, Bowman is strong at a number of tracks in the playoffs, which includes Martinsville, where he won last fall.
Kurt Busch
In what Busch feels is one of his “most rewarding seasons,” the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion is 14th in points, with one victory, which came at Kansas Speedway.
Consistency has been the Achilles’ heel for the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota team.
“It’s just continuing to build, and to learn from small mistakes, and to make sure that you don’t fall into those again,” Busch said. “Then, as the race unfolds, there’s so many new challenges with this car. You got to be ready to roll, and to think quick on your feet. So like, Chase Elliott won the race at Nashville, had a loose wheel during the race, and they were able to overcome it. Those are things that we need to make sure that we learn from the little things, and that’s what Bubba (Wallace) has to do as well with the 23 car. You’re going to have those setbacks, but you just have to challenge your way through it.”
23XI Racing may be trending upward at the right time, after Busch (10th) and teammate, Bubba Wallace, (third) finished in the top 10 at New Hampshire.
These are only five of the drivers in contention to make the 16-spot Cup Series playoff field. Fourteen drivers have won races this season and have a leg up in the race to make the playoffs.
We’ll preview five more contenders next week. To see the current Cup Series standings, Click here.
Keyword: Another New Winner, Another Week Closer To The Playoffs