Chase Elliott continues to dominate the second half of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, after picking up his fourth win of the year on Sunday at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.
Elliott’s victory means there’s still two positions yet to be filled in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, with only five races left before the 16-car grid is set.
Last week, we examined five potential contenders in this season’s playoffs.
Let’s take a look at seven more contenders for the Cup Series title.
Denny Hamlin
Hamlin would be tied with Elliott for the most wins this season, if it wasn’t for a disqualification during post-race inspection following Sunday’s 21st race of the season.
Denny Hamlin celebrates in victory lane after winning the Coke 600. (HHP/Chris Owens)
The driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota has been mired back in the points all season, where he currently sits 21st through 21 races.
However, with his victories at Richmond (Va.) Raceway and the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte (N.C.), Hamlin is solidly in the post-season.
Hamlin hasn’t shown the consistency he may have hoped for, with only five top-10 finishes so far. That lack of consistency is in large part due to Toyota’s struggle to gain a grasp on the Next Gen car.
Though Hamlin’s track record shouldn’t be taken lightly, as he’s made the final four the last three seasons.
Daniel Suárez
After six seasons of competing at NASCAR’s highest level, Daniel Suárez earned his first victory at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in June.
It’s been a stellar year all around for Trackhouse Racing, with both Suárez and Ross Chastain locked into the playoffs.
Though Suárez has been overshadowed at times by his teammate, the driver of the No. 99 Chevrolet has been sneaky consistent.
Since his victory in Sonoma, Suárez has earned five top-10 finishes in the last six races, including three top-five efforts during that time span.
A big question will be how Trackhouse Racing as a whole is able to navigate the playoffs, however with two young and aggressive drivers, they may be a factor when the playoffs begin.
Tyler Reddick
It seems like Tyler Reddick’s name has been talked about more when it comes to his future, than his season to date.
Tyler Reddick burns it down after scoring his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory. (Jason Reasin Photo)
After his breakthrough win at Road America (Wis.), Reddick stunned the racing world when it was announced he’d be leaving Richard Childress Racing at the end of 2023 to compete with 23XI Racing in 2024.
Though as he continues to ride out his contract, the driver of No. 8 Chevrolet has put together a solid season overall.
Reddick has finished 2nd three times this season, along with 8 top 10’s.
The consistency hasn’t quite been there for the RCR driver, however the speed has, with an average start of 10.1.
Reddick may be a sleeper in the playoffs this season, with his ability to run competitively at any track.
Chase Briscoe
In his second season aboard the No. 14 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing, Briscoe earned his first career victory early on in the season at Phoenix Raceway.
Since then, it’s been hit or miss for the Indiana native.
Briscoe is in a similar situation as Reddick, where the speed is apparent, but the results don’t match.
Briscoe has two poles and has had multiple chances to snag a win if it wasn’t for unforeseen circumstances (Bristol Dirt, Charlotte).
The last month or two has been a struggle for the SHR driver. Briscoe was running as high as 10th in the standings after the Bristol Dirt race (April) before falling to 17th over the past few races.
In the playoffs, Briscoe may not be considered a contender due to the lack of consistency, but his aggressive nature could land him a victory when he needs it the most.
Austin Cindric
This year’s Daytona 500 winner locked himself into the playoffs after the first race of the season.
Austin Cindric celebrates his Daytona 500 victory. (HHP/Tom Copeland Photo)
Since then, it’s been a steep learning curve for the Team Penske rookie.
“I think it’s just a process and in some ways it’s nice with the new car because there are a lot of very humanizing days for a lot of different drivers in the field,” Cindric said. “Some days you’ll be back racing for 20th with Martin Truex Jr. This guy is a Cup champion. This guy is expecting to be in the hunt for this championship. He came really close to winning the championship last year and they have bad days because everyone is learning. Everyone is having highs and lows and that’s why I feel like the points are still really close. That’s why we’re having new winners every weekend. It’s challenging, for sure. It’s just about minimizing those bad days and learning from them and applying them to make the next day better.”
Though, he currently sits 16th in the standings, Cindric began to see more consistency, after reeling off four top-10 finishes in a row between June and July.
With consistency being an issue for most drivers and teams, the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion may be able to capitalize, as he grows more comfortable competing in the Cup Series.
Notable Drivers Who Haven’t Won
Martin Truex Jr. (+84 above playoff cutline)
If anyone’s sweating the most these last five weeks of the season, it’s Martin Truex Jr. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has a comfortable margin between himself and Kevin Harvick, however with the Next Gen car producing an abundance of winners, nobody is safe.
Truex Jr. has been one of the more consistent drivers in the field this season (5th in driver standings), however without a win, he may be cut if a winless driver finds their way to victory lane.
Kevin Harvick (-84 below playoff cutline)
The 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion currently finds himself 84 points below the cutline on the playoff grid.
However, Harvick’s consistency has been a strong point for the No. 4 team. With his 11 top 10’s, Harvick is tied for the fourth most in the series this season.
Though Harvick’s 27th-place finish at Pocono on Sunday was a huge blow to making his way into the playoffs based on points.
Unfortunately for Harvick, time is beginning to run out to find a way to victory lane.
These are only seven 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.
With five races left, there is still a chance a driver who has won a race could miss the playoffs, if more than 16 win before the regular season ends at Daytona (Fla.).
Keyword: Crunch Time For Playoff Bubble Drivers