NASCAR: 5 bold predictions for the final 5 races of the 2019 regular season

Half of Stewart-Haas Racing miss the playoffs

One year after earning a series-high 12 victories, it took Stewart-Haas Racing until the season’s 20th race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to find victory lane for the first time in 2019.

Kevin Harvick delivered the team their first victory of the 2019 season with just his first top three finish of the season in this race, and in doing so, he became the first Stewart-Haas Racing driver to lock himself into the playoffs, although he was pretty much a lock to qualify for the playoffs anyway.

But as far as the rest of Stewart-Haas Racing goes, things aren’t looking nearly as promising.

Aric Almirola is in a situation that is similar to the one that Harvick was in before he won. A win would be nice, but his point total should quite comfortably get him into the playoffs. Almirola sits in ninth place in the championship standings with a season-high finish of fourth in the race at ISM Raceway back in March, and he sits a whopping 94 points ahead of the playoff cut line.

Clint Bowyer and Daniel Suarez, however, are in danger of missing the playoffs.

As it stands right now, Bowyer is only 12 points ahead of the playoff cut line in a 15th place tie in the championship standings with Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Newman, who has been extremely consistent and done a great job getting the most out of a mid-pack car as of late, and Suarez sits 31 points below the cut line in 18th.

Bowyer has simply not backed up his breakout two-win, round of 8 2018 season with anything more than mediocrity, and before too long, Suarez may effectively be in position where he has no possible path to the playoffs unless he wins a race, and he has not won a race in 93 career starts.

By the time the 16-driver playoff field is set, don’t be surprised to see two Stewart-Haas Racing drivers relegated to the battle for 17th place.