NASCAR Cup Series: 5 playoff drivers who are in jeopardy
By Asher Fair
As many as five of last year’s playoff drivers could miss the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series postseason. One race remains on the regular season schedule.
With 14 playoff eligible drivers (excluding 23XI Racing’s Kurt Busch) having found victory lane at some point during the first 25 races of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series regular season, there can be no more than 15 different winners before the playoffs begin.
As a result, the playoff format has once again shown to be a “win and in” format, as all 14 of these winners are locked in, leaving just two open spots.
The only remaining race on the regular season schedule is this coming Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Two drivers are still positioned to qualify for the playoffs on points, but if another new winner emerges (provided he is in the top 30 in the point standings), only one of those two drivers will do so.
Of the 14 playoff eligible winners so far this season, only 10 made last year’s playoffs, and all four who didn’t have never before made the playoffs.
As a result, there could be as many as five (including Kurt Busch) of last year’s playoff drivers who miss the playoffs.
Here’s a look at five who are at risk, though at least one of the first two will get in.
NASCAR playoff drivers in jeopardy: No. 1 – Ryan Blaney
Ryan Blaney currently owns the 15th playoff spot as he seeks what would be a sixth career playoff appearance — and a fifth in five seasons as the driver of Team Penske’s #12 Ford. He sits 25 points ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr., who currently owns the 16th and final spot.
Since the next highest non-winner in points is Petty GMS Motorsports’ Erik Jones, who is 212 points behind Blaney and 187 behind Truex, Truex is the only driver other than Blaney who can possibly qualify on the strength of his point total (60 points are on the table for each driver at Daytona International Speedway).
But Blaney isn’t locked in yet. If Truex passes him in points and another new winner (other than himself or Truex) emerges in the regular season finale, he will fail to qualify for the playoffs.
Blaney, who sits in third place in the point standings as things stand, could potentially end up battling for 17th in the standings as opposed to a championship.