NASCAR: 5 drivers who could be next to play spoiler

After Erik Jones won at Darlington Raceway, we look at five other drivers who could play spoiler during the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

Erik Jones won last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway, bringing the #43 car its 200th win and the first win for the new Petty GMS Motorsports.

While those were notable milestones, part of the storyline surrounding his victory is that he is not a playoff driver. We’ve seen non-playoff drivers win during the postseason before, but typically it’s the drivers trying to win and advance who find their way to victory lane.

With 2022 being a year full of parity and this win coming in the playoff opener, perhaps this year could be different than usual. Here are five drivers who could play spoiler next.

NASCAR drivers who could play spoiler: No. 1 – Martin Truex Jr.

Martin Truex Jr. has been knocking on the door for a win all year. While he has not yet recorded a finish better than fourth place, his consistency nearly carried him into a playoff spot.

He finished the regular season with 12 top 10 finishes, an average finish of 13.23, and a series-leading seven stage wins. He also had the fourth highest points total of any driver. But with no race win and 15 spots already filled by winners, it came down to a points battle with Ryan Blaney, and Truex finished just three points behind.

Truex was nearly the driver who played spoiler on Sunday. He led 48 laps and was at the front when a mechanical issue sidelined him with 32 laps to go.

“When we run good – stuff goes wrong, when we run bad – nothing bad happens,” Truex told the TV broadcast after exiting his car. “Just one of those years where we can’t get anything to go our way.”

Despite the initial frustration, Truex is likely to find himself with more opportunities to shake the bad luck and grab that elusive victory. Five of his last eight wins have come at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, or Phoenix Raceway, which are all tracks on the upcoming playoff schedule.

Short tracks will be places to watch in particular, with five of his last seven wins coming at either Martinsville Speedway or Richmond Raceway. Martinsville Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway are both on the playoff schedule.