NASCAR: 5 drivers who could fall out of the playoffs
By Asher Fair
NASCAR drivers who could fall out of the playoffs: No. 2 – Michael McDowell
Looking at the current playoff picture, it’s somewhat surprising to find that Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell would be in the field, given the fact that he has not finished higher than 18th place this season.
With finishes of 28th and 18th place, the 2021 Daytona 500 winner sits in 16th in the point standings, thanks in large part to his stage points and his Bluegreen Vacations Duel result. He would be the final driver in the playoffs if they started today.
McDowell is coming off of a career season in the Gen 7 car’s first year in 2022, so seeing him post results of this nature, and perhaps quite a bit better, as the season progresses should be expected, even with a team that generally doesn’t run toward the front.
However, even last year, he didn’t come close to getting into the playoffs on points, and these sorts of results won’t cut it moving forward. Don’t be surprised to see him fall out of the top 16 sooner rather than later, unless he manages to pull off an upset win and find victory lane for just the second time in his Cup Series career.