The drivers who should be worrying about NASCAR Cup playoff hopes

13 races down, 13 races to go within the common season for the NASCAR Cup Sequence. On the midway level, there have been eight totally different winners with Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing [JGR] taking the lion’s share of victories.

These lucky eight are William Byron [Hendrick], Kyle Larson [Hendrick], Christopher Bell [JGR], Denny Hamlin [JGR], Joey Logano [Penske], Austin Cindric [Penske], Josh Berry [Wood Brothers], and newly topped Coca-Cola 600 winner Ross Chastain [Trackhouse].

Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Photograph by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Photos

However whereas these drivers are feeling safe, there are a number of others starting to sweat. Wanting nearer on the standings, drivers like Chase Elliott, Tyler Reddick, and Ryan Blaney needn’t fear (but). Whereas they’re winless, they do have a snug factors margin over the cut-line. However as we have seen earlier than, that would quickly change ought to just a few extra drivers decrease within the standings begin grabbing wins.

The place issues get extra nerve-wracking is across the bubble, however there’s nonetheless no must panic for these drivers presently. Ryan Preece holds the sixteenth and remaining spot after taking into consideration the drivers beneath him who’ve already received, leaving on the recent seat. He’s simply six factors forward of his RFK Racing teammate Chris Buescher, who just lately acquired 30 factors again after a penalty attraction.

This stays an extremely tight battle that may absolutely look so much totally different across the cut-off race at Daytona, with eight winless drivers inside 40 factors of Preece. There is no such thing as a margin for error proper now with this group. However what concerning the drivers even deeper within the standings? It is perhaps time to be slightly bit fearful, if not absolutely starting to panic. This is a short take a look at these drivers and their present scenario: 

Ty Gibbs: twenty fifth, -50pts out

Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photograph by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Photos

Gibbs continues to be ready to level his means in, however his season has left the No. 54 group scratching their heads. In contrast to his JGR teammates, the pace simply hasn’t been there. Bristol was a shiny spot as he completed third, however he has eight finishes of twenty second or worse within the first 13 races as effectively. This comes as fairly a shock. Regardless of being winless in his first 100 Cup begins, Gibbs nonetheless made the playoffs final 12 months.

Zane Smith, Entrance Row Motorsports Ford, Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Joey Logano, Staff Penske Ford

Photograph by: Logan Riely / Getty Photos

Smith is with a brand new group in 2025 and up to now, he is enhancing on final 12 months’s efficiency. However that also places him simply twenty sixth within the standings with a greatest end of ninth. Nonetheless, it was round this level final 12 months when he began turning issues round, so maybe we have but to see the perfect he has to supply within the No. 38 Entrance Row Motorsports Ford. He did handle to earn a pole place at Talladega, so we all know he has the pace when the sequence heads to superspeedways.

Erik Jones, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota

Photograph by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Photos

Few anticipated Jones to be lagging behind his teammate in 2025, however like the 2 names we already went over, he’s. Legacy Motor Membership has been struggling for pace, however there may be cause to be hopeful. Current races have proven an uptick in efficiency, together with a high 5 for Jones at Texas and a stable displaying within the Coke 600. Perhaps all shouldn’t be misplaced, however they should begin making massive good points, now.

Noah Gragson, Entrance Row Motorsports Ford

Photograph by: Logan Riely / Getty Photos

Gragson has been a bit like his FRM teammate Smith. The potential is there, however the execution shouldn’t be. A high ten at COTA, a high 5 at Talladega, and one other high ten on the Coke 600 present that they’ll put collectively robust races, and Gragson is a confirmed multi-time winner within the Xfinity Sequence. However the weeks once they’re off, they’re very off, and that is left him buried within the standings. 

Justin Haley, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Photograph by: Getty Photos

Haley’s group simply needs to go just a few weeks with out dropping any extra personnel. Crew chief Rodney Childers abruptly parted methods with Spire mid-season they usually misplaced a number of (good) crew members to Hendrick Motorsports. Whereas each of his Spire teammates have challenged for race wins, Haley has been falling behind and has recorded no end larger than tenth. Round Gragson and Haley is the place drivers and groups are seemingly much less involved about factors at this level and are considering extra about how they’ll hit a house run and rating a victory.

Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Photograph by: Sean Gardner / Getty Photos

Suarez locked himself into the 2024 playoffs with a win within the second race of the 12 months. He nearly did one thing comparable early this season, however misplaced out in a battle with Josh Berry for the Las Vegas win. Suarez has had transient moments of pace and Trackhouse simply received the Coke 600 along with his teammate Chastain, however the consistency is not there in any respect. Suarez hasn’t led greater than 12 laps in any single race, and the 4 DNFs because of crashes have not helped both. He is seemingly in a must-win mindset and he has some good alternatives coming as much as do exactly that, however simply as Chastain did one week in the past, he must capitalize when these moments arrive.

Ty Dillon, Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Photograph by: James Gilbert / Getty Photos

T. Dillon is nowhere close to his veteran teammate AJ Allmendinger at Kaulig Racing, ending no larger than twelfth in any race this 12 months. Dillon’s return to the Cup Sequence has been a wrestle and profitable a race within the Cup Sequence is one thing he’s 0-258 in reaching. With the dearth of pace that has plagued this No. 10 group, his solely hope seemingly sits with the drafting races at Atlanta and Daytona.

Brad Keselowski, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Photograph by: Chris Graythen – Getty Photos

A real shocker. The 2012 NASCAR Cup Sequence champion made the playoffs final 12 months and earlier than a top-five end within the Coke 600, Keselowski has been nowhere. 9 finishes of twenty sixth or worse within the first 13 races, 5 DNFs because of crashes in what has been the worst season of his profession. His teammates are battling across the bubble whereas Keselowski lags 100 factors behind them. It is a complicated scenario as nobody, together with Keselowski, anticipated to see the No. 6 Ford on this place.

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Photograph by: James Gilbert / Getty Photos

SVG is the bottom of the three Trackhouse drivers, however he’s additionally main the ROTY standings along with his solely rival only one level behind him. Nobody anticipated the three-time Supercars champion to come back in and instantly discover his means on ovals, however he wasn’t making any progress both … till just lately. A twentieth at Kansas and a 14th within the Coke 600 are his greatest oval finishes of the 12 months, each coming within the final two races. He even earned pole place for the All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro. And as unusual as it might sound, SVG seemingly has a greater probability of creating the playoffs than most of the drivers forward of him. He is a street racing ace and whereas he missed out on a win at COTA (ending sixth), there are 4 extra street programs left within the common season. He’s absolutely able to profitable all of them, and this Kiwi solely wants one to shake up the complete playoff image.

Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing Toyota

Photograph by: Getty Photos

One other rookie like SVG, additionally driving a newly created third group however for 23XI Racing. Sadly, he doesn’t take pleasure in a monitor the place he is aware of he can win like SVG. Herbst’s greatest consequence this 12 months is 14th and he has been deep within the pack throughout most races. He has to win, however the place can he make that occur? 

Cole Custer, Haas Manufacturing unit Staff

Photograph by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Photos

All of us knew 2025 could be a wrestle for the Haas Manufacturing unit Staff. After Stewart-Haas Racing shut down, all that continues to be is a single-car effort with Custer behind the wheel. He has no finishes larger than thirteenth, and 11 of the primary 13 races have seen him end outdoors the highest 20. And but, he was additionally half-a-lap away from probably profitable the Daytona 500 when he crashed within the battle for the win. With how the remainder of the season has gone, he absolutely has Daytona circled later this summer season as maybe his solely probability to place Gene Haas into the playoffs.

Cody Ware: thirty sixth, -200pts out

Cody Ware, Rick Ware Racing Ford; Cole Custer, Haas Manufacturing unit Staff Ford

Photograph by: Christopher Trim Icon Sportswire through Getty Photos

There is no solution to sugarcoat this. Ware is final amongst all full-time drivers, a full 75 factors behind his nearest competitors. Ware’s greatest end is simply twenty fourth and 9 of the primary 13 races have seen him end thirtieth or worse. Whereas I am tempted to say there isn’t any hope, that is by no means really the case on this championship format. Final 12 months, Harrison Burton entered Race #25 of 26 at Daytona lifeless final amongst full-time drivers, and he went on to win the race.

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