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The NASCAR regular season is nearing its conclusion with only two races remaining. Sixteen drivers will advance to the playoffs, vying for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series championship. The final two regular season races will take place at Daytona and Darlington.
Tyler Reddick won his second race of the season at Michigan International Speedway, which also put him in the lead for the regular-season championship. Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Larson are closely trailing him. Reddick's recent win has opened up another playoff spot, allowing four winless drivers to now compete for one of the 16 coveted playoff positions in the remaining two regular season races.
The first playoff race is on September 8 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. To get into the playoffs, drivers either need to win a race during the regular season or have the most points among those who have no wins after 26 races.
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Three drivers who are facing elimination after the regular season are:
1. Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon, driving the No. 3 Chevrolet, finds himself in a precarious position. His playoff spot was jeopardized following the Richmond race, where he crashed Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin.
His 17th-place finish in the FireKeepers 400 last weekend did not help his cause. Now, Dillon must win one of the last two races to extend his season. His other chance to make the playoffs is a successful appeal by Richard Childress Racing to revoke NASCAR's decision. For now, his odds are the slimmest of the three on this list.
2. Two-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion- Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch, the 2015 and 2019 NASCAR Cup Series winner, is also in a difficult spot this season. He has had a hard time and now needs to win one of the last two races to make it into the playoffs.
Busch had a strong performance last weekend in Michigan, as he won his first stage of the season and finished fourth. However, it was not enough for him to earn a playoff spot. At 17th in the standings with 513 points to his credit, Busch’s chances of another championship are hanging by a thread.
3. Bubba Wallace
Bubba Wallace is in danger of missing out on the playoffs despite his best efforts this season. Wallace is currently 14th in the standings, one point behind Ross Chastain, who holds the final playoff spot.
To make it into the playoffs, Wallace needs to finish ahead of Chastain in the last two races at Daytona and Darlington. This is a crucial juncture for Wallace, as his championship aspirations hinge on the two upcoming races.
