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With a handful of races left before the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season reaches its conclusion, few drivers are at risk of elimination. The first round saw Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Harrison Burton, and Ty Gibbs being eliminated. As things stand, 12 drivers are in contention for the Round of 8.
The next round will have races in Kansas, Talladega, and Charlotte, and only eight drivers will go through to the next round, at the end of the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course on October 13.
Below are four NASCAR drivers who are most likely to face elimination, considering their performances in 2024.
#4 Alex Bowman
Alex Bowman is the only Hendrick Motorsports driver on our list and is below the cutline by 7 points. In 2024, HMS has been the most successful NASCAR Cup Series team, but compared with his teammates, Bowman was statistically the weakest driver on the team.
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The #48 driver qualified for the playoffs after winning the Chicago Street Race, and that remains his only victory this season. Besides this, Bowman recorded five top 5s, 14 top 10s, and a pole position. His average starting position is 14.172 and his average finish position is 14.897.
However, his record at Kansas, Talladega, and Charlotte this season makes him a likely candidate for the Round of 8, but only just. He finished his regular-season race in Kansas in seventh place, Talladega in fifth, and Charlotte in ninth.
#3 Daniel Suarez
Daniel Suarez is the first Chevrolet driver on our list and the only driver from Trackhouse Racing in the NASCAR playoffs. He qualified for the playoffs after winning the Atlanta Motor Speedway race, the third race of the season. However, his fortune did not favor him in the next 26 races, and Atlanta remained his only victory in 2024. He is currently below the cutline by 6 points.
Suarez's Trackhouse Racing has not had a good Cup Series team and is also ranked low among the Chevrolet teams this season. His teammate Ross Chastain is currently placed in 17th place and did not qualify for the playoffs. As for Suarez, he has three top 5s and seven top 10s under his belt.
His average starting position is 20.379 and his average finish position is 18. The Mexican driver's performance at the three upcoming tracks was far from formidable this season. He finished at Kansas in 27th place, at Talladega in 26th place, and Charlotte in 24th place.
#2 Austin Cindric
Austin Cindric is the third driver on our list and one of two driving the Ford Mustang Dark Horse. Cindric qualified for the playoffs after winning at the World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois, and that was his only victory in 2024. Despite starting the season on a very positive note where he qualified and finished the Duel 2 at Daytona in second position, his season fell apart.
The #2 driver has two top 5s, and five top 10s and has an average starting position of 15.241. Surprisingly, his average finish position is 19.621 after 29 races. Notably, his track record at Kansas, Talladega, and Charlotte wasn't spectacular in 2024 to give him an edge. He finished 37th at Kansas, 23rd at Talladega, and 20th at Charlotte.
#1 Chase Briscoe
Chase Briscoe is the last driver on the list of 12, standing 7 points below the cutline. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver qualified for the playoffs by winning the very last regular season race at Darlington Raceway. However, his season statistics aren't impressive enough to hold him as a championship contender.
Besides his only victory, the #14 driver has three top 5s, nine top 10s, and an average starting position of 15.276 under his belt. Surprisingly, his average finish position stands at 17.414. While the entire SHS would want Briscoe to win the NASCAR championship and are ready to help him collectively, the #14 Ford Mustang Dark Horse driver's performance in Kansas, Talladega, and Charlotte was not very strong in 2024, his finishes being 21st, 12th, and 25th, respectively.
Notably, if any of the four aforementioned drivers claim a surprising victory, that will see that driver through to the Round of 8, and a step closer to ultimate NASCAR glory.
