'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Soon after the two-week break, racing would resume at Richmond Raceway as we move an inch closer to the 2024 NASCAR playoffs. Only 16 drivers out of the field would be eligible to compete and only one of them could engrave their name down on the championship title.
In NASCAR Cup Series history, only 36 different drivers have made their mark on the championship cup. Moreover, NASCAR legends like Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, and Jimmie Johnson held the titles for a record seven times. However, certain drivers in the Cup Series have shown immense speed and prowess in the Next-Gen, and have come close to winning their first championship.
Here's a list of three Championship-caliber NASCAR drivers who could benefit from a team change and be among the frontrunners on the oval track.
Trending
#1 Ross Chastain
Ross Chastain is the #1 Chevrolet Camaro driver for Trackhouse Racing and is in his third full-time season for this organization. So far, Chastain has accumulated two top-5s and seven top-10 finishes after 22 starts in the 2024 season. He is also on the verge of not qualifying for playoff rounds as the Florida native is just seven points above fellow driver Bubba Wallace on the cutoff line.
On his debut run in 2022 with the newly formed NASCAR team, the 31-year-old turned heads with speed and had arguably the best season with a runner-up finish on the final points standings. The following season he finished in ninth place and is currently winless as we get closer to the 2024 playoffs. Seemingly, the spark with Trackhouse Racing has worn off and Chastain could crank up speed if he wishes to switch to a different team altogether.
#2 Chris Buescher
Former 2015 Xfinity Series champion Chris Buescher has amassed five wins in almost 10 years in the Cup Series. Currently, Buescher has five top-5s and nine top-10s in 22 races. He is also 17 points above the cutline and one spot ahead of Ross Chastain in the playoff picture.
The RFK Racing driver had an impressive 2023 season with three wins and a seventh-place finish in the final Drivers' Standings. However, as things stand, the 31-year-old is above the 2024 playoff cutline but struggling to drive through the victory lane for the Brad Keselowski-led RFK team. The Texas native came close to winning at Kansas but couldn't convert it into a triumph. As the performance graph points south, a team switch could enhance his championship run in the future.
#3 Kyle Busch
No. 8 Chevrolet driver Kyle Busch is the talk of the town for his underwhelming 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. Busch is in his second season with RCR and has had five DNFs in his last eight races. The two-time Cup Series champion is now on the brink of not qualifying for the 2024 playoff round for the first time in his two-decade career.
After an impressive debut run with RCR last year, the 39-year-old claimed three victories but couldn't continue his momentum for the current season. Busch is now 112 points below the Round of 16 cutline and has the opportunity to redeem himself in the remaining four regular season races. A team change for the Las Vegas native would likely bring him again to the championship run.
