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Eight drivers remain in the Cup Series playoffs after Sunday's cut-off race at the Charlotte Roval. Kyle Larson will lead Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and Joey Logano into the third round to see who will qualify for the Championship 4 race at Phoenix.
The three races to determine those four include Las Vegas, Homestead-Miami, and Martinsville. While a few drivers are riding momentum heading into round three, others are looking for a spark. So, who is on the verge of being eliminated in the next-to-last round of the postseason? Let's take a look.
Joey Logano
One could say the two-time Cup Series champion limped his way into the Round of 8. After originally not making the eight-driver cut after Sunday's race, Joey Logano was given a golden opportunity when Alex Bowman was disqualified for failing post-race inspection, which dropped the latter below the cut-line and put the former above.
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However, aside from winning the playoff opener at Atlanta, it hasn't been a championship-type postseason run for the Connecticut native. The 34-year-old has only seen one other top-10 finish in the playoffs with an eighth-place at the Charlotte Roval.
The #22 Team Penske Ford driver has posted five top-fives this season, the least among the final eight drivers. While he's finished top 10 in his last appearance at all three of the upcoming tracks, Logano hasn't shown the speed like other playoff contenders. Therefore, the 34-time Cup Series winner is in great danger of getting eliminated in the Round of 8.
Chase Elliott
With a strong performance in the Round of 12, the 2020 Cup Series champion has now made the Round of 8 in all but one of his eight playoff appearances. However, with only one win this season and nine points below the cut-line, it's hard to say if Chase Elliott will advance to the Championship 4 this season.
NASCAR's Most Popular Driver snapped a 42-race winless streak in April of this season with a win at Texas. Aside from that, the driver of the #9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has struggled to contend for victories. The 19-time Cup Series winner's consistency at the short tracks will be an advantage at Martinsville as he's finished top 10 in every short-track race this season, including a third at Martinsville in the spring.
Consistency is always good to have, but when the playoffs dwindle to the Round of 8, winning is crucial. Unfortunately for Elliott and his fans, he's been unable to do that this year aside from Texas. Aside from a runner-up finish at Bristol, it's been difficult for Elliott to contend for wins in the playoffs, putting his championship hopes in jeopardy heading into the Round of 8.
Ryan Blaney
The defending Cup Series champion is still alive in the playoffs as he aims to become the first back-to-back champion since Jimmie Johnson. Yet, it's been an up-and-down postseason effort for Ryan Blaney to this point, which has him below the cut-line entering the Round of 8.
The driver of the #12 Team Penske Ford has managed to push his way through the first two rounds of the playoffs but had some troubles in both rounds. Blaney crashed out on the opening lap of the second race of the first round at Watkins Glen, resulting in a 38th-place finish. He then crashed out and finished 39th in the second race of the Round of 12 at Talladega.
Among the remaining eight drivers, disaster has struck the 2023 champion more than any of them. While he bagged a top-10 finish in every other playoff race this season, it's evident that the North Carolina native can't stay away from trouble in the latter stages of the season. Blaney will be a threat to win Martinsville after winning there a year ago, but his bad luck throughout this year's postseason has his chances at another championship looking unlikely.
Tyler Reddick
The 2024 regular season champion showed incredible heart in Sunday's final stage at the Charlotte Roval as he drove his way through the pack to earn a spot in the Round of 8. Other than that, Tyler Reddick hasn't had much to write home about in the playoffs this season, putting him at great risk of being eliminated.
Aside from a sixth-place finish at Atlanta, the #45 23XI Racing Toyota driver has failed to record a top 10 in the playoffs. A more alarming stat is that the 28-year-old has only recorded one other finish higher than 20th in the playoffs with an 11th-place effort at the Charlotte Roval.
It was a strong regular season that saw Reddick win two races at Talladega and Michigan, respectively, but it's evident the California native has lost a step since the playoffs began. Therefore, Reddick's shot at making the Championship 4 doesn't look great as he enters the Round of 8 10 points above the cut-off.
That leaves Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, William Byron, and Denny Hamlin left to battle it out for the championship. Larson is gunning for his second championship while the other three seek their first. The Round of 8 kicks off in Las Vegas this Sunday.
