The NASCAR Cup Collection playoffs are going precisely as predicted.
Who didn’t have two non-championship-eligible drivers profitable two of the primary 4 races? Who didn’t see Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing workforce struggling to complete inside the highest 10 on what now looks as if a weekly foundation? And who didn’t see Alex Bowman main the competitors in stage factors earned?
Sure, exactly as predicted.
Chris Buescher and Ross Chastain have up to now been the spoilers of the postseason. As two drivers who needed to combat the toughest to get into the postseason and got here up empty, it’s becoming they’ve gained races.
It’s well-known by now how shut Buescher, who had the fourth-best common end within the common season, got here to victory lane within the regular-season. He’ll eternally be on the spotlight reel at Darlington Raceway and Kansas Speedway.
Chastain, who made a Championship 4 look two years in the past after which gained the 2023 finale, lastly regarded like that driver and workforce Sunday at Kansas Speedway. It was a weekend of normalcy for the No. 1 workforce in a season of struggles and a summer time of bleeding away factors.
The primary spherical, in fact, delivered drama with its superspeedway wildcard (Atlanta) and highway course unpredictability (Watkins Glen). Bristol then capped issues off with scrappy performances by Chase Briscoe and Daniel Suarez to advance, which occurred properly behind the whopping Kyle Larson was placing on the sphere.
“It’s lived as much as the hype,” Christoper Bell stated of the predictions concerning the first spherical being a wildcard.
Bell, nonetheless, anticipated normalcy to return within the second spherical. The truth is, he predicted Kansas Speedway could be a heads-up race, however Sunday threw a number of curveballs of its personal on the title contenders. And Bell was a kind of as he caught the wall a number of instances whereas working the excessive lane.
Hamlin, who fought for his eighth-place end, was foiled on pit highway. It was the worst day of the season for the No. 11 crew, as Hamlin misplaced a number of positions on a number of pit stops.
Hamlin was on the ropes at Kansas after a succession of issues within the pits. Nigel Kinrade/Motorsport Photographs
“It was only a crappy day on pit highway and we didn’t get the end that we deserved,” Hamlin stated. “It is a nice alternative to lock ourselves in, and as a substitute, we’re scraping and clawing to complete within the prime 10.”
Hamlin final went to victory lane in April. He has two top-five finishes within the final 10 races, and has led 22 laps within the final 5 races.
However Hamlin will not be the one one scratching his head. Tyler Reddick stated after Sunday his workforce “haven’t been that nice” for a month straight. Reddick was irrelevant at Kansas Speedway, the place he gained final 12 months, and is the type of racetrack the place he often will be counted on as a contender.
“I believe it’s probably the most wildcards we’ve ever had within the playoffs – ever so far as racetracks that we’re simply not sure of,” Joey Logano stated forward of the Spherical of 12. “We discuss Kansas, and there are quite a lot of loopy issues that occur at Kansas, too. Whenever you have a look at these restarts while you’re 4 and five-wide, you’re going to inform me that’s a relaxed scenario? That’s probably the most calm race that we now have within the subsequent spherical? Are you kidding me?
“Watkins Glen was actually imagined to be probably the most predictable race of the three (within the first spherical). I don’t suppose we’ve had a playoff schedule that’s regarded like this ever earlier than. I completely anticipate extra of the identical. Like I stated, it’s rather a lot about survival – survive and transfer on and get to the Spherical of 8 and determine it out from there.”
Larson minimize a tire at Kansas. Chase Elliot needed to come from the rear due to an engine problem. Austin Cindric crashed. Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano each handled unfastened wheels.
Occasions are disturbing for a playoff contender. There may be one, nonetheless, who appears to be having much less problem than the others.
Alex Bowman is flourishing. Over the past 4 races, Bowman has earned 53 stage factors (incomes at the very least one level in each stage for the reason that playoffs began), which leads all playoff drivers. He’s earned three top-10 finishes and has led 46 laps. Just one driver, Christopher Bell, has a greater common end, 7.5, within the playoffs than Bowman, who sits at 9.5.
“We’ve been OK, for positive,” Bowman stated. “We’ve had slightly higher tempo within the playoffs than the place we had been prior, and it’s made my job slightly simpler. So, yeah, we’re not excellent by any means, and we’ve obtained quite a lot of issues we have to enhance on. However we’re sort of headed in the fitting route proper now and doing the fitting issues.”
There may be nonetheless quite a lot of racing left to go, and maybe extra twists and turns, or higher but, stress, with Talladega Superspeedway and the Charlotte Roval developing. Regardless, nothing goes as anticipated on this postseason and it has been as intriguing as it’s a bit stunning to see unfold.
