If you're looking for the song that aptly describes the next six races of the NASCAR Cup Series, look no further than the 1981 hit "Under Pressure." Twelve drivers have won over the first 20 races of 2024, leaving open only four playoff spots with six regular-season races left. There are 22 other drivers vying for those berths, so there isn't a lap left that won't have some impact on who makes the postseason field.
Let's take a peek at the drivers on the playoff bubble and examine which four have the best chances to join their peers and fight for a championship. Current playoff bubble (top 16 make the postseason): 13. Martin Truex Jr, +125 14.
Ty Gibbs, +84 15. Ross Chastain, +53 16. Chris Buescher, +45 17.
Bubba Wallace, -45 18. Chase Briscoe, -88 19. Kyle Busch, -98 20.
Todd Gilliland, -121 The current playoff bubble may not seem too intriguing, but one win by a driver below 16th would make the points battle incredibly exciting down the stretch. Truex might be the least stressed about his situation, as 125 points may seem like a solid buffer. If three first-time winners for 2024 were to emerge, a winless Truex would be the last man in.
Four or more new drivers in Victory Lanes over the next six weeks, and Truex suddenly would be out of the playoff picture. The season is shaping up in a similar fashion to 2022 for Truex, where he was a top-five driver in the regular-season standings but missed the postseason by being winless. In a system where winning trumps all, consistency.