NASCAR: Early points leader could miss the playoffs entirely

As a long-time NASCAR enthusiast who’s seen my fair share of highs and lows, I can’t help but feel a mix of emotions watching this 2024 season unfold. Tyler Reddick’s win at Michigan International Speedway was a well-deserved one, moving him to the top of the point standings for the first time in his career. It’s always exciting to see new talent rise, but it’s also heartbreaking to see old favorites struggle.

23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick clinched victory in last week’s postponed NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway, marking his second triumph of the 2024 season. This success catapulted him to the leading position in points standings for the very first time throughout his career.

The driver of the No. 45 Toyota has been the eighth different driver to take the lead in the season’s points standings at some point during the regular season, and he has already secured a spot in the playoffs. Despite crashing out at Daytona International Speedway last Saturday night, he currently maintains his position as the leader in points.

In simpler terms, six out of the seven leaders from earlier in the season now rank among the top nine positions in the overall standings. Among these six, Reddick is followed closely by four others who are positioned from the second to the fifth spot.

They consist of Hendrick Motorsports team members such as Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, and William Byon, in addition to Ryan Blaney from Team Penske.

Four drivers and Denny Hamlin from Joe Gibbs Racing have secured their spots in this year’s playoffs. However, Martin Truex Jr., another driver from the same team, is currently ninth and has not yet qualified. Nevertheless, he holds a comfortable lead in points with only one race left before the end of the regular season.

But the other former points leader this season may miss the playoffs entirely.

Following his podium finish (third place) in the second race of the season held at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February, Kyle Busch from Richard Childress Racing took the lead in the overall points table.

2024 marked a remarkable run for Busch, as he embarked on his 19th consecutive championship-winning season, surpassing all others in the Cup Series. Moreover, among current racers, Busch had made it to the playoffs for an impressive 11 years in a row.

As a devoted fan, I must admit that my heart has been heavy lately, witnessing the struggles of our two-time champion. It seems fortune hasn’t been smiling on him as it used to, with only three top five finishes in the 23 races held since. Currently, he stands in 16th position in the overall standings and a disappointing 19th in the playoff race, 106 points shy of the cut-off line.

Despite two of his top five finishes being from the last two races, he finds himself in a situation where he absolutely needs to secure a victory at Darlington Raceway this year to ensure a spot in the regular season’s end and thus extend his streak of making the playoffs for the 12th consecutive season in 2024.

Busch has just one win in 25 starts at Darlington, with that victory coming back in 2008.

On Saturday evening at Daytona, he came very close to completing the job, a place where his sole victory, achieved in 2008 among 38 starts, had also occurred. However, unfortunately, he was overtaken for the lead on the last lap by Harrison Burrow from Wood Brothers Racing.

Tune in for a live broadcast of the Cook Out Southern 500, happening at Darlington Raceway this Sunday, September 1, starting at 6:00 p.m. ET. Don’t miss out on the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular season finale! Sign up for a free trial of FuboTV to catch all the action!

2024-08-26 15:02

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