NASCAR’s new last place driver falls further behind at Bristol

NASCAR's new last place driver falls further behind at Bristol

As a seasoned NASCAR fan with years of thrilling races under my belt, I must say, the 2024 regular season has been nothing short of dramatic! The unexpected turn of events at Bristol Motor Speedway was a perfect example of this rollercoaster ride we all love.

In the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular season, Harrison Burton from Wood Brothers Racing accumulated the least total points among the 34 full-time drivers. However, due to his victory at the August race held at Daytona International Speedway, he secured a place in the playoffs, which consist of four rounds and ten races.

Due to his consistent performance, such as a second-place finish at Nashville Superspeedway, Zane Smith from Spire Motorsports became the lowest ranked driver to kick off the postseason after overtaking Burton for 33rd place in points during mid-summer.

As a driver not initially qualifying for the playoffs, I managed to kick off the postseason on a relatively solid note. I placed 21st at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which moved me just 13 points behind John Hunter Nemechek from Legacy Motor Club in the race for 33rd position. Then, I outdid him at Watkins Glen International, securing a fifth-place finish while he ended up in 21st. This resulted in me gaining an advantage of 16 points over him.

After a disastrous race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Nemechek fell even further behind.

During the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Saturday, Nemechek triggered the initial caution flag and ended up finishing 33 places behind the leader, in 33rd position. On the other hand, Smith managed to climb his way from 33rd to 16th, which now gives him a 20-point advantage over the driver in last place in the standings.

In the last eight races, Smith has consistently placed no worse than 23rd, and this impressive performance marks a positive trajectory for him in the second half of the season. Interestingly, only Ty Gibbs from Joe Gibbs Racing shares this achievement over these eight consecutive events.

In the year 2025, Smith continues his hunt for a fresh racing vehicle. He will no longer be part of Spire Motorsports and has been officially let go by Trackhouse Racing Team, who had previously signed him under a development contract prior to the 2024 season. Since then, there have been rumors about his potential move to Front Row Motorsports, a team currently looking for a driver to fill their newly developed third car. Smith previously claimed a championship with this team in the Truck Series back in 2022.

Contrarily, Nemechek’s performance has been lackluster recently, managing only one top 20 placement in the last eleven competitions. That solitary impressive showing was a 15th place finish at the turbulent Daytona race that was eventually claimed by Burton.

As a die-hard NASCAR fan, I’ve got some thrilling news for you! The Hollywood Casino 400 presented by ESPN BET, the next epic race in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoff, kicks off the round of 12 on Sunday, September 29. Get ready to catch all the action live on USA Network, starting at 3:00 p.m. ET, right from Kansas Speedway! Don’t want to miss a single lap? Sign up for a free trial of FuboTV today and let the racing begin!

2024-09-22 16:02

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