NASCAR
How the Championship Hunt Ended for Four More Drivers
Following the second three-race round of the 2024 NASCAR Playoffs, four drivers bid adieu to their title hopes. The Charlotte Roval was the end of the road for a few cars from powerhouse teams. Some post-race drama even altered this list as well. Here’s how the respective championship futures came to a halt in the second Cup Playoff round.
Alex Bowman
When the checkered flag fell on Sunday, Alex Bowman crossed the line in 18th, eking out just enough points to make the cut. Post-race tech inspection had other plans, however. The No. 48 Chevrolet was found to be too light, not meeting NASCAR’s minimum weight requirement. By virtue of being set back to last-place points, Bowman was eliminated from title contention. Two-time champion Joey Logano is likewise inserted back into the Round of 8.
Team 48 is now the lone Hendrick car no longer running for the 2024 title. For a few fleeting hours, Hendrick made up half of the elite eight round. Now though, Bowman is merely racing for fifth in points.
Austin Cindric
Even though he was fourth at the Charlotte Roval, Austin Cindric is another Round of 12 exit. The Penske driver showed great promise in this round, especially flexing his muscles at Talladega. Cindric’s ultimate undoing came in that race though, where he was the first victim in The Big One. Had Cindric merely survived that crash, he could be advancing onward. Alas, the first leg of the Penske trio is left on the sidelines for the rest of 2024.
Daniel Suarez
One could argue that Daniel Suarez’s day and Playoffs were over before they truly began at Talladega. A prerace unapproved adjustment penalty set the No. 99 Chevrolet back early, and indirectly caused a lap 12 incident. Suarez only rebounded that day to finish 26th. Persistent brake issues also saw him perform a dismal 30th at the Charlotte Roval, falling far short of the top eight. Trackhouse Racing’s lone Playoff representative is out. He will now try to better a career-best 10th in points.
Chase Briscoe
The Cinderella run for the swan song Stewart-Haas Racing and Chase Briscoe came to an early end in Charlotte. Terminal damage from an early crash saw the No. 14 out of the race before halfway. The final hurrah that sparked after winning Darlington has fizzled out. The Big One at Talladega put the 14 on their heels for the Roval, where the DNF determined their fate.
Briscoe has four weeks left racing for his childhood hero in this organization’s flagship car. The future is looking bright for Briscoe at Joe Gibbs Racing, but the present will have an emotional last few races.
As we have already seen throughout these Playoffs, any team can truly win any given week. Half of the six Playoff races so far have been won by a non-Playoff driver. All of the drivers mentioned above have upcoming tracks that suit them, where they could possibly break through. Should any of these four drivers find victory lane again, it would be one of the biggest Playoff upsets in history.
Written by Peter Stratta
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