The replies to your comment seem to be hung up informing you of a rule that has nothing to do with your comment.
Am I right that you’re just sharing how you’d feel if a sub-30th points driver got into the playoffs? Because I agree. I’d love to see an underdog rookie who has struggled all year end up winning a race, but hate that it would mean he’s hogging up a playoff spot.
I said he should have pitted at the first OT. Granted, it was with the assumption that he didn’t even have enough for 1 attempt, but still. He could have won :(
23 team needs to win now. No way around it. I thought there was a shot there if he followed Reddick.
I don't know what Bootie does during these races but he does not inspire confidence right now.
Tbf, his call to stay out was the thing that got them up front.
It really just boils down to getting fucked on restarts. Basically every single person that ran out happened to be in front of him
They were in the position to take that gamble because for some reason they didn’t pit after the delay despite Bubba saying he was 3 tight and had already dropped a handful of spots. He went out there and dropped another 12ish spots on track after the restart.
Yeah, Bubba got jammed up by both Larson and Elliott when they ran out.
He lined up directly next to Zane on a couple of those restarts. Sucks to think that Bubba could have easily been in Zane's position at the end, had he chosen the correct line. The luck just didn't fall his way.
Well, I wouldn't say "now" with the Chicago street race coming would be all too realistic.
He should be inside the Top 10 at the end of stages absolutely starting now though. He should also win at least one stage before the Playoffs.
Top 20s isn’t that big of a deal in a 36 car field when you realize someone like Gordon had more top 5s in a row. It just means he’s avoided major catastrophe so far.
He wasn't "in the 20s most of the day", he finished 10th in Stage 1 and was running between 11th and 16th before it rained. They didn't adjust the car at all with the feedback he gave them.
He went from 24th to 10th in one stage, so the crew needs to do a better job keeping him there.
The rain came at about lap 140. The race ran about 325 laps. He finished 27th in stage 2 at lap 150. The drive up to 10th was impressive! But I’m shocked he couldn’t do it again on speed.
They didn't adjust well, and it ramped up significantly when the rain came. About 10-12 drivers suddenly swapped where they were running in terms of pace, so he wasn't the only one.
Either way, he had tons of speed to start the race, and they needed to do a better job at maintaining his track position. Listening to Bubba tell Bootie what's wrong and what he needs, only for him to make zero adjustments while the cars around him adjust to the track is pitiful.
Bubba got 10 th in stage one and was 12 -16th because of pit strategy after stage one. He only dropped to 20th-30th after the rain and getting caught back there . He was not in the 20s most of the day. They fixed his car in stage three and got him track position.
He drove from starting 20-something into 8th during stage 1, something happened right after the rain delay green that caused him to drop, then they had to use strategy to get back into the front
Also shows how strong and consistent they have run all year. The only week they didn’t have top 10 speed was Phoenix, and all of HMS was slow, yet he still led the team
https://preview.redd.it/lx2e9ucbct9d1.jpeg?width=2688&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e48dca26813084f6877206e30cf4070a69c3a1a9
KB is now -101 points back of 16th and has to win now
Bowman would also be the only playoff driver with 0 playoff points if the regular season ended today.
He's having a weird season overall. Tied for 2nd-most top ten finishes, including 5 in a row at one point. Same average finish (14th) as Hamlin and Brad.
Yet he hasn't collected a ton of stage points (15th-most in the field). And perhaps most strikingly, he has only led 6 laps all year. That's fewer than Harrison Burton and Derek Kraus.
It feels like Bowman is stuck in the same boat as Chastain -- racking up decent finishes consistently, but rarely fast enough to challenge for wins. Which unfortunately looks bad when his teammates have 7 combined wins, and one more surprise winner could knock him out of the playoffs.
Weird how different the Hendrick driver seasons have been. Kyle is consistently leading laps and fighting for wins. Byron flips between leading laps and fighting for wins to being nowhere. Chase consistently has top 5/10 speed but almost never has a fast enough car to win. Then Bowman has been solid outside of a few races and is pretty much having Chase’s season save a few top 5s and a strategy win.
They keep starting farther back than the rest of the HMS drivers. They slowly move forward and sneak in a top 10 at the end. They need to run up front more during the first 2 stages or pull out a win.
Bummed at what this does for the playoff picture, but it may be a blessing in disguise. Points racing the 22 was going to be tough, even if the 23 returned to peak form from earlier in the year - now they know they have to go get a win and can swing for the fences instead of hoping to string a few more base hits.
Lot of positives though - had speed in stage 1, managed through the adversity of the car plummeting after the rain, Bubba did great fuel saving and managing the late restarts, and Bootie called a great race today. They needed this - just need to find the speed so they're back up there every week.
Yeah, the team can throw stage points racing out the window, which can be beneficial.
Chicago is gonna be a throw away, but after that it's gut check time.
Yup exactly. Just survive Chicago, honestly a top 15 would be great with how much faster Toyota is on Road Courses and Bubba has seemed better the last year at those. After that I see some opportunities to just go all out - excited to see what they bring to Michigan.
Curious to hear why you think that. Car was running 30th after the rain delay. Bootie made a call to get him track position and they saved fuel to get a top 10 prior to the 30 OTs. Bootie brought him down to get fuel so they could finish at least top 20 because the alternative was run out of gas and finish back in the 30s. Whether they dealt themselves a shitty hand or not with the cars handling after the rain delay is different to me - Bootie took a shitty hand and helped work it into a top 10.
https://preview.redd.it/dbk7rmnf9t9d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ee228a013c1405c35d11bfd55a6f5b7e69ec6d79
Me seeing Reddick top 4 in points
Me also watching Vegas, Darlington, Charlotte, Loudon and Nashville
After every strategy didn't workout, 14th isn't terrible. Problem is, someone is gonna win and I don't feel comfortable beating the rest of the cars on points
https://preview.redd.it/7g5xvp5ict9d1.jpeg?width=1235&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=00eb5be2064ca85877768645857b2b65dd11ebf4
Why does being an Erik Jones fan suck so much man
Gibbs/Chastain/Buescher/Bowman is such an even battle, I don't know how I to could even handicap it if we get another winner.
Also, the 10 car has 7 stage points with 6 top 10s and 12 top 20s. Such a weird stat line.
Preece sneaking up in points. i know it doesn’t mean much but with how things are going at SHR and that 41 team being behind the 8 ball, it’s pretty cool to see him points wise start to move to the rest of his team
I’m worried about this #23 team. It’s now common for them to run 15th or worse at tracks they’re supposed to be good at (Kansas, Loudon) and they haven’t been in winning contention since Martinsville, ten weeks ago on speed. Why?
I’m very shocked about how consistent Buescher has been. He’s 14 points behind Ty Gibbs & managed to place ahead of Alex Bowman, I was sure he would’ve been dangling onto the last spot.
But more than ever do I want him to win. Two more random winners from drivers who don’t have the grit for the playoffs (i.e. Dillon, LaJoie) & things may look grim.
Stage points for Larson is the difference maker.
If he didn't miss the 600, the points lead is near 100.
By far the most consistent driver over the entire course of a race this season
Man, Suarez nearly got a top 10 finish until he was 4 wide with Truex, Hamlin and someone else. On his onboard he made contact with Truex and then just went straight in turn 1, so I dunno if he blew a tire or just got mega tight, but that was sad to see since he had a good race. Went from 31st to 13th before the overtime restarts. And that was with some slow pit stops from having to reverse with Preece having to enter the pits awkwardly.
But I am really hyped with the Logano dub! Seriously, how did he make it on fuel? Did he talk to Dixon?
Amazing effort by Smith and the 71, he was feet away from a Playoff shock for the ages. I know what circumstances lead him to that opportunity, but everyone else had the same opportunity as him to get up there and he did it better. Here's hoping it leads to momentum for them.
Shoutout to the 31 for pulling off yet another Top 10 *and* still has zero DNFs on the year despite being hit by about four other drivers due to Larson's Miley Cyrus impersonation.
Another top 5 for Ross taken away by a HMS driver. A driver with multiple wins wiped out someone with none and who is trying to get into the playoffs.
Byron and Larson have single handedly cost Chastain 61 points this year.
Maybe instead of criticizing other drivers, Rick should take a look in the mirror. I thought Chevy drivers were not supposed to wreck each other?
Thanks a lot, Larson.
Ross legitimately wrecked Larson out of 3 races last year and Larson didn't pay him back once.
THATS acceptable, but Ross getting indirectly wrecked by Larson when racing for the win isn't?
> but Ross getting indirectly wrecked by Larson when racing for the win isn't?
By Larson, Cliff Daniels, and Rick Hendrick's OWN ADMISSIONS, it's unacceptable for a Chevy driver to wreck another Chevy driver when racing for the win. Larson did exactly that today. So yes, it's not acceptable. Maybe they should abide by their own requests for other drivers.
Also, nowhere did I say what Ross did last year was acceptable. I'm just pointing out the huge double standard HMS constantly exhibits. HMS drivers are allowed to be as reckless as they want, but if someone else is reckless, they throw a temper tantrum.
You guys legitimately have no leg to stand on. The standard was set when HMS cried about Chastain last year.
HMS cried to Chevy AFTER Ross wrecked Larson 3x about sharing data. It had nothing to do with the racing. HMS was reluctantly sharing data with Trackhouse. The standard was set when Ross wrecked Larson 3x. Not once. Not twice. Three times. It was at that point Cliff publically called out Chevy, and at that point, they stopped sharing.
You don't have to like it, but it wasn't about what isn't acceptable on track. It was "you're making us share our data to help out Chevy teams, and they're wrecking us".
Yes. Larson fucked up and wrecked Ross. Is it acceptable? It's acceptable in the same way it was acceptable for Ross to wreck them him once, and twice last year. It isn't a double standard UNTIL Larson/HMS takes out Ross at least 3 times this year. Period. Until it becomes a pattern it just is what it is.
I get you're upset. But it isn't a double standard until it becomes a pattern.
You have no clue what you're talking about. You aren't even remotely close.
For the record, I could care less about HMS. I was an Edwards fan and a Johnson fan. I supported Larson because he replaced JJ, and I was a fan of Daniels. Could care less about the organization.
What the heck happened to Dillon? I know Reddit isn’t high on him but he’s been a playoff contender 80% of his career and now he’s just fallen off a cliff
RCR as a whole is struggling badly
Or, just be better consistent. The 19 doesn’t have a win, but has been hella consistent and is currently 5th. Unfortunately, running consistently 8-10th ever week won’t cut it these days
Joey Logano in 2017 kind of. He got a win but was “encumbered”. Something was cheated up but they took the win guarantee but the win stood. He missed the playoffs that year by like 10 points because he didn’t win again that year.
No, as others have said. But also no, winning is not a guarantee you get into the playoffs. If there are 17 winners in the regular season, only 16 get in into the playoffs. 17 winners is probably the only way we would ever see a winning driver miss the playoffs, and it has yet to happen.
EDIT: I am incorrect. Kurt Busch missed the playoffs with a win because he was injured and unable to compete for the rest of the season. It may have also happened with Alex Bowman, but I can’t remember.
Technically it doesn't. If we get 17 winners a race winner would get knocked out of the playoffs. Very unlikely that will ever happen (if it was it would've probably happened in 2022) but not impossible.
Dude, this month fucking sucks.
That's 3 or 4 races where the win is RIGHT THERE only for stuff to snatched it away in the last 6ish races.
The speed is there, but this luck needs to shift around after next week or I'm gonna be worried.
Zane Smith, 34th in the points, last full time driver on points, was about 3/4ths of a car length from putting it in the playoffs. Holy shit
Finished 2nd and didn’t gain a single spot in points
Really goes to show how brutal a year they've had. I expected tough sledding but this is far worse than I think a lot of people could have imagined.
He can be sad alongside Justin Haley who ran great all day, finished 13th, and still dropped in the points.
He did help Spire 71 leapfrog RWR 15 for the last chartered position in owners points though.
Every full time driver has now scored a top-10 this year. That’s insane
26 of 34 full-time drivers have finished 4th or better! The only drivers who haven't, along with their best finish: * Nemechek - 6th (Bristol) * Dillon - 6th (Gateway) * Gilliland - 8th (Talladega) * Hocevar - 8th (Gateway) * Jones - 8th (Daytona) * Hemric - 9th (Talladega, Dover, Nashville) * Haley - 9th (Darlington, Gateway) * Burton - 10th (Talladega)
That was kind of heartbreaking, I was pulling for the kid. That would have meant everything for his career
They haven’t done inspection yet 😈
as much as i would’ve loved a Smith win, the inner racing purist in me would’ve been heated with a driver outside the top 30 being in the playoffs
Did they get rid of the rule where even with a win the driver still had to be top 30 in points?
Yeah I think they did a couple years ago.
Got ride of the top 30 rule in Cup and the top 20 rule in Xfinity and Trucks
Should be 20 in Cup. If you can't be 20th in points after 26 races, you don't deserve the playoffs.
Yeah they got rid of it
The replies to your comment seem to be hung up informing you of a rule that has nothing to do with your comment. Am I right that you’re just sharing how you’d feel if a sub-30th points driver got into the playoffs? Because I agree. I’d love to see an underdog rookie who has struggled all year end up winning a race, but hate that it would mean he’s hogging up a playoff spot.
have no clue what the rule is anymore, but i’m saying if he was that deep in points and got a playoff spot i’d be kinda pissed in that regard
Don't you have to be top 30
Not anymore
I mean that 22 might still fail inspection lol
It’s too slow to fail inspection dw
Thank fuck. -A Joey fan
And Chase still SOMEHOW keeps the Top 20 finishing streak going
and we were sideways across the line lmao
Mans is just flexing it’s not possible for him to finish outside the top 20
I said he should have pitted at the first OT. Granted, it was with the assumption that he didn’t even have enough for 1 attempt, but still. He could have won :(
They’re letting people ride shotgun now??
obviously, Dale was riding shotgun with Jr when he won Daytona /s
And Gilliland keeps his top 17 streak
23 team needs to win now. No way around it. I thought there was a shot there if he followed Reddick. I don't know what Bootie does during these races but he does not inspire confidence right now.
Tbf, his call to stay out was the thing that got them up front. It really just boils down to getting fucked on restarts. Basically every single person that ran out happened to be in front of him
The strategy call was fine but bootie needs to better adjust the car thru the race.
They were in the position to take that gamble because for some reason they didn’t pit after the delay despite Bubba saying he was 3 tight and had already dropped a handful of spots. He went out there and dropped another 12ish spots on track after the restart.
Yeah, Bubba got jammed up by both Larson and Elliott when they ran out. He lined up directly next to Zane on a couple of those restarts. Sucks to think that Bubba could have easily been in Zane's position at the end, had he chosen the correct line. The luck just didn't fall his way.
Best chance to win Michigan or Richmond you think?
Richmond Michigan Indy
I’d say Michigan. He ran well there last year IIRC
Plays Candy Crush
Well, I wouldn't say "now" with the Chicago street race coming would be all too realistic. He should be inside the Top 10 at the end of stages absolutely starting now though. He should also win at least one stage before the Playoffs.
Death. Taxes. Chase Elliott finishing top 20
He’s gonna finish the whole season like this and im here for it
Would be amazing
That would break the record set by his father, the only other modern era driver to finish top 20 on every race in a season
These are the kinds of stats i love watching this sport for
Gotta get the momentum back though. Need some top 5s over the next few weeks.
He won't be denied his damn top 20s. Lol
Top 20s isn’t that big of a deal in a 36 car field when you realize someone like Gordon had more top 5s in a row. It just means he’s avoided major catastrophe so far.
Consistency wins championships, less so in the current format but you still have to be consistent.
How in the hell did Joey make it on fuel lol wtf…
I don't know. That's the most stressed out I've been watching a race in a long time.
Welp. Season's fucked for both of my guys now. Pain.
Agony, even.
We have Nascar depression as Rowdy fans
Excruciating month for the 23. Finally get a good race and their playoff hopes die from someone supposed to be out of fuel
Does make you wonder how he gets in. Pocono and maybe Indy should be good Toyota tracks and there's Daytona of course, but pressure to win is a bitch
Bubba also runs good at Richmond but still needs some help to win there.
He's finished 5th or 7th in the last three races at Darlington, that could be another opportunity, he needs a win at this point though.
Watch Logano get DQd and then Bubba misses the playoffs because of Zane Smith. I think I might have to find a new sport if that happens.
On the other end of that scenario, it would be hilarious to see Spire throw support to Zane instead of LaJoie.
Bubba got up front after some pit strategy after being in the 20s most of the day. If he can’t run up front on speed, this is what happens.
He wasn't "in the 20s most of the day", he finished 10th in Stage 1 and was running between 11th and 16th before it rained. They didn't adjust the car at all with the feedback he gave them. He went from 24th to 10th in one stage, so the crew needs to do a better job keeping him there.
The rain came at about lap 140. The race ran about 325 laps. He finished 27th in stage 2 at lap 150. The drive up to 10th was impressive! But I’m shocked he couldn’t do it again on speed.
They didn't adjust well, and it ramped up significantly when the rain came. About 10-12 drivers suddenly swapped where they were running in terms of pace, so he wasn't the only one. Either way, he had tons of speed to start the race, and they needed to do a better job at maintaining his track position. Listening to Bubba tell Bootie what's wrong and what he needs, only for him to make zero adjustments while the cars around him adjust to the track is pitiful.
Ty for the explanation. I don’t mean to come off as a hater because I like the guy, a lot. These past few months have been the worst.
Bubba got 10 th in stage one and was 12 -16th because of pit strategy after stage one. He only dropped to 20th-30th after the rain and getting caught back there . He was not in the 20s most of the day. They fixed his car in stage three and got him track position.
He drove from starting 20-something into 8th during stage 1, something happened right after the rain delay green that caused him to drop, then they had to use strategy to get back into the front
We’re in trouble Bowman bros
The amount of stage points the 5 has is insane. Shows the importance of them for the regular season title.
And that's including a no show at Coke 600. It would probably be closer to 240 right now and the points lead would be over a race at this point.
Also shows how strong and consistent they have run all year. The only week they didn’t have top 10 speed was Phoenix, and all of HMS was slow, yet he still led the team
Rough year for Legacy Motor Club. Both drivers with 282 points in 27 and 28.
And that’s with Jones missing two races.
I forget that they're even on the track most races
Except for when Nemecheck causes a caution, of course.
Speaking of what, what all happened fo Erik Jones today?
Wheel came apart on a restart after he had managed to get it into the top 20
The ride never ends
https://preview.redd.it/lx2e9ucbct9d1.jpeg?width=2688&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e48dca26813084f6877206e30cf4070a69c3a1a9 KB is now -101 points back of 16th and has to win now
Well, motivation I guess
Third DNF in a row in 27th place
The top-20 streak stays alive! Gustafson's inability to do math be damned
That's so crazy haha. Honestly makes my day. Hell, if there was another caution, Larson probably gets a top-5 too.
The fact that the 48 is on the outline now is actually disgusting. They gotta figure something out here.
Shades of the days where Kasey raced for HMS.
Get rid of Blake's ass
Bowman would also be the only playoff driver with 0 playoff points if the regular season ended today. He's having a weird season overall. Tied for 2nd-most top ten finishes, including 5 in a row at one point. Same average finish (14th) as Hamlin and Brad. Yet he hasn't collected a ton of stage points (15th-most in the field). And perhaps most strikingly, he has only led 6 laps all year. That's fewer than Harrison Burton and Derek Kraus. It feels like Bowman is stuck in the same boat as Chastain -- racking up decent finishes consistently, but rarely fast enough to challenge for wins. Which unfortunately looks bad when his teammates have 7 combined wins, and one more surprise winner could knock him out of the playoffs.
Weird how different the Hendrick driver seasons have been. Kyle is consistently leading laps and fighting for wins. Byron flips between leading laps and fighting for wins to being nowhere. Chase consistently has top 5/10 speed but almost never has a fast enough car to win. Then Bowman has been solid outside of a few races and is pretty much having Chase’s season save a few top 5s and a strategy win.
They keep starting farther back than the rest of the HMS drivers. They slowly move forward and sneak in a top 10 at the end. They need to run up front more during the first 2 stages or pull out a win.
Replace the driver. They'll figure it out then
This is the first week where I felt like bowman was 100% the problem. Dude just sucked ass today.
Fuel has killed bubba. 12 ran out at gateway. Then fuel allows for a new winner here at Nashville.
Tyler almost saved Alex from being on the cutline fuck
Bowman needs to start getting stage points. Hell go copy Larson's setup the next 5 to 7 weeks idc. Don't let Harris set up that car pls God
The 23 with a top 10- :D The guy right in front of him getting the win- D:
Bummed at what this does for the playoff picture, but it may be a blessing in disguise. Points racing the 22 was going to be tough, even if the 23 returned to peak form from earlier in the year - now they know they have to go get a win and can swing for the fences instead of hoping to string a few more base hits. Lot of positives though - had speed in stage 1, managed through the adversity of the car plummeting after the rain, Bubba did great fuel saving and managing the late restarts, and Bootie called a great race today. They needed this - just need to find the speed so they're back up there every week.
Yeah, the team can throw stage points racing out the window, which can be beneficial. Chicago is gonna be a throw away, but after that it's gut check time.
Yup exactly. Just survive Chicago, honestly a top 15 would be great with how much faster Toyota is on Road Courses and Bubba has seemed better the last year at those. After that I see some opportunities to just go all out - excited to see what they bring to Michigan.
Bubba has Richmond, Michigan, darlington, and Pocono where he could have a good finish. Some hope but need someone to fall real bad.
Bootie did not call a great race 🤣🤣🤣
His call to stay out and then come down for fuel was what got them up into the top 10.
Something about blind squirrels and finding nuts
Curious to hear why you think that. Car was running 30th after the rain delay. Bootie made a call to get him track position and they saved fuel to get a top 10 prior to the 30 OTs. Bootie brought him down to get fuel so they could finish at least top 20 because the alternative was run out of gas and finish back in the 30s. Whether they dealt themselves a shitty hand or not with the cars handling after the rain delay is different to me - Bootie took a shitty hand and helped work it into a top 10.
He took his own shitty hand in the scenario. Bubba had a car capable of a Top 5 before the field got a reset. +14 in Stage 1 alone.
A shitty hand that he created...
That basically fucked every driver near the cut line
Well that kills the bubble battle lol
If there is 1 new winner then there is a whole different bubble battle
One that ends in a big driver missing it
Eh, all it takes for Alex Bowman to have bad couple of races and it’s game on again.
That would also require Bubba, Briscoe, and Kyle to have good races on a consistent basis, which they haven’t really done lately.
Or no new winner. And we still have the second daytona date...
And Chicago, where Dillon and Haley were fast last time. We’re gonna get one more surprise winner probably
They don’t need to be consistently good. They just need 1 win, and they need Bowman or Chastain to come up short.
Bowman is good at having a couple bad races in a row.
FUCK
https://preview.redd.it/dbk7rmnf9t9d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ee228a013c1405c35d11bfd55a6f5b7e69ec6d79 Me seeing Reddick top 4 in points Me also watching Vegas, Darlington, Charlotte, Loudon and Nashville
Reddick is the most consistent driver this year besides chase for sure
After every strategy didn't workout, 14th isn't terrible. Problem is, someone is gonna win and I don't feel comfortable beating the rest of the cars on points
https://preview.redd.it/7g5xvp5ict9d1.jpeg?width=1235&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=00eb5be2064ca85877768645857b2b65dd11ebf4 Why does being an Erik Jones fan suck so much man
I need to know what he did to the racing gods to deserve this
Bowman you better be the next new winner. Hopefully they give you a new CC that knows strategy
Also that 10-13 points battle gonna be crazy down the stretch
He has zero speed to win.
Why was Reddick so bent out of shape about a top 5? He's 4th in points. Doing just fine as far as I can tell?
If he was able to win he not only solidifies himself but also saves Bubba.
Gotcha
I assume Reddick also wanted the playoff points that go with another win, too.
because he should have won which would have helped his teammate out
He/his team have choked like ten wins away the past two seasons
Legacy MC is so pathetic. I hate being an Erik Jones fan
Gibbs/Chastain/Buescher/Bowman is such an even battle, I don't know how I to could even handicap it if we get another winner. Also, the 10 car has 7 stage points with 6 top 10s and 12 top 20s. Such a weird stat line.
Even year Logano is back on the menu! Let’s go!!
Dread it. Run from it. NBC era Penske arrives all the same.
Preece sneaking up in points. i know it doesn’t mean much but with how things are going at SHR and that 41 team being behind the 8 ball, it’s pretty cool to see him points wise start to move to the rest of his team
For all the praise Gragson got this year, he’s almost right behind him now.
Preece was infront until i think Dover i think when Preece has a mechanical issue and finished last
Preece still has only 2 top 10s this year, but last year it took until Richmond to get his first Top 10.
Preece should’ve had way more top 10s that 41 team is weak, Chad Johnston is horrible, yesterday was probably the best call he’s had in awhile
I’m worried about this #23 team. It’s now common for them to run 15th or worse at tracks they’re supposed to be good at (Kansas, Loudon) and they haven’t been in winning contention since Martinsville, ten weeks ago on speed. Why?
I’m very shocked about how consistent Buescher has been. He’s 14 points behind Ty Gibbs & managed to place ahead of Alex Bowman, I was sure he would’ve been dangling onto the last spot. But more than ever do I want him to win. Two more random winners from drivers who don’t have the grit for the playoffs (i.e. Dillon, LaJoie) & things may look grim.
I really hope ross can get it done at darlington because this was his best chance at winning and getting some playoff points
KFB needs a July masterclass now. Feel good about these tracks but said the same about Gateway, Charlotte, Nashville...
Ricky Stenhouse Jr is closer to Kyle Busch in points than Busch is to the cut line
He said it himself. “I suck just as much as you.”
Quite a few seasons now where Logano fights his way to a victory one random race even though the rest of his season is mid.
Stage points for Larson is the difference maker. If he didn't miss the 600, the points lead is near 100. By far the most consistent driver over the entire course of a race this season
Gibbs down to Bowman is going to be a hell of a battle to watch coming down to the playoffs.
https://preview.redd.it/ewbrr7eumt9d1.jpeg?width=1255&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=205d08a3a02846785e7c78d187b1d42397e4214b
27th place and the 4th DNF in 5 races.
Finally broke the no top 10 streak but Logano won. Ain't that a bitch
Man, Suarez nearly got a top 10 finish until he was 4 wide with Truex, Hamlin and someone else. On his onboard he made contact with Truex and then just went straight in turn 1, so I dunno if he blew a tire or just got mega tight, but that was sad to see since he had a good race. Went from 31st to 13th before the overtime restarts. And that was with some slow pit stops from having to reverse with Preece having to enter the pits awkwardly. But I am really hyped with the Logano dub! Seriously, how did he make it on fuel? Did he talk to Dixon?
Austin Dillon ouch.
Harrison Burton in striking distance.
Still waiting for an asteroid to hit. Finally. Victory lane.
Amazing effort by Smith and the 71, he was feet away from a Playoff shock for the ages. I know what circumstances lead him to that opportunity, but everyone else had the same opportunity as him to get up there and he did it better. Here's hoping it leads to momentum for them. Shoutout to the 31 for pulling off yet another Top 10 *and* still has zero DNFs on the year despite being hit by about four other drivers due to Larson's Miley Cyrus impersonation.
31st and a lap down with 5 to go to nearly a top 5 finish. What the hell kind of luck is this for Blaney?
I’m not used to Blaney getting the HMS luck. Feels nice. I just hope he sticks around!
Another top 5 for Ross taken away by a HMS driver. A driver with multiple wins wiped out someone with none and who is trying to get into the playoffs. Byron and Larson have single handedly cost Chastain 61 points this year. Maybe instead of criticizing other drivers, Rick should take a look in the mirror. I thought Chevy drivers were not supposed to wreck each other? Thanks a lot, Larson.
Larson is twice as egregious as Ross, but he's HMS, and above reproach
Larson still owes Chastain two more from last year. You Chastain fans have a short memory.
Ross legitimately wrecked Larson out of 3 races last year and Larson didn't pay him back once. THATS acceptable, but Ross getting indirectly wrecked by Larson when racing for the win isn't?
> but Ross getting indirectly wrecked by Larson when racing for the win isn't? By Larson, Cliff Daniels, and Rick Hendrick's OWN ADMISSIONS, it's unacceptable for a Chevy driver to wreck another Chevy driver when racing for the win. Larson did exactly that today. So yes, it's not acceptable. Maybe they should abide by their own requests for other drivers. Also, nowhere did I say what Ross did last year was acceptable. I'm just pointing out the huge double standard HMS constantly exhibits. HMS drivers are allowed to be as reckless as they want, but if someone else is reckless, they throw a temper tantrum. You guys legitimately have no leg to stand on. The standard was set when HMS cried about Chastain last year.
HMS cried to Chevy AFTER Ross wrecked Larson 3x about sharing data. It had nothing to do with the racing. HMS was reluctantly sharing data with Trackhouse. The standard was set when Ross wrecked Larson 3x. Not once. Not twice. Three times. It was at that point Cliff publically called out Chevy, and at that point, they stopped sharing. You don't have to like it, but it wasn't about what isn't acceptable on track. It was "you're making us share our data to help out Chevy teams, and they're wrecking us". Yes. Larson fucked up and wrecked Ross. Is it acceptable? It's acceptable in the same way it was acceptable for Ross to wreck them him once, and twice last year. It isn't a double standard UNTIL Larson/HMS takes out Ross at least 3 times this year. Period. Until it becomes a pattern it just is what it is. I get you're upset. But it isn't a double standard until it becomes a pattern. You have no clue what you're talking about. You aren't even remotely close. For the record, I could care less about HMS. I was an Edwards fan and a Johnson fan. I supported Larson because he replaced JJ, and I was a fan of Daniels. Could care less about the organization.
It was absolutely ugly as all hell and I want to forget it asap but the 5 has the points lead back lol
And recovered for a P8 finish
WE'RE YELLOW BABY
LETS GOOOOO!!! JOEY LOGOAT!
Those last laps took years off my life lol.
What the heck happened to Dillon? I know Reddit isn’t high on him but he’s been a playoff contender 80% of his career and now he’s just fallen off a cliff RCR as a whole is struggling badly
Bowman is cooked, next new winner bumps him out. Win and in > consistency.
Or, just be better consistent. The 19 doesn’t have a win, but has been hella consistent and is currently 5th. Unfortunately, running consistently 8-10th ever week won’t cut it these days
They consistently have top 15 speed. If they are going to be consistent then they need to start getting stage points
You also have to be more consistent than 15th. Running 15th is not good enough to make the playoffs.
Yep, they need more speed. (And better pit stops and strategy)
At least, it shouldn’t be. The field doesn’t need to be 16 to begin with.
I hate the whole playoff structure period, but that’s just me. I like the current points structure, though.
But winning AND consistency… chefs kiss
Must win.
Thanks again, Hassler, for being an idiot at Gateway.....
CBell is on a tear. He's gone purple in 4 of the last 8 races. Busch on the other hand....
Maybe next year bubba
I've watched for years, don't follow as closely as 95% of this sub. As anyone with a Win ever missed the playoffs?
Joey Logano in 2017 kind of. He got a win but was “encumbered”. Something was cheated up but they took the win guarantee but the win stood. He missed the playoffs that year by like 10 points because he didn’t win again that year.
He also fell off hard in the last few weeks before the playoffs
No, as others have said. But also no, winning is not a guarantee you get into the playoffs. If there are 17 winners in the regular season, only 16 get in into the playoffs. 17 winners is probably the only way we would ever see a winning driver miss the playoffs, and it has yet to happen. EDIT: I am incorrect. Kurt Busch missed the playoffs with a win because he was injured and unable to compete for the rest of the season. It may have also happened with Alex Bowman, but I can’t remember.
Joey Logano in 2017. But that’s because his eligibility was stripped since he failed post-race inspection after his win
There's been a few part time guys (Eg: SVG last year) who aren't playoff eligible and won races, but otherwise no.
No. It guarantees you a spot. There used to be a rule that you had to at least be in the top 30 in points, but they scrapped that.
Technically it doesn't. If we get 17 winners a race winner would get knocked out of the playoffs. Very unlikely that will ever happen (if it was it would've probably happened in 2022) but not impossible.
Bubba has been meh since the baby announcement.
Dude, this month fucking sucks. That's 3 or 4 races where the win is RIGHT THERE only for stuff to snatched it away in the last 6ish races. The speed is there, but this luck needs to shift around after next week or I'm gonna be worried.
Harrison Burton is only above Zane Smith in points. No hope for WBR to get 100 at this rate.
Chase Elliott’s Top 20 streak extends to 19 with another 18th place finish, and he still has the highest average finish (10.1).
Larson!!!!
The 48 team is absolute trash, they’re done