The first elimination race of NASCAR’s playoffs has a three-time Daytona 500 champion and two former Cup Series champions facing the possibility of being removed from the title race on Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.
These three drivers are also among the biggest names in NASCAR, while popular racers like Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, and Bubba Wallace did not make the playoff cut.
This year’s lineup is somewhat weaker, yet Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., and Harrison Burton find themselves below the cutline as they head into this first elimination race. The bottom four drivers after Saturday’s race will be out of the playoffs.
So, what’s the strategy? For Hamlin, who has won four times at Bristol, the plan is straightforward.
“I’m coming here to win,” Hamlin said on Friday. “That strategy won’t change unless the race situation does. I’m going to be aggressive right from the start, and I’ll accept whatever happens.”
Hamlin believes that over the course of 500 laps, things will sort themselves out.
Joey Logano is the only driver already secured for the second round after winning the playoff opener in Atlanta. This means there are still 11 spots available, with the bottom four drivers in the most danger.
The races in Atlanta and Watkins Glen last week were new additions to the 10-race playoff schedule, which is why Hamlin, three-time Daytona 500 winner, and champions Keselowski and Truex find themselves in this position.
Both tracks are known for being unpredictable, and Keselowski’s 19th-place finish at Atlanta is the best result among the three drivers. Truex, who finished 20th at Watkins Glen, was frustrated after that race due to the lack of respect from other drivers.
Truex plans to retire from full-time racing after this season and feels it’s too late to change his approach to racing. He mentioned he isn’t sure if he would be willing to compromise his principles to move to the next playoff round.
