The first elimination race of NASCAR’s playoffs is fast approaching, and some of the sport’s biggest names find themselves in a precarious position. With three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, as well as former Cup Series champions Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr., all at risk, Saturday night’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway will be crucial. These stars are among the 16 drivers in the playoffs, though other popular drivers, including Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, and Bubba Wallace, failed to qualify.
This year’s playoff field lacks some of the star power that fans are used to seeing, but that doesn’t lessen the tension as Hamlin, Keselowski, Truex Jr., and young Harrison Burton find themselves below the cutline. At the end of Saturday night, the bottom four drivers will be eliminated from championship contention.
When asked about his strategy, Hamlin, who has four wins at Bristol, made his intentions clear. “I’m coming here to win,” he stated on Friday. Hamlin emphasized that his approach would remain aggressive unless race dynamics force a change. “I’m going on the offense right away,” he said, expressing confidence that, over the course of the 500-lap race, things will fall into place.
One driver, Joey Logano, has already secured his spot in the next playoff round thanks to his victory in the opening race at Atlanta. That leaves 11 available spots for the remaining drivers, with the bottom four most in danger of elimination. The unpredictability of the new venues—Atlanta and Watkins Glen—has placed Hamlin, Keselowski, and Truex in their current predicament. Truex, who finished 20th at Watkins Glen, was particularly frustrated with the lack of respect among competitors. With retirement from full-time racing looming, Truex admitted he’s unlikely to start racing aggressively now. “I really don’t know,” he said about potentially abandoning his usual clean racing style to advance in the playoffs. However, he believes in sticking to his principles, hoping that consistency will be enough to carry him forward.
Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace’s contract extension with 23XI Racing raised questions about the team’s charter status, but Hamlin, who co-owns the team with Michael Jordan and Curtis Polk, quickly dispelled any assumptions. The extension should not be taken as an indication that the team is close to signing NASCAR’s charter agreement. Hamlin assured that 23XI remains committed to racing next season, regardless of ongoing off-track battles surrounding ownership issues.
In a rare move for NASCAR, Spire Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing announced a driver swap starting next week at Kansas Speedway. Corey LaJoie, who will not return to Spire next season, will drive for Rick Ware Racing for the final two months of the year, giving him a chance to prove himself for a full-time seat in 2025. Meanwhile, Justin Haley will return to Spire, where he has previous experience and even secured a Cup Series win at Daytona in 2019. While such trades are unusual in NASCAR, the deal was reportedly amicable, with both sides seeing the potential benefits of the driver swap.
On another front, Dale Earnhardt Jr. hinted that Friday night’s Xfinity Series race at Bristol might be his last for the foreseeable future. The NASCAR Hall of Famer, who turns 50 later this year, doesn’t plan to race in the Xfinity Series in 2025, but he’s not ruling out a return in 2026. Earnhardt acknowledged that he might miss racing and may be tempted to come back if the right opportunity arises.
The Bristol race will see Earnhardt piloting the No. 88 Chevrolet, which Connor Zilisch drove to victory at Watkins Glen the previous week. While Earnhardt is stepping back from the Xfinity Series, he mentioned that his team, JR Motorsports, is still exploring the possibility of entering the Cup Series. With new interest and potential partnerships emerging in the sport, Earnhardt isn’t closing the door on expanding his team’s presence in NASCAR’s top-tier competition.
Despite his uncertain future on the track, Earnhardt remains focused on JR Motorsports’ growth and is open to opportunities that may arise in the evolving NASCAR landscape. The team may find itself benefiting from the momentum of new partnerships and developments in the sport, though Earnhardt isn’t overly concerned if those opportunities don’t materialize. He’s content with where his racing journey has led him but remains open to whatever the future holds.
A trio of NASCAR stars in danger of playoff elimination at Bristol cutoff race
