With solely 4 races left within the 2026 NASCAR Cup Collection season, it is crunch time within the race to make the Chase.
Thirteenth by means of nineteenth within the Cup Collection standings are separated by solely 77 factors, and the subsequent 4 races shall be a mad sprint by these on the bubble to get into the highest 16.
This is how assured these bubble drivers needs to be about their possibilities of making the postseason on a scale of 1-10.
13. Joey Logano (+65) | Confidence degree: 9
Not solely does Logano have momentum on his aspect after profitable at North Wilkesboro and ending third at Indianapolis, however the remainder of the common season schedule strains up effectively for the No. 22 group.
Ford and Penske have been good at quick, flatter ovals this 12 months, and Logano is all the time up entrance at Daytona. It is tough to belief Ford to deliver quick automobiles to the monitor over the subsequent 4 races, however Logano and the No. 22 group all the time appear to show up the wick in pressure-packed conditions.
14. Bubba Wallace (+60) | Confidence degree: 6
Wallace has a couple of one-race hole to the minimize line, although his benefit over seventeenth might be a lot larger if not for a expensive penalty at Atlanta.
The subsequent three tracks — Iowa, Richmond and New Hampshire — on the schedule have not been nice for Wallace, although he is run prime 10 in any respect of them within the Subsequent-Gen period. Nevertheless, 23XI Racing’s quick monitor bundle nonetheless has a methods to go.
Daytona, and drafting tracks on the whole, have been good to Wallace all through his profession, however counting on an excellent superspeedway end result is not a lot of a technique. Prime-10 runs at two of the subsequent 4 races and avoiding catastrophe within the different two needs to be sufficient to get Wallace again into the postseason.
15. Shane van Gisbergen (+57) | Confidence degree: 5
On one hand, SVG has improved enormously at ovals this season. On the opposite, he is nonetheless studying, and maybe extra importantly, Trackhouse Racing is struggling to seek out constant pace.
The truth that the subsequent three races are on shorter ovals ought to play into van Gisbergen’s palms, and he is confirmed to be a stable superspeedway racer. However until he is holding a niche of over 50 factors with two races left, it is onerous to say that he could be trusted to make the Chase.
16. Austin Cindric (+38) | Confidence degree: 6
Cindric and the No. 2 Penske group ought to have first rate tempo over the subsequent 4 races, and he’ll possible be in competition for the win at Daytona. The query is whether or not or not Cindric, who has completed both thirteenth or 14th during the last 5 races, can discover sufficient pace to complete prime 10 a couple of times to seal up a Chase spot, as he cannot assume that 4 extra Fifteenth-place runs are going to be sufficient.
17. Ryan Preece (-38) | Confidence degree: 4
Nothing in opposition to Preece, however the No. 60 group backslid by means of a lot of the summer time earlier than back-to-back prime 10s at Wilkesboro and Indy. The subsequent 4 tracks line up effectively for Preece, however he’ll possible want two or three large factors days to shut the hole on Cindric, and that is not essentially one thing that may be counted on.
18. Erik Jones (-44) | Confidence degree: 2
Like SVG, it’s miles simpler to belief Jones than his group. LEGACY Motor Membership has made strides this season however continues to be but to persistently deliver top-10 automobiles to the monitor each week for Jones, who must put 4 stable weeks at Daytona. If he can keep out of hassle and inside hanging distance over the subsequent three races, a win on the Florida excessive banks and a few carnage behind him is his greatest likelihood at snagging a Chase berth.
19. Brad Keselowski (-50) | Confidence degree: 5
The subsequent 4 tracks line up effectively for the 2012 champion, who has a wealth of expertise to arrange him for the stretch run to the Chase. Nevertheless, the No. 6 group additionally spent a lot of the summer time hemorrhaging factors to the minimize line, and it is onerous to belief a bunch that is been so inconsistent all 12 months. Like Jones, Daytona could also be Keselowski’s greatest shot to make one thing occur.
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