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Nine races in the cup season, only five drivers won races. This is the least number of drivers who have won by nine races since 1992 when there were four winners in that opening region.
This weekend’s race at Talladega could add another winner-not one of the drivers who won this year, won in the last eight cup races on the 2.66 mile track.
Although early, if this trend of multiple winners continues, it could mean that more play -offs are open to drivers via points. Last year, there were 14 different winners in the usual season, leaving only two places for drivers to make it on points.
Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric combined to lead 54.6% of the rounds when setting tracks this season.
In the next Genera (since 2022), on average, there were two drivers each year the playoffs via points. From 2019-21, the last three seasons before the next Gen-era, there were an average of 4.6 drivers the playoffs each year, including six in 2019.
The next Genera saw more winners in the ordinary season and it makes the playoffs without a win much harder. But can that change this season?
Christopher Bell has all three wins and Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson have two wins each. The other drivers with a win this season are William Byron and Josh Berry.
Here’s a look at the play -off game in Talladega, which starts with a piece of 28 consecutive weekends of racing for Nascar’s Premier series.
There are several drivers who want to return to Victory Lane this season.
The ruling champion, Joey Logano, achieved at least one victory in each of the previous 13 seasons. While winning last year, Kyle Busch scored at least one win in 19 of the past 20 seasons. Former champion Ryan Blaney scored at least one win in seven of the previous eight seasons. Chase Elliott achieved at least one win in six of the past seven years.
If there are more play -offs this year via points, stage points can play a bigger role.
Blaney leads the series with 92 points. Four of the top six in the stage points have not yet won this season. Along with Blaney, the other Bubba Wallace, third in the series with 78 stage points, Logano, fifth in the series with 70 stage points) and Alex Bowman, sixth in the series with 66 stage points.
For others this past weekend – the last one of the season – gave a chance for a breakdown. Former cup champion Brad Keselowski is 31st in the points and will need a win over the next 17 ordinary seasonal races to achieve the playoffs.
Ty Gibbs, 20th in the points, Austin Cindric, 22nd in points, and Daniel Suarez, 27th in points, all made the playoffs last year and will need better performances to do it again.
