Residing, And Racing, Outdoors NASCAR’s Playoff Bubble

As a serious league sport in America, NASCAR is an outlier with regards to its season ending Playoffs. In contrast to different leagues the place the groups not within the playoffs are eradicated and go dwelling, all of NASCAR’s groups and drivers compete in the identical last 10 races. Whereas solely 16 drivers are eligible to win the season championship, they’re racing with others who will not be competing for the crown.

That leaves some 20 odd drivers residing exterior the Playoff bubble. They don’t have the similar media consideration the Playoff drivers do; don’t face elimination after a Playoff spherical and are nonetheless eligible for a victory in one of many last 10 races; these drivers simply can’t win the NASCAR Cup collection driver championship.

Driver Erik Jones is an ideal instance of this. The Legacy Motor Membership driver didn’t make the NASCAR Playoffs final season, but he did win the opening race of the Playoffs at Darlington Raceway. Jones has been a Playoff driver earlier than. Throughout his seven-year NASCAR Cup profession, Jones made the Playoffs in 2018 and 2019 whereas driving for powerhouse workforce Joe Gibbs Racing.

With Legacy Motor Membership, a two-car workforce co-owned by former NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, Jones has struggled. Not shocking given the sources the newish workforce has. However that implies that this 12 months, like final, Jones is exterior the Playoff bubble. It’s form of an odd place to be this time of 12 months.

“It’s loads totally different,” Jones stated on the web site of his final win, Darlington, Saturday. “While you’re within the playoffs, clearly there’s lots of stress there. Three races to attempt to get into the following spherical is all the time intense, and whenever you’re in it, it’s far more intense week-to-week than within the common season.

“While you’re out of it, nothing actually adjustments this time of the 12 months. You might have the identical strategy that you simply’ve had by the remainder of the season going week-to-week.

Jones provides that racing Playoff drivers isn’t straightforward neither is it easy. It takes consciousness and acknowledgment.

“You’ll be able to’t go on the market and push the problem with guys typically,” he stated. “They’re racing for a championship, and it’s a must to respect that. They’ve earned that proper and earned that respect. Some could have a look at that otherwise, however that’s form of a factor that I see with the Playoffs this time of the 12 months and being out of it.”

Chris Buescher additionally has earlier Playoff expertise. He made the sector with a win in a rain shortened race at Pocono Raceway in 2016. That win got here with Entrance Row Motorsports, an underfunded workforce.

“That was a lot enjoyable to try this and to have that upset however sitting right here at that second in 2016 we knew we have been in a fairly large underdog scenario and have been simply glad to be there,” he stated.

This 12 months Buescher shouldn’t be solely within the Playoffs however is main a resurgent Roush-Fenway Keselowski workforce. He enters the Playoffs as one of many favorites on the power of his profession greatest three wins this season.

“It’s a bit bit totally different this time round as a result of we’re opponents,” he stated. “We’ve got a extremely good shot to do large issues right here and we don’t really feel like we’re in an underdog scenario. It’s definitely a fairly large departure from what the sensation was again then.

“I’m speculated to know extra now. That was seven years in the past. I’m speculated to be higher at this by this level and in a greater place to make a run at this factor.”

One of many greatest variations for Buescher from years previous got here earlier than the Playoff discipline was set on the last common season race at Daytona. A win in NASCAR’s common season grants a driver entry into the Playoffs. For individuals who stay winless the Daytona race represents one last probability; one thing Buescher himself needed to face final 12 months, however not this season.

“The most important change being within the playoffs and being locked within the playoffs this 12 months was truthfully Daytona,” he stated. “Going right into a superspeedway race that you realize will be so wild and never having the stresses of that race being your final shot. That Hail Mary of attempting to get in. That made that race an entire lot extra pleasing, which enabled us to go about it a bit otherwise, which made the top end result an entire lot extra pleasing as properly.”

One driver who went into the ultimate common season race at Daytona needing a Hail Mary was Chase Elliott. In his seven-year profession as a fulltime Cup driver Elliott has by no means missed the Playoffs and received the collection championship in 2020. However after lacking seven races, six on account of harm and one on account of suspension, Elliott missed the Playoffs, however stays in a novel place.

Whereas Elliott the driving force did miss races, his automotive, the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, nonetheless raced albeit with totally different drivers. So whereas Elliott isn’t within the Playoffs as a driver, his automotive, and workforce are nonetheless very a lot within the midst of a factors battle for the Homeowners Championship. For him there isn’t any reset on the season, no letting all of it hang around simply to try to win races.

“There’s a extremely nice line as a result of, you realize, getting the automotive by these rounds is an enormous deal,” Elliott stated. “… I am nonetheless attempting to determine that stability as we go.

“I am actually nonetheless treating it like we’re within the deal as a result of the automotive is, and it’s a must to go and produce your greatest each week to advance it by the spherical. So yeah. We’ll, we’ll see. Each week, you realize, I need to, whether or not I used to be in it or not, I would need to come and attempt to be higher and do higher. So, we’ll simply, we’ll see. It is a robust stability.”

One factor Elliott desires to work on within the last 10 races is himself. Not being within the Playoffs for the primary time in his Cup profession means many of the consideration received’t be on him. That may permit him to do what he must do to make sure he isn’t exterior the Playoff bubble subsequent season.

“I need to be higher; I need to put together higher for subsequent 12 months,” he stated. “And use a few of these races to make myself higher.

“Nevertheless it’s not only a throwaway at this level,” he added with a chuckle. “We’re nonetheless racing for one thing. So you bought to try this stuff sparsely and nonetheless attempt to carry out properly.”

After throwing a Hail Mary as Daytona and developing quick, ending fourth, Elliott resigned himself to being out the Playoffs for the primary time, and he appears to have made peace with it.

“One factor I’ve discovered by this course of is life goes on,” he stated, “And there are there are a lot larger issues than vehicles going round in circles each weekend.”

He’s now able to win races, assist his workforce win the house owners title, and maybe simply as necessary work on himself so he won’t ever once more be one of many drivers residing on the surface of NASCAR’s Playoff bubble.

“You understand, look, it is a part of life,” Elliott stated. “Not every thing’s going to go your approach. And I get it. However I need to be higher, and I need to enhance. There’s simply areas that I do not really feel like I am doing an awesome job in and I need to make that higher. That is it. That is all I care about.”