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Which Playoff Drivers From Last Season are in Must-Win Territory?

MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA - APRIL 16: Alex Bowman, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, (L) and Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, talk backstage during pre-race ceremonies prior to the NASCAR Cup Series NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway on April 16, 2023 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Joshua Lipowski

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Royal T Grafix

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With only three races left until the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, drivers are beginning to shift their focus from pointing their way in, to winning their way into the Playoffs. Which notable drivers that are on the Playoff bubble are now resorting to only winning with nothing else?

With only three races left until the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, drivers are beginning to shift their focus from pointing their way in, to winning their way into the Playoffs. Which notable drivers that are on the Playoff bubble are now resorting to winning with nothing else?

Chase Briscoe (-197)

Best Chance: Daytona

Breakdown: Briscoe has been in must-win territory for a while now as he sits in 31st place in the standings, 197 points below the Cut-line. It is mathematically impossible for Chase Briscoe to point his way into the Playoffs, so he is literally in must-win territory. Luckily for him, one of the final three races is at Daytona, and every Stewart-Haas Racing driver led at least one lap in the Daytona 500 this season. Although, the Coke Zero Suger 400 at Daytona did not end well for him last season.

Austin Dillon (-145)

Best Chance: Daytona

Breakdown: Austin Dillon has had a difficult season despite his teammate Kyle Busch winning three races and being a legitimate Playoff threat. Technically, Dillon can point his way in, but, it’s virtually impossible unless he wins all of the final three races. So, he must win, and his best chance happens to be Daytona where he won the final race of the regular season last August.

Erik Jones (-121)

Best Chance: Daytona

Breakdown: It’s been a difficult season overall for Erik Jones and Legacy Motor Club, but the 43 team is starting to slowly turn a corner. Jones has three top-10 finishes in the last seven races, and he has not finished worse than 16th. His first career win came at the summer race at Daytona in 2018, so that is the place Erik Jones has to look at for his best opportunity at winning.

Aric Almirola (-81)

Best Chance: Daytona

Breakdown: Aric Almirola has been mulling retirement, but he has gained a bit more speed in recent weeks. He had borderline race-winning speed at New Hampshire before a loose wheel ended his day, and he finished eighth at Richmond. Both his first career win and most recent Cup win came at Daytona, and that is the place for him to win his way into the Playoffs should he find his way in.

Austin Cindric (-53)

Best Chance: Indy Road Course

Breakdown: Austin Cindric may have an outside shot to point his way in, but it’s a very unlikely route. It’s impractical for him to points race at this point, but he has two road courses and a superspeedway coming up. Not only did he win the 2022 Daytona 500, but he also is one of only two drivers with top-10s in both Indy Road Course races.

Alex Bowman (-44)

Best Chance: ?

Breakdown: Alex Bowman’s situation looks very bleak for multiple reasons. A 44 point deficit is possible, but very difficult to overcome. He’s never won a superspeedway race before, and, aside from a third this season at COTA, he has not run particularly well at road courses. It’s hard to truly see where Bowman finds a way to victory lane.

Chase Elliott (-55)

Best Chance: Watkins Glen

Breakdown: Chase Elliott at times has looked like he could point his way into the Playoffs, but his crash at Michigan this past weekend has put him into must-win territory. Luckily for Elliott, his best race track is coming up, Watkins Glen. He has an average finish of 5.7 at the track, and he has two victories there. If he will make the Playoffs, it will happen there.

The races are only going to get more intense from here on out, and these drivers are drivers to watch. How aggressive will they get to win races in the coming weeks?

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DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 06: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on April 06, 2025 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Lionel Racing Reveals First Wave of 2026 NASCAR Authentics Diecast

by Kauy Ostlien

What’s Happening?

Lionel Racing finally confirmed the first wave of 2026 NASCAR Authentics 1:64 scale diecast for Monday morning, with the line of retail-exclusive diecast featuring a new look for the new year.

  • This line will include six throwback paint schemes from NASCAR’s 2025 throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway. Though they did not release one in 2025, this move restarts an annual tradition of Lionel releasing at least one wave of cars carrying the colors of that prior season’s throwback designs.
  • Included in this wave of cars are Austin Cindric, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, William Byron, and Sammy Smith. Alongside these paint schemes’ debuts in the Authentics line is a new design for the packaging of the 2026 line of NASCAR Authentics.
  • Last season was somewhat turbulent for Lionel as, alongside issues with tariffs, the brand only released three waves of NASCAR Autentics, one wave of NASCAR Autentics Winners Circle diecast, and two waves of Haulers.
  • Lionel announcing the first wave of 2026 early on in the new year is perhaps a sign that 2026 could return this line to its regular release schedule. The post from Lionel Racing also confirmed that the brand will announce another wave by the end of the week, further hinting at a recommitment to the Authentics line.

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SPARTA, KY - JUNE 26: Chase Pistone, driver of the #9 NTS Motorsports Chevrolet, talks with his crew during practice for the NASCAR Camping World Series UNOH 225 at Kentucky Speedway on June 26, 2014 in Sparta, Kentucky. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Chase Pistone, NASCAR Trucks and Nationwide Series Driver, Passes Away

by Kauy Ostlien

What’s Happening?

Chase Pistone, a former competitor on the short track racing circuit in addition to NASCAR’s National Series, has passed away. Pistone, now a successful Legends Car owner, was 42.

  • Chase’s brothers Nick and Tom Pistone confirmed the North Carolina natives’ passing to LegendsNation.com. The cause of Pistone’s passing is unknown. The family asked that media share the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number, which is 988.
  • Pistone, the grandson of NASCAR legend “Tiger” Tom Pistone, made his way to NASCAR after competing on short tracks in Legends cars and Late Models. He would make his jump to NASCAR via the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2005, racing for Green Light Racing at Martinsville Speedway.
  • Pistone would continue his NASCAR pursuits in 2006, racing in ARCA and the NASCAR Busch Series. Unfortunately, these two starts, at Martinsville with the Busch Series and Iowa with ARCA, would be his last for nearly a decade.
  • Pistone returned to NASCAR in 2014, racing in a combined eight NASCAR Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series races. During this season, his final in NASCAR, the then 30-year-old scored his best National Series finish, ninth place in the Truck Series annual trip to Gateway.

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8 Takeaways From NASCAR At COTA

by Bryan Aguiar

Three races in, the 2026 season is finally starting to show its hand. COTA shifted narratives, exposed weaknesses, and raised new questions about contenders, pretenders, and everything in between.

  • Has Shane van Gisbergen officially been proven mortal after getting outraced late at Circuit of the Americas?
  • Is 19-year-old Connor Zilisch already ahead of schedule after slicing through the field multiple times?
  • With three straight wins, is Tyler Reddick basically a lock for the postseason this early?
  • And how concerned should the 48 team be after a rough weekend for Alex Bowman?

From substitute drivers being forced into action to points gaps growing faster than expected, COTA delivered more than just a road course chess match. There were momentum swings, reputation hits, and at least one young driver stacking up enemies before stacking up results.

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