NASCAR Update

The NASCAR Cup series is ready for another elimination race.

After a relatively crash-free Talladega race that saw Team Penske's Ryan Blaney punch his ticket to the Round of 8 and Kevin Harvick be disqualified, the series now heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway's infield road course, commonly known as the "Roval."

In imminent danger is Kyle Busch, who, despite his early season success, has not put his No. 8 Chevrolet in position to win as of late. Having finished no higher than seventh in the playoffs, back-to-back runs of 34th and 25th put Busch well below the elimination line for Charlotte.

Fortunately for Busch, he is an accomplished road course racer, with four such wins, and he finished third at the Roval last year. If he can manage one spot better, "Rowdy" will suddenly be one race closer to a third title.

Also in need of a comeback effort is Ross Chastain, the defending series runner-up, who was one of few drivers out with crash damage at Talladega. As a result, the Trackhouse racer sits 10 points below the elimination line, effectively requiring a strong result in Charlotte's infield.

Bubba Wallace is in a similar position to Chastain and is nine points behind advancement. The 23XI driver is capable of delivery when it counts, as shown by his doing so at Bristol three races ago.

After a third-place run at Texas, Wallace did less at Talladega with 23rd, placing him in the elimination zone for now. If he can build on his seventh-place Roval finish from 2022, the No. 23 driver could continue his hard-earned playoff run.

Tyler Reddick is in the best position of all the drivers at risk, sitting only two points behind Brad Keselowski for the final spot. The other 23XI man won his way into the round of 12 at Kansas and has finished no lower than eighth at the previous two Roval races. As such, he could be in position to advance by way of a victory again if not by points.

Above the cutoff line, from first on down, are William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Chris Buescher, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski.

In other news, NASCAR released its 2024 schedule Wednesday, which included several changes, including Watkins Glen hosting a playoff race and Iowa Speedway its first-ever Cup race.

NASCAR also announced fines for Craftsman Truck regulars Matt Crafton and Nick Sanchez this week, who were involved in a post-race fight at Talladega. Crafton was fined $25,000 and Sanchez $5,000.

The attention now turns to the Cup as usual, and the sixth total running of the Charlotte Roval race awaits to determine the next playoff round.

Logan Groeneveld-Meijer is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email lsg5237@psu.edu.