The primary goal for Cup Series drivers in the regular season is to secure a victory and lock themselves in the playoffs. But the task doesn’t end there. Once their spots are safe, they still have playoff points to race for. The cruciality of these points is well-remembered by drivers including Joey Logano and Chase Elliott for the lessons from the past are such.
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In a recent interview with Fox Sports, Logano touched upon how Martin Truex Jr. was able to advance to further playoff rounds in 2023 solely on playoff points. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s performance in the postseason had been highly average and he couldn’t have made it through the rounds had it not been for the extra points he secured in the regular season.
Logano said, “The 19 had a ridiculous amount of playoff points, and they needed them. But you also saw cars that had no playoff points be able to string together three solid races and move to the next round or win one and move to the next round.” The playoff points are a catch fence that helps deserved drivers when they have got a few races going bad. And Logano is all in for them.
He continued, “It makes sense — if you run good the whole season, you should have an advantage. And that is the advantage.” The Team Penske superstar believes that he still has that advantage. After the first 22 races of the regular season, he has secured six playoff points. Four more races are left to go and he will be hoping to stretch this margin.
Chase Elliott’s take on the importance of playoff points
Hendrick Motorsports golden boy Chase Elliott had voiced an opinion largely similar to Logano’s after winning at Texas earlier this year. “Any playoff points that you can get and stack up can certainly help propel you through the playoffs,” he said. His awareness came not from the experience of another driver but his own. He’d collected 40 playoff points in the 2022 regular season.
These points helped him advance through the playoff rounds when he wasn’t able to put good results together. He has collected six playoff points so far this season. He is still in contention for the regular season championship and could end up with a much higher score. His teammate Kyle Larson currently leads the line on that front with 28 playoff points. It is quite the gap to fill.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell has 24 playoff points – achieved through the three race victories he has had. His teammate Denny Hamlin has 21 points and William Byron has 16 points. The upcoming race in Richmond will seek to add to the tally of these drivers.
