By Noah Nelson
Another season of NASCAR action concludes this weekend in the Arizona desert, as all three
national touring NASCAR series head to Phoenix Raceway to write another exciting chapter in
stock car racing history and crown their respective champions.
The landscape and atmosphere of NASCAR’s top division has changed tremendously since the
green flag flew on these playoff drivers at Darlington in September. Regular season champion
Martin Truex Jr. was a favorite, Team Penske was a struggling afterthought, and Ford teams
Front Row Motorsports and RFK Racing were surging Cinderella stories. This begs the question…
How Did We Get Here?
Starting with 16th in points, we will be examining each playoff team’s performance. This
includes their bright spots, their weak spots, and what ‘defining moments’ lead to their eventual
exit from championship eligibility.
16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – JTG Daugherty Racing #47 Chevrolet
Stenhouse, renowned for his aggressive driving style and superspeedway prowess, made the
playoffs by virtue of his season opening Daytona 500 win. The single-car team was a playoff
underdog, hoping to accomplish the unthinkable. Unfortunately for them, this dream ended after
they were eliminated at Bristol, in the Round of 16. One of the lowest-seeded drivers in the
playoffs, being good, but not great, was not going to be enough to advance. Only mustering one
top-10 in the opening round made a mountain out of a molehill for this team. Purely being in the
playoffs is a success for this program, but you know they wanted more than this coming in.
Defining Moment: Kansas
After having a fast car in practice, they posted their worst result at Kansas, finishing a middling
23rd. Squandering good days will not get you out of the opening round, especially when you’re
already deep in the standings.
15. Michael McDowell – Front Row Motorsports #34 Ford
McDowell’s second playoff appearance came in a career year for the veteran Arizona native.
Incredible speed on road courses and superspeedways had this team on a hot streak entering the
playoffs, but in the Round of 16, they came back down to Earth, with McDowell being
eliminated after Bristol, where they posted their best finish of the entire playoffs to date (6th). A
lack of consistency on all track types ultimately sunk their hopes before they could even show
their stuff in the later rounds, with tracks that better suited this team’s strengths.
Defining Moment: Darlington
McDowell’s late summer surge ended with 31 laps remaining after a crash on Darlington’s back
straightaway. Ultimately, this accident was too much to overcome for a team that was already a
heavy underdog.
14. Kevin Harvick – #4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
In his final season, Kevin Harvick was hoping to accomplish the ultimate send-off, with another
Cup Series crown to ride off into the sunset with. Instead, Harvick’s season ended in stunning
fashion at Bristol, where he and crew chief Rodney Childers struggled with the car all night,
resulting in a miserable 29th place run, and a first round elimination. A disqualification at
Talladega sent this team spiraling even further down the standings. Regardless of this result, the
future Hall of Fame driver carried the banner for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2023.
Defining Moment: Bristol
One of his worst performances at Stewart-Haas Racing came at an inopportune time, allowing
Bubba Wallace to squeak into the Round of 12, leaving Harvick on the outside looking in.
13. Kyle Busch – #8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kyle Busch’s first season at Richard Childress Racing has been successful on all fronts. With
three wins, the most since his 2019 championship season, Busch had returned to form after a
dismal 2022 at Joe Gibbs Racing. After advancing out of the first round, Busch was the 6th seed
entering round two, but a late season slump (and Round of 12 elimination) has put a damper on
what has otherwise been a fantastic season for this team.
Defining Moment: Texas
A crash at Texas in the first race of the Round of 12 left the #8 team playing catch up, and with
the two remaining tracks being wild cards (Talladega and Charlotte Roval), they were unable to
overcome this deficit.
12. Martin Truex Jr. – #19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
When the playoffs began, Truex Jr. was quoted as saying, “We just have the same mindset we
had in 2017, it feels like the same thing. So, that’s always good and gives me a lot of confidence.
They’re doing a great job and pushing all the right buttons. So, we just gotta keep doing that.”
Unfortunately for Truex, they were unable to keep their momentum. The #19 team did not log a
single top-10 finish in the playoffs until Las Vegas in October, being carried through each round
by the plethora of playoff points that they accumulated throughout the regular season.
Ultimately, this team just couldn’t catch a break. Whether it was self-inflicted (speeding on pit
road at Martinsville), or just plain bad luck (engine failure at Homestead-Miami), this team just
couldn’t right the ship and do what Truex Jr. did in 2017, and win the Cup.
Defining Moment: Homestead-Miami
An already miserable afternoon saw Truex Jr. trapped in traffic after being caught out on a
caution. As soon as teammate Denny Hamlin crashed, Truex Jr. suffered an engine failure under
the ensuing caution, placing him in a must-win situation for Martinsville, where they were
unable to close the deal and advance to the finale.
11. Joey Logano – #22 Team Penske Ford
To some, Logano’s first-round exit was a mild surprise, but as for myself, this was no such thing.
After all, Logano’s average finish this year is his worst since 2017, where he failed to even make
the playoffs. An early win at Atlanta had Logano competing for the title, but an accident at
Bristol took him out of title contention early. A recent hot streak (four top-10s in the last five
races) has Logano within striking distance of the top 10 in points, but one of his worst years at
Team Penske will have the #22 team searching for more in 2024.
Defining Moment: Bristol
Logano was taken out after being involved in one of the only major incidents in the race,
plummeting him to 34th in the running order. A lack of performance (12th at Darlington and 5th
at Kansas) and playoff points was not enough of a buffer to propel him out of the opening round.
T-9. Ross Chastain – #1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
If 2022 was a breakout year for Ross Chastain and Trackhouse, then 2023 is their sophomore
slump. Winning at Nashville made them playoff eligible, and the #1 team was solid, yet
unspectacular, throughout the playoffs’ early portion. An untimely accident at Talladega put
them in a must-win situation at the Charlotte Roval, but the team finished 10th, and was
eliminated in the Round of 12.
Defining Moment: Talladega
As stage one came to a close, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. slowed on the backstretch, out of fuel. As cars
scrambled for a way around, Chastain was clipped by Kyle Busch, and was sent careening into
the outside wall. Chastain’s race was over, and his playoffs were on life support. Failing to win
at Charlotte was the end for this team’s hopes, but a better result at Talladega would have given
them more of a fighting chance to advance.
T-9. Bubba Wallace – #23 23XI Racing Toyota
Bubba Wallace has had to grind for every single spot this season. The team clawed their way into
this season’s playoffs, Wallace’s first, and then advanced to the Round of 12 by the skin of their
teeth. In the end, a lack of playoff points is what truly kept this team from advancing, but after
setting career-highs in nearly every category (except wins), the future is bright for Wallace and
the #23 team.
Defining Moment: Talladega
Historically Wallace’s best track, Talladega was not as kind to him as it has been in years past.
Earning just 14 points and finishing 23rd in an uncharacteristically quiet day, they simply failed
to make something happen when they needed it most.
8. Chris Buescher – #17 RFK Racing Ford
Buescher was the ultimate playoff sleeper, racking up three impressive wins and running very
strong as the playoffs began. As temperatures began to cool, so did Buescher, who’s “hot and
cold” playoff performance was enough to keep the team afloat until the Round of 8, where they
were eliminated.
Defining Moment: Homestead-Miami
Memories of past success at the 1.5-mile oval were washed away by a painfully average
performance for Buescher. Finishing 21st, and not scoring any stage points, the team dug
themselves a hole that could not be overcome after they failed to win at Martinsville.
6. Tyler Reddick – #45 23XI Racing Toyota
Year one at 23XI was a huge success for rising star Tyler Reddick. A playoff victory at Kansas
had the team riding a huge wave of momentum. Strong runs at Las Vegas and Homestead-Miami
had the #45 team knocking on the door, but a lack of playoff points and a poor finish at
Martinsville ended their championship hopes.
Defining Moment: Martinsville
Reddick needed an incredible day to advance to the Championship 4, and instead logged his
worst result of the entire playoffs after the team had to pit for fuel late. While advancement was
unlikely without a win, the team just needed a little bit more in order to compete for a title this
season.
5. Denny Hamlin – #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
When will it be Denny Hamlin’s year? The winningest driver to never win a title, Hamlin’s
incredible run the last five seasons has seen him do everything but win that elusive
championship. For the second year in a row, Hamlin was the first driver out when the checkered
flag flew at Martinsville. Despite a near flawless performance, he failed to advance after a
mechanical failure the previous week at Homestead-Miami left the team in a large points hole.
Even then, the team still only missed the next round by just seven points.
Defining Moment: Homestead-Miami
The aforementioned mechanical failure was a power steering issue for Hamlin, who crashed and
finished 30th. Hamlin had only finished outside of the top-10 just three times in the playoffs, but
with the final round requiring perfection, being nearly perfect was not good enough for this team.
This article is part one of a two-part preview. In the next part, we’ll go over the four
championship eligible drivers, their respective paths to the final round, and how they shape up
heading into Phoenix.
