Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently shared his predictions on which NASCAR playoff drivers he thinks will not make it to the round of 12. On the Dale Jr. Download podcast, he discussed which drivers he believes will be eliminated at Bristol Motor Speedway.
“Harrison Burton has a tough road ahead to make up 20 points,” Earnhardt commented. “I honestly don’t think [Martin] Truex can pull it off, being 14 points down is a steep challenge. I think Chase Briscoe might struggle to avoid being surpassed by Denny Hamlin. Can Denny close the six-point gap with Chase? Absolutely. It’s also uncertain between Ty Gibbs and Brad Keselowski. I doubt Brad will beat Denny, but he could potentially outscore Ty. For Ty, it’s crucial not to perform well in Stages 1 and 2 to give Brad a chance.”
The four drivers currently below the playoff cut line are Hamlin, Keselowski, Truex Jr., and Burton. Interestingly, in the Bristol spring race earlier this year, the top three finishers were Hamlin, Truex, and Keselowski. However, Earnhardt isn’t relying on that result to predict Sunday’s outcome due to tire concerns.
“I can’t look at that race and say, ‘Yep, that’s a good indicator for what will happen,’” Earnhardt explained. “The tire wear situation is unpredictable, and if that becomes an issue, anything could happen.”
On a different note, Joey Logano has secured his place in the next round after winning the Atlanta playoff race, meaning he doesn’t need to worry about his playoff status. Last week, Earnhardt highlighted Logano’s playoff performance despite a less impressive regular season.
“This isn’t new for him; it’s been the pattern throughout his seasons,” Earnhardt noted. “Even when he won the championship a couple of years ago, he was essentially a 12th-place driver for most of the year.”
