Kurt Busch, Erik Jones on chopping block from playoff grid
One more race before the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff grid dwindles from 16 to 12 drivers.
Currently, Alex Bowman, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch and Erik Jones face elimination proceeding the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course.
William Byron holds the final transfer spot entering the Charlotte Road Course race at 2,053 points.
Martin Truex Jr. is guaranteed a spot in the Round of 12 via his two wins at Las Vegas and Richmond this month.
Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch are the only two drivers guaranteed to make the next round based off of their points.
Alex Bowman (13th, -2 points)
The Hendrick Motorsports driver is two points behind his teammate Byron entering the Charlotte Road Course.
Bowman placed sixth at Las Vegas and 23rd at Richmond.
“We just have to get stage points and have a good day all day,” Bowman said of next Sunday. “If we don’t make the next round, we don’t really deserve to be there with how we are running right now.
“It’s definitely a bummer, but we have to get our stuff together.”
Last year, Bowman finished fourth at the 2018 Charlotte road race, advancing to the next round of the playoffs.
Clint Bowyer (14th, -4 points)
The Stewart-Haas Racing driver has opened the Round of 16 with a 25th-place run at Las Vegas and an eight-place result at Richmond.
“We gave ourselves a fighting chance going into Charlotte,” Bowyer said. “I knew Richmond was going to be an opportunity. We semi-capitalized on that opportunity, but looking forward to Charlotte.
“It’s going to be fun for everybody involved. It’s do-or-die time. It’s the Playoffs.”
Last season, Bowyer finished third in the inaugural road race at Charlotte.
Kurt Busch (15th, -14 points)
The elder-Busch brother could be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight season after Sunday.
The 2004 series champion finished last in the opening race at Las Vegas (39th) and finished 18th at Richmond Saturday night (September 21).
Busch finished fifth at the Charlotte road race in 2018.
Erik Jones (16th, -45 points)
Jones is in a virtual must-win situation entering Charlotte.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver finished 36th at Las Vegas and was disqualified at Richmond Saturday, officially finishing 38th.
Jones finished 30th in the road race at Charlotte in 2018.
The Bank of America ROVAL 400 will be televised live on NBC Sunday, September 29, at 2:30 p.m. ET.
SOURCES
Racing-Reference.info
Team Chevrolet
True Speed Media
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Dominic Aragon View All
Dominic Aragon is currently the editor-in-chief for The Racing Experts.
From Grants, New Mexico, USA, Aragon started watching NASCAR in 2004 and has been covering the sport since 2009. Aragon is a 2012 graduate of Grants High School and a May 2016 graduate of the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Mass Communications & Journalism. Aragon has worked in local and national media, as a musician, and an educator. He is co-author of the 2024 book "All of It: Daytona 500 Champion Tells the Rest of the Story" with racer Geoff Bodine.
Aragon, his wife Feliz, and son Christopher currently reside in Grants, New Mexico, USA.
You can reach Dominic at daragon@theracingexperts.net.