Drivers Uneasy About 'Sketchy' Tracks in Opening Round of Cup Series Playoffs
Atlanta Motor Speedway. Watkins Glen International. Bristol Motor Speedway.
Five years ago, that three-race stretch in the opening round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs wouldn’t be so terrifying to the 16 championship-eligible drivers. However, in the year 2024, just about everybody is feeling uneasy heading into the post-season.
It all kicks off at Atlanta, which was reconfigured in 2022 to race similar to the superspeedways of Daytona or Talladega. A facility once known for its major tire degradation has now become synonymous with intense pack racing and multi-car accidents.
If you’re sentimental about the tire wear old Atlanta had, don’t worry, because Goodyear and NASCAR are bringing a new tire to Watkins Glen the following week, which fell off nearly four seconds throughout the run, according to drivers who did the tire tests.
Then, Bristol puts a bow on the Round of 16. The half-mile oval has provided many chaotic events under normal circumstances, but should the race emulate that of the Food City 500 in the Spring, then it’s going to be a bloodbath. The main curveball being nobody will know how that race will turn out until the green flag drops.
‘Uncertainty’ is the buzzword for the opening round of the NASCAR Playoffs this season, with it taking over as the wildcard round from the Round of 12, which has traditionally included Charlotte Motor Speedway’s ROVAL and Talladega Superspeedway (and still will).
2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott is very much aware of the challenges that the Round of 16 will provide, and when asked about it, pretty much called it like he saw it.
“The first round definitely needs to be respected because it’s not a cakewalk by any means," said Elliott. "That is what you get when you have these short rounds every year, we put another speedway in there and you are going to get craziness. You keep fabricating this stuff and that is what you are going to get.”
“He said it, I agree,” said Denny Hamlin after hearing what Elliott had to say.
“With a new road course in there in Watkins Glen in the Playoffs, with an unknown tire. Atlanta – who knows? I haven’t finished a superspeedway NextGen race, I don’t think in my entire career,” Hamlin quipped. “It’s just, who knows what can happen. We might have to go to Bristol and win, but if that’s the case, we will.”
Kyle Larson, a four-time race winner this season and the No. 1 seed in the Playoffs, isn't in love with the track selection for the opening round of the Playoffs, either, referring to both Atlanta and Watkins Glen as "sketchy places". However, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion says he'd much rather they be in the Round of 16, than the second or third rounds.
An overwhelming majority of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff field shares a version of the same two sentiments: 1) Chaos is imminent, and 2) What happens in this first round may not completely be in your control.
Martin Truex, Jr. is well aware of the chaos ahead, saying "The approach is to go out and do the best we can do", but specifically noted the playoff-opener at Atlanta Motor Speedway as being difficult due to higher temperatures and ill-handling racecars, all of which can just amplify the chaos.
“I think Atlanta, Watkins Glen, and Bristol; there’s so many things that could happen. It’s pretty easy to have someone else ruin your day at two of those three tracks,” said Alex Bowman, who enters the post-season on the cutline. “Just need to go execute at a high level and go week-to-week from there.”
Both Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick have been successful in being among the cream of the crop on most weekends, and heading into the Playoffs, have some concerns about the first round and the danger it presents to their title bids.
“I’ll be honest, the first round is the scariest it’s been in a long time with Atlanta, a superspeedway, starting us off,” said Christopher Bell, who has made the Final Four in back-to-back seasons. “We all know how that can go, and then we go to Watkins Glen, which should be a normal racetrack, but with the expected tire degradation and wearing out tires really early and struggling to make laps and having to pit all the time. So, that could be another wildcard race, and then Bristol, I think everybody is expecting it to be more of the same as what we had in the Spring. So, the first round could be very different than what we’ve seen in the past.”
Reddick agrees and believes the Round of 16 is “probably the most chaotic” in the Playoffs and that it, along with the second round which includes the Charlotte ROVAL and Talladega, could get pretty difficult to squeeze through.
Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney says the sheer unpredictability of the first round means you'll likely have some surprises dropping out of the Playoffs after the first round ends at Bristol..
“I think that you have the oddballs, like right in the first round is a really weird oddball, and you’re going to see some surprise people go home,” said defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney. I feel like you’re going to have issues at Atlanta, you’re going to have issues at Watkins Glen and you’re going to have to throw a Hail Mary at Bristol.”
Brad Keselowski, co-owner of RFK Racing, stresses how crucial the playoff-opener can be for a driver and team, in terms of momentum and morale. With the unpredictability of Atlanta, a poor run – whether you’re to blame or not – could tank the entire championship-caliber run.
“Darlington was like this known entity, right? Everybody knew going into that race what to expect. Atlanta, not so much, a lot more unknowns and I think that changes the perception of that first week of the Playoffs,” said Keselowski. “That first week of the Playoffs is really important. It really sets the tone in my eyes for how it’s going to go and if you have bad week, week one, it’s hard to dig out of. Atlanta, it’s easy to have a bad weekend.”
Only Chase Briscoe, who didn't even know he would be in the Playoffs until he scored a walk-off victory at Darlington Raceway, was remotely optimistic about the upcoming Round of 16, knowing that himself, Stewart-Haas Racing and Ford have been strong at all three tracks. Even then, the Mitchell, Indiana-native is aware of the danger that lies ahead.
Asked what he's most afraid of entering the Playoffs, the 29-year-old said: “Honestly, just myself. I just can’t eliminate myself, and just Atlanta does scare me a little bit because there is obviously the element of stuff happening that’s out of your control. It’s like Daytona or Talladega, but that can happen anywhere. You never know what can happen. I think that would be my biggest fear, something happening that is outside of our control.”
That outside threat does exist, especially at a track like Atlanta, but Ty Gibbs, a first-timer in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs offered a unique perspective to the three events that make up the Round of 16.
“I think [the first round’ is the most track position race round in the Playoffs," said Gibbs. "Atlanta, the top four are basically the guys that win it. Watkins Glen, you have to be upfront, you couldn’t pass last year. I felt like we were so much faster than the guys in front of us and we finished fifth. It takes so much to pass. Bristol, you have to be upfront as well. That is another track position race.”
While several of his competitors believe, at least to some degree, that their fate in this opening round could be out of their control, William Byron isn't fully committed to that idea. The Hendrick Motorsports driver concedes that unpredictable things do happen, but says there are choices a driver can make to put them in the best possible position, even at a superspeedway event like Atlanta.
“Yeah. I think it’s easy to say [be] conservative, but at a road course, you have to be fast. You can’t just show up and try to ride around there. I think it’s important not to make mistakes, but you have to make sure you’re gathering points. At Atlanta, there are some things out of your control there, but the thing you can do to be in control is to have some speed and be up towards the front.”
JOSEPH SRIGLEY