Ranking 5 Moments that shook up the NASCAR Cup Series title chase
The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season is under wraps after an exhilarating 36-race slate. Joey Logano earned his third title after fending off hard-charging teammate Ryan Blaney, who eyed his second consecutive championship. It marked Team Penske's third straight championship, as the streak began in 2022 with Logano's trophy.
However, countless twists and turns in the regular season and the 10-race playoff schedule shook up the title chase. That being said, the following are the five memorable moments that changed the playoff's outlook.
#5. NASCAR's Chris Buescher lost his shot at playoffs by a historic 0.001 seconds
The RFK Racing driver kicked off his AdventHealth 400 run at Kansas Speedway from 12th but led the last restart following Kyle Busch's spin. However, the final shootout domination was shortlived as Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson gunned his #5 Chevy to challenge Buescher's #17 Ford. The latter tried to defend his win but fell shy of 0.001 seconds as the HMS driver braved the penultimate lap's fierce battle to upset the RFK rival.
#4. Chase Briscoe won the regular season finale, dashing Kyle Busch's playoff hopes
The Stewart-Haas Racing driver was chasing to become Tony Stewart's only driver in the playoffs. At the same time, Richard Childress Racing's Busch, who last failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2012, relentlessly pursued the much-needed win to keep his title fight alive. After leading the final restart in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, Busch scrounged for the lead but Briscoe's remarkable defense for the remaining 17 laps didn't let it come to fruition.
#3. Alex Bowman's DQ reinstated Joey Logano in the playoffs
Bowman advanced into Round of 8 after the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte race. However, following the elimination event's conclusion, Bowman's #48 Chevy was discovered to have breached NASCAR's regulations. The officials generously gave opportunities to the team to let the NextGen car attain the minimum required weight but to no avail.
As a result, Joey Logano, who was eliminated from the title fight, got reinstated. He won the following Las Vegas Motor Speedway race to punch his Championship 4 ticket. It's worth mentioning that had Bowman not gotten a DQ, Logano wouldn't have claimed the 2024 title.
#2. Ryan Blaney's mistake opened the gate for Tyler Reddick's Phoenix entry
The 23XI Racing driver entered a must-win situation at the Homestead-Miami Speedway after a violent flip, and the DNF at the previous Las Vegas race endangered his title quest. The battle was bottled down to the penultimate lap that witnessed Team Penske Ryan Blaney inching toward the win. However, Blaney's last-minute mistake proved costly.
The Team Penske driver tried to move down the track but ended up opening the top lane for Reddick. Without further ado, the #45 Toyota driver rushed through the room to ace the race and register his maiden Championship 4 entry.
#.1 The Martinsville move that cost Christopher Bell's spot in the title fight
Joe Gibbs Racing's Bell and HMS' William Byron entered the 35th Cup Series race weekend at Martinsville above the playoff cutline. Ryan Blaney won the race and secured his Phoenix spot. Bell also safeguarded his Championship Race seat after finishing 18th. However, his #20 Toyota's wall ride move on the final lap attracted strict penalties, pushing him down in 22nd and a lap down. As a result, Byron was reinstated in the title fight, becoming the only HMS driver in the hunt for the title.
Notably, the Martinsville race became controversial following a race manipulation by Chevrolet and Toyota, but it didn't hamper any playoff driver's outcome.