Dale Earnhardt Jr. reacts to NASCAR Cup playoff standings heading into ROVAL elimination race

The Charlotte ROVAL is the site of the Round of 12 finale in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs on Sunday. Four drivers will be eliminated from the postseason when the race reaches its conclusion.

The four drivers currently sitting below the cutline are Ross Chastain (minus-13), Bubba Wallace (minus-26), Tyler Reddick (minus-29), and Austin Cindric (minus-48). To advance in the playoffs, a win might be what it takes for that group. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is not confident in any of their chances of winning the race.

However, Earnhardt has his eyes on Chastain. The Trackhouse Racing driver has been known to do everything and anything to advance, and Earnhardt is expecting that to continue at the ROVAL.

“On the Cup side, Ross, Bubba, Tyler, and Austin Cindric are all out. Minus-13 for Ross, and in the 20s and so forth for the rest of those guys. I’d say we should just keep an eye on Ross,” Earnhardt said on Tuesday’s Dale Jr. Download. “I don’t know if I’m too worried about any of those four. Anybody could just show up and find a way to be fast, but I don’t think I have a lot of confidence in any of those four guys that are on the cutoff line going in there and winning. I just don’t have a lot of confidence. Could they have a good day, second, third, fourth, fifth? Yes, but I just don’t know.

“But with Ross being at minus-13, he, by all means, believes he has a shot, and he will do everything and anything as we’ve seen in the past with the Hail Melon, I mean, he will do whatever it takes. So, I would be watching him. If I had a camera just to put on Ross, I think that would be worth it. … I think Ross is gonna be doing some stuff.”

Can Ross Chastain stay alive in the NASCAR playoffs?

Chastain is never going to have the fastest car on the racetrack. But he’s as tough to pass as anybody in the field and has a history of throwing Hail Mar — check that — Hail Melons.

The ROVAL has not been kind to Chastain in the past. He has just one top 10 in six starts, finishing 22nd or worse in every other start. Chastain won’t even be the favorite from his own team. That, obviously, will be Shane van Gisbergen.

The ROVAL will be a tall mountain to climb for Chastain. He’s ready to take it on with his NASCAR championship hopes on the line.