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Three surprise drivers facing playoff uncertainty in NASCAR Cup Series
The second half of the Cup Series regular season is in full swing following Ryan Blaney's win at Nashville Superspeedway.
Only 12 races remain until the playoffs begin, starting with this Sunday's stop at Michigan International Speedway (2 p.m. ET, Prime Video, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
As the summer grind gets set to pick up and the playoffs draw near, here are three drivers who have struggled and find themselves in a precarious position to make the playoffs.
Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford
The 2025 season has not gone according to plan for the owner/driver of RFK Racing, who currently finds himself 32nd in the standings, 97 points behind Kyle Busch for the final playoff spot.
While that is not insurmountable with a versatile stretch of 12 races looming, it certainly puts the 36-race winner and 2012 champion in a vulnerable position to make the playoffs. His lone top-10 remains his fifth-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600.
Keselowski is on pace for the worst average finish (25.3) of his Cup Series career, thanks in large part to five DNFs. Unless Keselowski can start putting some solid runs together and build up some more points, he may have to rely on a win to make the playoffs.
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Suarez only has two career wins to his credit, but he has made the playoffs in two of the last three seasons and finished no worse than 19th in points during that time. Currently, Suarez sits 28th in the standings and only has one top-five finish (Las Vegas) all season.
To make matters worse, his teammate Ross Chastain is two weeks removed from winning the Coca-Cola 600, the same race that produced Suarez's fourth DNF of the season.
A poor averaging starting position of 25th has constantly put Suarez behind in each race and left him with few opportunities to score points. As a return to his home country looms on June 15 at Mexico City's Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Suarez needs to right the ship and put himself closer to the front at the beginning of each race. If not, the lack of points could prove costly.
Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
After improving in most areas during his second full-time Cup Series season in 2024, Gibbs still failed to find Victory Lane. 14 races into 2025, he is still searching for his first win and is 27th in points with only one top-five (Bristol) and a lackluster average finish (21.5).
While his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Christopher Bell (second), Denny Hamlin (third) and Chase Briscoe (13th) are in the top-16 of the playoff standings, Gibbs is 55 points behind the cutline after finishing outside the top-20 each of the last two weeks.
How he performs over the next month will set the tone for his playoff push. If the finishes do not improve and the struggles persist, Gibbs could be in serious trouble in his third full-time season at NASCAR's highest level.
More must-reads:
- Kevin Harvick predicts NASCAR Cup winner at Michigan
- Corey Heim says 'crazy' practice session will lead to entertaining NASCAR Truck Series race at Michigan
- The 'MLB mascot names' quiz
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Family man Bubba Wallace enjoying 'cool hobby' of winning in NASCAR
1,050 days. 100 races. That's how long it had been since Bubba Wallace's last NASCAR Cup Series win before he flew under the checkered flag and won Sunday's Brickyard 400. But those numbers are moot in the wake of Wallace's third career win — one that nobody can say he didn't earn. Everything appeared to be working against Wallace in the waning moments of Sunday's race. From a poorly-timed caution with six laps to go, a dwindling fuel tank and having one of the best drivers in the world in Kyle Larson as his main challenger, it would've been understandable if Wallace let the win slip away. But he didn't. Wallace beat Larson on two restarts, saved enough gas to do a burnout and was able to join all the legends before him that have won at Indy and kissed the bricks. Wallace's emotions were on full display immediately following the race. With his wife by his side and his son in his arms, it was clear that this win was special. It wasn't one Wallace was going to take for granted. Throughout his career, Wallace's emotions haven't always been the sight of such positivity. There have been moments where anger, self-doubt, stress and sadness have outshone the good. That's just part of being a professional race car driver in a high-stakes job — but that doesn't mean it's fun. "We're all human," Wallace said in his post-race news conference. "We're all super hard on ourselves; you guys know how hard I am on myself. At the same time, I was combating. I'm like, 'f----- right, we can do this.' It's like the angel and devil on your shoulder." Perhaps the biggest difference between the Wallace that was seen on Sunday and the one that existed three years ago is that the angel overpowered the devil. "It wasn't all negative," Wallace said. "To even have that thought, it's like, 'Come on, focus.' That all went away on the restarts, because it was time to really focus and get the job done." Wallace did get the job done. He's now the winner of one of NASCAR's crown-jewel races, and he's guaranteed a spot in the Cup Series playoffs. But another big difference between the modern-day Wallace and the Wallace of years past is those who now stand beside him on race day: his wife, Amanda, and his son, Becks. As Wallace pointed out on the TNT broadcast following his win, he's already won in life. Now, he's won again as a Cup Series driver. "I'm a guy with a beautiful wife, a beautiful son, and just fortunate enough to be driving race cars," Wallace said. "Putting family first, that's all that matters. It makes things easier. It gives you something to focus on to. The racing stuff is kind of secondary now. "You have to go through a mental shift to say that. I remember when Amanda and I first started dating, and I'm like, 'Hey, racing's everything.' I knew I made a mistake saying that, and it took me all these years to realize, this isn't always going to be here. I think it's better to enjoy the moments like this. I'm enjoying life, I'm enjoying being here at the racetrack. I have a really cool f------ job. It's not even a job. Cool hobby." Whether you want to call it a job or a hobby, Wallace has become pretty good at driving race cars and sharing race weekends with those he loves most. At the end of the day, not even the allure of Gasoline Alley can outshine that.
Kirk Cousins makes notable leadership move after Falcons practice
Kirk Cousins might be relegated to the job of backup quarterback, but he is showing veteran leadership to his Atlanta Falcons teammates. Following Sunday's practice, Cousins pulled aside rookie defensive end James Pearce to encourage the first-round pick after his fourth practice in the league at Flowery Branch, Georgia. "QB Kirk Cousins pulled aside Pearce after practice to compliment him on a pass batted down," wrote Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Cousins reportedly had a solid day of practice on Sunday, going 7-of-12 passing against the first-team unit. If Cousins wants out of Atlanta, he's not showing it at practice. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback is competing on the field and being a good teammate around the facility. Cousins' actions on the field backed up what Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot praised Cousins for before the team's practice on Sunday. “Outside, it's a lot more of a deal than it is in the building,” Fontenot said to the media about the idea of friction between the Falcons and Cousins, per video from D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “He shows up, he does his job, just like anybody ... We've gotta build the best 70-man roster so we can go win games. "That's what we're focused on, and Kirk, just like all the other players, is focused on coming in here and doing their job. That's what he's been doing." Fontenot didn't dismiss the idea that Atlanta would trade Cousins before the season. He said the Falcons will do whatever it takes to make the team better, but stressed that Cousins has been a professional throughout the process of being replaced by Michael Penix Jr., a first-round pick from the 2024 draft. “In terms of making moves, whether it's trades or acquiring players, we're always looking at those factors," Fontenot said. "We're gonna do whatever we can do to make this team the best it can possibly be. But he's been a great professional, and he's handled himself well.” Cousins is coming to work in a manner that will make another owner want to take a chance on the veteran quarterback. That could be one of his best-selling points before he plays in his 13th season in the league.
Why SS Bo Bichette's stellar play could cost Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays have the best record in Major League Baseball. Depth contributions throughout the lineup and on the pitching staff are a major factor in their success, but what might be even more important is the heater shortstop Bo Bichette is on. Like most of the rest of the team, after a slow start, Bichette has found his groove, and he put it all on display as Toronto (63-43) won three of four at AL Central-leading Detroit from Thursday-Sunday. Already with two RBI on Thursday and Friday, Bichette added two RBI in Saturday's 6-1 win that included this unreal 13-pitch at-bat against Tarik Skubal. Not many are taking arguably the best pitcher in baseball 13 pitches deep and forcing a walk. In Toronto's 10-4 loss Sunday, Bichette went 5-for-5 with two more RBI. Per StatMuse, it was his fourth five-hit game in the big leagues. Bichette entered the four-game series with a .281 average and now heads to Baltimore with a .289 average. That's superstar stuff from the 27-year-old two-time All-Star. Through 103 games, Bichette has 13 HRs and 65 RBI, putting him on pace for a 20-HR, 99-RBI season. He has driven in 100 runs only once during his seven-year MLB career. Bichette is doing himself wonders in a contract year, especially after a down, injury-plagued 2024 season. Toronto's chance to extend him at a discounted rate is long gone, and it feels like a formality that Bichette will at least test the market this winter. We've seen megadeals handed out to some of the league's best shortstops in recent years, including the Mets' Francisco Lindor, Texas' Corey Seager, Philadelphia's Trea Turner and Minnesota's Carlos Correa. Combine that with the increasing contract values around baseball, and Bichette is set to receive a massive payday. For now, Bichette's focus is on helping the Blue Jays win and make a postseason run that includes Toronto's first World Series title since 1993.
Bruins' David Pastrnak Calls Out Canadiens' Juraj Slafkovsky: He Just Lacks Humility'
Juraj Slafkovsky is one of the most promising players in the NHL, but now he has been called out by David Pastrnak, who stated he lacks humility. After being picked No. 1 overall in 2022 NHL Draft, expectations were high in Montreal for young star Juraj Slafkovsky, and thus far, he's shown glimpses of being the elite level player many expected when he entered the National Hockey League. However, there are still some major steps to go, and in a recent interview, Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak pointed out perhaps one area where the 21-year old may need to improve moving forward. When asked about Slafkovsky and his potential, Pastrnak gave nothing but a glowing review of the young Canadiens star, but he did note that he believes Slafkovsky needs more humility. 'He's still a young player who is gaining experience in the NHL every year. This season it was already clear that he gave the team more than before...He just needs a little more humility, he should set an example for the young ones.' On the ice, there's no doubting that Slafkovsky has the presence, the size and the talent to be a true star, posting 101 total points over the past two seasons, but for whatever reason, it appears as though Pastrnak believes he needs to improve off the ice before he can take a major leap in Montreal. Ultimately, the talent is still there for Slafkovsky, and at 21-years old, he'll continue to learn off the ice, and if he can go anywhere close to living up to the potential that he's shown in his first three years at the NHL level, there's no doubt that he can be a big time star and help lead the Canadiens to significant post-season success.
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