Why these drivers can win their way into NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs

The NASCAR Cup Series is down to the final three races of the regular season with only three spots available on points.

While Tyler Reddick (+122), Alex Bowman (+63) and Chris Buescher (+23) currently hold down the final three spots, no one is safe with a road-course ace and two past champions below the cutline.

As the series prepares for its final three races before the playoffs at Watkins Glen, Richmond and Daytona, here are three drivers who can win their way into the postseason field.

Watkins Glen: Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

It has become evident that anytime the Cup Series goes to a road/street course, Shane van Gisbergen is the driver to beat, as his three straight wins at those venues would indicate. Someone that may get overshadowed by van Gisbergen is McDowell, who has a past win at the Indianapolis road course in 2023.

McDowell has a pair of top-fives at Mexico City (fifth) and Sonoma (fourth) this season and led 31 laps at Chicago before throttle issues derailed his day. He has never won at Watkins Glen, but has two top-10 finishes in the last three races and led laps in each of those three. It will not be an easy feat, but Sunday presents as good of an opportunity as any for McDowell to win his way into the playoffs. 

Richmond: Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford

The 2025 season has not been kind to the 2012 champion, but a third-place finish at Iowa after sweeping the first two stages showed the potential is still there, despite his persisting 46-race winless streak. The whole organization has been on the upswing, highlighted by a second consecutive week with two RFK Racing cars inside the top five for the first time since 2012.

Keselowski is a two-time winner at Richmond and had arguably the fastest car at Iowa, a track with similar characteristics to the 0.75-mile short track in Virginia. If the No. 6 team unloads with speed and picks up where it left off at Iowa, Keselowski could find himself competing for another championship.

Daytona: Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Similar to Keselowski, the two-time champion Busch has not had one of his better seasons in 2025. Still in search of his first win since June 2023 at World Wide Technology Raceway, Busch remains optimistic that the No. 8 team can win one of the final three races before the playoffs with execution.

While Richmond has statistically been his better track with six wins, RCR's short track package has not been great this season. Busch's only win at Daytona came all the way back in the 2008 summer race, but the organization has been competitive at superspeedways, highlighted by Busch's runner-up finish in the 2024 Daytona summer race. If he can be one spot better this year, Busch will avoid missing the playoffs for consecutive seasons.