Trio of NASCAR playoff underdogs have big days at Atlanta

Daniel Suarez, Alex Bowman and Austin Cindric were seldom picked to make it out of the first round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, but their fortunes changed after Sunday’s playoff opener at Atlanta. 

With finishes of second, fifth and 10th, respectively, all three drivers now have advantages over the cut line and will have considerably less pressure placed on them at Watkins Glen and Bristol. 

Bowman (+27) leads the group, as a fifth-place finish at Atlanta stopped the bleeding from a poor summer stretch. Going into the playoffs, Bowman hadn’t scored a top-10 since Pocono on July 14, with his best finish over the last five races being 16th at Daytona.

The top-five run proved that Bowman — who has never been eliminated in the first round in his five previous playoff appearances — is capable of stepping up when the pressure is on. In a week where rumors about his job security at Hendrick Motorsports spread like wildfire, Bowman’s strong effort at Atlanta could go a long way in quashing the narrative that he’s not deserving of a championship-caliber car. 

Suarez and Cindric both have 22-point advantages over the cut line, and both drivers put together two of their best performances of the season on Sunday. There are glaring similarities between the two drivers: both scored their only victory of 2024 dramatically, both have two career wins and both are still trying to prove that they can take the next step in their Cup Series development. 

Suarez came close to defending his February victory at the track with a runner-up finish, and while Cindric faded to 10th by the finish, he won Stage 2 and led 92 laps, the most he’s ever led in a Cup Series race. 

With momentum on their side, all three drivers seem set up for potential success at Watkins Glen. Suarez and Cindric have been consistently good on road courses since the outset of their NASCAR careers, while Bowman has three consecutive top-five runs at Circuit of the Americas. 

With sizable point advantages to work with, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see all three drivers advance to the Round of 12 and prove the doubters wrong.