These NASCAR drivers should be worried two races into 2026 season

With a new championship format based strictly on points, the NASCAR Cup Series standings feature a few star drivers near the bottom of the standings. 

Even just two races into the 2026 season, there are a few drivers that have dug themselves a sizeable hole. Here are four drivers who should be worried about their slow starts. 

Ty Gibbs 

Gibbs likely isn't in any danger of losing his ride anytime soon, but 2026 seems like a "prove-it" year for the fourth-year driver. He's only made the postseason once in three years and is 33rd in the standings after finishes of 23rd and 37th to start the season. 

Gibbs is still looking for his first Cup Series win, but a top-10 or even top-15 effort at Circuit of the Americas would go a long way for the No. 54 team at this point.

Connor Zilisch 

Zilisch is a Cup Series rookie with just five Cup Series starts under his belt. There's zero reason to panic after finishing 33rd and 30th at a pair of drafting races to start the season. But he is 36th in the standings, last among full-time drivers.

However, if the 19-year-old rookie wants to make the Chase, it's time to grab a shovel and start digging. That starts this week at COTA, where a top-10 run is not out of the question for Zilisch. 

Alex Bowman 

Bowman is not the only Hendrick Motorsports driver currently outside of the Chase picture, but unlike his three teammates, he has not spent time near the front of the field. Finishes of 40th and 23rd in the first two races of the season have Bowman mired in 32nd in the standings.

Bowman missing the Chase would be disastrous for his future in what is a contract year for the 32-year-old. He needs a good result at COTA.

Christopher Bell

Bell has finished 35th and 21st to start the season after he was involved in a late-race crash on Sunday at Atlanta. He's 31st in the standings through two races.

There's not much reason to panic in the No. 20 camp, but a poor start could hurt Bell when it's time to seed the Chase field in August.