NASCAR Cup Series drivers most in need of upcoming off week

The final off weekend of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season has arrived, with no Cup Series race scheduled for Sunday. Here are three drivers in desperate need of the off weekend and the rest it can help provide.

AJ Allmendinger

Allmendinger was slowly closing in on a potential Chase spot at the end of June, leaving Sonoma 19th in the standings and only 26 points out of 16th. However, three finishes of 25th or worse over the last four races have all but snuffed out his Chase chances. 

Allmendinger now sits 22nd in the standings, 109 points out of a Chase berth with four races in the regular season. He's still had a decent season when you consider that Kaulig Racing is getting next to no support from Chevrolet, but the veteran driver has to be wondering what could've been if not for his lackluster month of July. 

Tyler Reddick

Reddick's collapse started with a crash at Michigan on June 7 and saw his points lead over Denny Hamlin, which was 129 points after Watkins Glen on May 10, completely fall apart. He left Sonoma on June 28 trailing Hamlin by a point. 

Fast-forward to the end of July, and Reddick is now a whopping 84 points back of Hamlin and in need of a miraculous four-race stretch to take back the No. 1 seed. Before his 10th-place run in Sunday's Brickyard 400, Reddick had four finishes of 25th or worse over the last five races.

Kyle Larson

Larson left Sonoma in June fifth in the standings on the strength of four straight top fives. Like Allmendinger, his July has been nothing shy of a nightmare. 

Larson's crash and subsequent last-place (39th) finish in Sunday's Brickyard 400 marked his third finish of 34th or worse over the last four races. A 15th at North Wilkesboro was his best finish of July, and the defending series champion fell all the way to eighth in the standings. He'll carry a 46-race winless drought into the Aug. 9 race at Iowa Speedway.