While Denny Hamlin‘s 51st victory instigated the hopes of winning a championship title for the first time in the mind of the JGR driver, two other seasoned drivers fell out of playoff contention. Both of them are Ford icons and both are seasoned NASCAR drivers who had winning speeds at Darlington Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway.

One of them is Joey Logano. The 33-year-old Team Penske speedster is the first reigning champion to fall out of the playoff picture in the postseason’s opening round. Following him is Kevin Harvick of Stewart-Haas Racing. The playoff future for the Bakersfield native vanished when he fell behind by merely 4 points. However, 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick still considers them as fearful opponents moving onto the 1.5-mile oval in Texas. Here is why.

Tyler Reddick hinted at the lurking danger for everyone on the grid

Joey Logano, as Steve Letarte calls him, is a ‘restart machine’. Almost every NASCAR fan out here knows the #22 pilot to make strong and unexpected finishes. For Kevin, his experience behind the wheel of a stock car speaks for itself. There’s a reason Tony Stewart considers him as his best prospect at even 47 years of age.

Harvick could have won at Darlington if he had not suffered from the untimely caution in the pit road. And Joey Logano at Bristol, could have won had Corey LaJoie not spun in lap 262 and had a chain of impact from Ryan Newman not held him off from maintaining the momentum.

In a recent episode of MRN NASCAR Live, Tyler Reddick revealed how the danger that these two athletes pose is not over yet. He explained that when two of the strongest drivers fall out of the competition, it just goes to show how difficult the Cup Series can be.

Tyler Reddick said, “Between the 22 [Logano] and the 4 [Harvick], I think, with guys like that, it’s like a double-edged sword.”

“When they don’t have the speed, you almost felt like they could make it through; you have a better chance going on, but at the same time we’re talking about the closer Kevin Harvick, we’re talking about Joey Logano, who finds a way to grind out finishes,” he added. With a madhouse like Talladega in the line-up, a couple of drivers could fall below on points and perhaps these two drivers could move up the grid. Who knows?

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Meanwhile, a NASCAR veteran revealed how the new generation cars could be both a bane and a boon for Stewart-Haas Racing and Team Penske.

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With the advent of the new age stock cars, just having a fast ride is not enough to get you the ride down the victory lane. Every car out there is almost the same in terms of statistics and specifications. So you cannot beat someone solely based on speed. And when it comes down to effort, everyone works hard. Hence, outworking someone is also not an option. So, how do you win?

Jeff Burton gave the answer to that question. According to him, just a few years ago, the two teams could have made changes in the car mechanics in order to make them faster, but now it’s no longer possible. The car is essentially the same; the components are the same. The aerodynamics is kind of like a wildcard. So what more do they need to do?

“It’s how you’re using these components,” said Burton, “It’s how you’re maximizing these components in every area.” He then went on to explain how the next-gen cars could be a gift in disguise for the teams.

He explained, “In some ways, it makes it harder, but in other ways, you have a focus. It requires a shift in how you run your company.”

While Kevin Harvick will not return to the Cup Series arena, it’s a pity that he could not end his career with a win. And for Joey Logano, let’s just hope he comes back stronger next year.

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