The regular season is up, and now it’s time for the playoffs. This weekend, the playoffs will start at the Atlanta Motor Speedway and the drivers will get into the most crucial stage of the season. All the drivers who made it through have a chance at becoming the Cup Series Champion, but what about the drivers who did not make it?

The playoffs were implemented to increase the allure of NASCAR by bringing in the unpredictable factor. Compared to before, where the winner of the season could be determined a few races before the season ends due to points, this makes sure the result is held back until the last race. This year, the unpredictability factor worked out for NASCAR, as drivers like Chase Briscoe and Harrison Burton made the cut. So let’s take a look at all the drivers who have been consistent throughout the year but missed out on their chance for the top 16.

Kevin Harvick summarizes the playoffs dropzone

On the recent episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, the co-host, Kaitlyn Vincie, posed an important question. She asked, “Playoffs are about to start. Do we feel the right teams made the cut?” But with the question, she also dropped a personal note saying, “I personally feel Bubba Wallace should be there.”

While everyone has favorites and debates about which drivers deserve to be in the playoffs have flooded the internet, ultimately, it’s NASCAR’s rules that decide what will happen. To answer Vincie’s question, Kevin Harvick responded, saying, “When you look at all this, with the emphasis put on winning, these guys all went out to win. When you look at Ty Gibbs and Martin Truex, who had the most points, they put together the best 26 races from a points standpoint.”

Harvick mentioned the difference among all the drivers in the playoffs, saying, “Looking at the cars that are running well right now, some are better than those that made it, but they didn’t win. If you don’t win, you put yourself in a vulnerable position to not make the playoffs.”

Kevin Harvick used other drivers as an example to tell Vincie why Bubba Wallace did not make it, saying, “Chris Buescher knew it after the first Darlington race; he knew how important winning that race was. He left knowing he missed an opportunity. You go back and look at how Kyle Busch started at the Daytona 500, had an opportunity to win, and then was taken out.”

Both the drivers that Harvick mentioned had a lot of potential to win a race, but unfortunately, circumstances made them miss the mark. Be it because of a wreck or just the car not being consistent, he explained how the new format works. As far as rules go, the same applies to Bubba Wallace, who, despite being consistently in the top 10, did not manage to win a race this season.

What does Kevin Harvick think of the drivers who made it into the playoffs?

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Win a race to get into the playoffs or score more points than the rest to remain in the safe zone are the two options that Harvick explained. After breaking down what drivers need to focus on during a season, he spoke about the drivers that did make the cut.

Harvick brought up Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs, who both are at the bottom of the playoff table, as they secured enough points to be there but couldn’t win a race to secure better positioning. Both of these drivers will need to consistently prove themselves in the top 16, as they lack the playoff points to keep them safe in the next round.

However, if the two drivers do perform well, they can advance past the elimination line, but everything from there will be an uphill battle. Currently, Kyle Larson is leading the chart with +35 points over the cutoff, and despite winning at Darlington, Chase Briscoe finds himself in the elimination zone, along with Harrison Burton.

Although winning one race did put them in the top 16, however, it will take more than that for them to get into the top 8 or top 4. Considering everything that went down this season, do you think that Bubba Wallace deserves a spot in the playoffs in place of the drivers outside the top 12? Share your thoughts in the comments below.