The NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono made big changes to the playoff grid. Heading into the weekend, Ross Chastain was comfortably in the mix for a postseason spot based on points, but that looks far from certain after his third DNF of the season. The Trackhouse Racing driver broke loose in Turn 3 in the 53rd lap at Pocono Raceway, his No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro making contact with the outside retaining wall, ending Chastain’s day.

Chastain entered the 400-mile race at Pocono Raceway with a 53-point cushion relative to the playoff elimination line. After the race, he has slipped behind Chris Buescher as the last driver in the playoff grid and is now just 27 points ahead of Bubba Wallace, with five races of the regular season remaining. With his playoff hopes looking increasingly uncertain, a NASCAR insider has issued a warning sign for the melon man.

Ross Chastain finds himself in unfamiliar territory

With two DNFs in the past three weeks, the Trackhouse Racing driver hasn’t finished higher than 22nd in his last three races. Meanwhile, competing for the playoff spot is 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace, who finished 10th at Pocono Raceway, securing his second top-10 result in the last three races. The 30-year-old is two spots behind Ross Chastain in the driver standings, but with momentum on his side, that could change when NASCAR heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway next.

Highlighting Ross Chastain’s playoff hopes as being in jeopardy, NASCAR journalist Jordan Bianchi said on GoPRNLive, “My pick would be Ross Chastain, just because Ross is in a position that I don’t think he thought he was going to be in. Like, you look at his season, had a lot of speed this year, but they just have not had the finish that’s corresponded. Nashville, running second, gets wrecked.”

“Running second at Texas early this year gets wrecked. Having a decent day at Pocono, you know strategy goes their way, they’re going to have a good run there—doesn’t end. Ends up in the wall. All of a sudden, you look at it and they’re like, they’re right in that cut line,” Bianchi further added.

With Daniel Suarez already in the playoffs after winning at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the second race of the season, Trackhouse Racing should prioritize Ross Chastain getting consistent results over the next five races of the regular season to secure a playoff spot.

As things stand, Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs, Ross Chastain, and Chris Buescher are in the playoff bubble, with Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe, Kyle Busch, and Todd Gilliland vying for a place as well. However, all it would take is just one win for the dynamics to change entirely.

However, Chastain certainly has it in him to turn the situation around. Despite the bad luck in recent weeks, the Trackhouse Racing driver knows what it takes to win. He won two races last year; the first was at Nashville Superspeedway, while the other was in the final race of the 2023 season at Phoenix Raceway. There is no reason he cannot turn his situation around this time, provided lady luck is on his side.

Bubba Wallace snatching Chastain’s playoff spot

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After being fined $50,000 for door-slamming Alex Bowman at the Chicago Street Course, Bubba Wallace came under tremendous social media backlash, with some going as far as wanting his expulsion. The 30-year-old responded to the scrutiny magnificently, finishing 10th in Pocono, his seventh top-10 finish of the season. The 23XI Racing driver got lucky, with Ross Chastain forced to retire and finishing 36th, while Ty Gibbs, another driver hoping to make the playoffs from points, suffered engine failure.

Speaking to NASCAR.com, Bubba Wallace said, “We didn’t capitalize on points. But the 1 (Chastain) had a bad day. The 54 (Gibbs) had a bad day. It was a nice rebound. You know, usually we’re the opposite. We start really good and end up fading and giving up a lot of track positions. Here, we were able to call a good strategy and hang on. We just didn’t have the car.”

While Bubba Wallace continues to eye a playoff spot from the outside, Lady Luck is finally on his side for the time being. With NASCAR heading to Indianapolis Motor Speedway to race at the Oval for the first time in three years, Wallace will hope to replicate the third-place finish he achieved with Richard Petty Motorsports in 2019. Next going to Richmond, Bubba has finished in the Top 5 twice, once in March this season, and before that, in July 2023.

The 30-year-old also has fond memories of Michigan International Speedway, where he finished runner-up in 2022. A lot can happen between now and the end of the regular season. It all depends on which driver takes the opportunity. Do you think Ross Chastain will make it to the playoffs? Let us know in the comments!