The occasion of a playoff race in the NASCAR Cup Series is an electric affair. The surmounted pressure of surviving elimination combined with an adrenaline rush has given the fans some of the best races of the 2023 season. However, 2023 has also brought some unexpected results, as regular top performers have been left in the dust! And that has been the talk of the town with industry experts weighing in their opinions.

Veteran NASCAR insider, former driver, and son to the King, Richard Petty, Kyle Petty has been a knowledgeable community member. With statistics and analysis being his primary forte, he expertly uses numbers to describe situations. Speaking to NASCAR in an interview, Kyle takes on the impending challenge for some former Cup champions still alive in the competition.

Kyle Petty is concerned by Martin Truex Jr’s playoff form

Suppose there is one driver who can be pointed out for enjoying the benefits of the regular season. In that case, it is the regular season champion, Martin Truex Jr. Truex was one of the most consistent drivers before playoffs and had been nearly flawless. But the results have completely turned around its head for the 43-year-old. In 6 races of the playoffs so far, Truex hasn’t even been a regular name in the top 15, let alone get close to a victory. Petty is surprised by Truex Jr’s uncanny loss of form. He claimed:

“The guy I want to talk about is Martin Truex Jr. Martin Truex; where have you gone, man? Where have you gone? In the 11 races leading up to the playoffs, Martin Truex was smoking hot. Out of 11 races, he won two of them and only finished outside the top 5 or 10 twice. That’s an amazing streak when you look back on it. When we get to the playoffs, Martin Truex has not even sniffed the top 15 in the playoffs, that’s crazy to me.”

The precarious situation of Truex, pushed many fans to imagine a reality where MTJ didn’t make it past the first elimination round. Truex managed to edge out the first four unlucky drivers which saw some big names out of competition, all thanks to the playoff points he had stacked up. Petty is unable to understand what could have gone wrong for the change to be this drastic and explains the same stating,

“Here’s a guy who we had going all the way to Phoenix, all the way to the championship, back in June and July, and now we don’t even hear him mentioned as a guy. Is there a switch? I think there is a switch. Because obviously he hit that switch in the midsummer and that switch has gone off sometimes as the playoffs started. They can hit it again. They can get hot and Martin Truex is that kind of driver, but the interesting thing to me is him as a past champion and Kyle Larson as a past champion.“

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Truex’s situation will also be in the back of the mind of team owner Joe Gibbs. While Mr. Gibbs has voiced his pleasure previously at being able to see three of his drivers in the final 12, he will simultaneously hope that the number doesn’t drop until the final round at Phoenix. With Denny Hamlin and co. looking at their strongest this year, will Truex be able to replicate his regular season form?

Petty hopes to see a champion-like performance from the former NASCAR Cup Series champs

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The sense of nostalgia plays a big part in NASCAR. Whenever fans roll back the years to reminisce a phase of the sport, they are reminded of a version of their favorite driver, where he could have been successful or in the trenches of desperation even. However, being a former champion also means to uphold that reputation. Having witnessed many former champions ousted in the first two rounds, Petty’s concerns are about losing another former champ to the axe of playoffs.

“If we look at the first round of playoffs, we saw Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano, two past champions sent home. Second round, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski sent home. So that’s four in the first two rounds. We only have two remaining.” conveyed Kyle.

Petty’s words will reach the office of Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick as well. Although the two HMS cars, the #5 and the #24 Camaro, that are still in the playoffs are two of the best cars in their possession and also in the series, Mr. Hendrick will be wary of a possibility of either of his two drivers being left out of the final 4. Although highly unlikely, in case William Byron falls out of luck’s favor in the middle of the race, the onus falls on Larson to deliver the goods.

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