One more look back at the 4 drivers who missed advancing to the Round of 8
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Another round of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs is in the books, and four fan-favorite drivers have been eliminated. Here’s a look at the drivers who were knocked out of playoff contention following Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400:
Alex Bowman: We all knew Alex Bowman wasn’t going to advance to the Round of 8 as he wasn’t even in Sunday’s race. Bowman suffered a concussion when he was involved in a crash at Texas Motor Speedway last month and missed his second straight race as a result.
"With my health continuing to be my number one priority, I will not return to racing this weekend at the NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway," Bowman said in a statement last week. "I am continuing to make strides in my recovery to make sure I can return to competition at 100%.”
Noah Gragson drove for Bowman at the Roval. As it turned out, Bowman announced earlier this week that he will not return to the race car for the remainder of the season to continue focusing on his health.
Austin Cindric: This year’s rookie Daytona 500 winner finished 21st at the Roval and just came up short in his quest to advance to the Round of 8. Cindric started the race in the fifth position but reported steering issues early on. While he attempted to make the most of the situation, he could not keep up with the rest of the contenders as his tires began to wear in the last stint.
"My guys did a great job all weekend,” Cindric said. “We had a long shot, but had a shot at it and kept ourselves in the game. Obviously, I had a great shot at the end.
“That last caution really stung because we would have been in (Round of 8) without that last caution. Old tires against new tires. I wish we would have had probably some better track position and probably do a few things right here and there, but, overall, great to have a shot, great to be in the playoff picture.
"I learned a lot in my rookie season racing against a lot of the best. I was a bit of a bonehead on the last couple restarts just trying to make something happen with 30-lap worse tires than everybody around me, but, overall, great experience but just a little bit short."
Daniel Saurez: 2022 will likely be a year Daniel Suarez holds near to his heart as he scored his first Cup Series victory at Sonoma Raceway this June. However, Suarez will have to wait until next year now in his bid to win a NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Saurez’s hopes of advancing to the Round of 8 ended prematurely in Sunday’s race when he dropped out of the race with a power-steering issue. He entered the race with a 12-point cushion above the cutline, but found himself on the outside looking in with a 36th-place finish, five laps down.
“The second half of the race was probably the most difficult race I’ve driven in my life, but it is what it is,” Saurez said. “Unfortunately, me as a driver, that’s something that’s out of my control.
“It’s very disappointing to lose a race like that. Our No. 99 CommScope Chevy was good; it was fast. I felt like it was going to be an easy transition based on the speed that we had, but once we lost the steering, I was just trying to survive. My arms are destroyed right now. My hands are destroyed. It’s just unfortunate.”
Kyle Larson: Perhaps the biggest shocker from Sunday’s race was the elimination of defending 2021 Cup Series champion Kyle Larson from the playoffs.
Larson’s car got loose and hit the Turn 7 wall, damaging the rear suspension. He came in to pit on Lap 98, where he lost five laps and ultimately finished 35th. He missed the final playoff transfer spot by two points to Chase Briscoe.
“You just give up that many spots; you know it’s going to be close and then the caution there,” Larson said. “So, yeah, I just made way too many mistakes all year long. Made another one today and it ultimately cost us a chance to go chase another championship.”
Larson’s 2022 season was not as successful as his previous campaign. In 2021, he had 10 wins. So far this year, he’s only had two wins. Larson has also failed to rack up more consistent finishes this year than last season. He's finished in the top 10 in just 16 of the 32 races contested so far.
“Just extremely mad at myself because I let the team down a number of times this year and let them down in a big way today,” Larson said. “We will keep fighting and we will come back stronger. I will definitely come back stronger, smarter and make better moves out there. Just mad at myself. Bummer.”