As the final race of the playoffs round of 16 approaches, tension is mounting as those on the cutline bubble face the imminent threat of elimination, with their fate hanging in the balance. However, even those seemingly safe from elimination can’t afford to be complacent, as the unpredictable Bristol Oval presents a potential game-changer.

Seasoned Joe Gibbs veteran Denny Hamlin recently set the benchmark for drivers who might find themselves on the outside of the playoffs looking in during the next round. Ryan Blaney, currently in P6 in the playoffs standings, may have felt secure. But Hamlin’s warning has left him reconsidering his position.

Hamlin’s playoff warning, Blaney to enter Bristol with caution

In a recent episode of his podcast ‘Actions Detrimental,’ Hamlin expressed his view that everyone from Ryan Blaney and below in the standings should be concerned about their playoff position.“The people that are nervous is from Blaney down. I just think that Blaney +25 and below are the guys that are like I can’t screw up this weekend.” Days later, during the pre-race press conference at Bristol, when queried about Hamlin’s perspicacious remarks, Blaney recognized the unpredictable playoff situation, conceding, “You can never really be too safe.”

“We’re 25 points to the good. Twenty-five points can go away just like that if you have an issue early in the race. I feel like you can never really be too safe. I wouldn’t consider myself in the danger zone. I would say you can have problems, and you’re gonna be in a little bit of a situation.” Blaney went on to explain that what Hamlin likely meant was that there’s no cushion if a driver makes an early mistake, experiences a mechanical issue, or gets involved in a wreck during the race. Having fewer points in the bank to secure advancement to the next round can indeed put a driver in a more vulnerable position.

“I think what he meant by that was you don’t have any cushion if you make a mistake early in the race and have a mechanical issue or a wreck or something like that early. You don’t have as many points in the bank to ensure yourself into the next round, kind of like we did last year. We had tons of points to the cut line going into this race last year and we had a problem and we were able to be fine with it because we had a lot of points in the bank. This year we don’t have as many.”

Blaney further added that he preferred to be ahead in points rather than having just a few points to spare. Emphasizing the unpredictability of NASCAR and the importance of running a solid race without errors, Blaney shared, “I definitely would prefer to be 25 points to the good than only a handful of points to the good because you never know what could happen. You’ve just got to go try to run a good race and run the whole race and see where you end up.”

Denny Hamlin’s playoff prognosis

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During his podcast, Hamlin further delved deeper into the playoff standings and the potential for a shakeup at Bristol. He highlighted the impending likelihood of a prominent name missing the first cut and the significance of the current standings.

“Truex is -7 now and he’s gonna have to beat the next guy, Harvick +7, Logano +12, Bell +13, Buescher +13, and Chastain +18. I would say if he gets in and replaces let’s not include Kyle Busch; Chastain, Logano, Bell, or Harvick, if any one of those guys misses it that is an upset.”

“They’re a Red Flag” – Another Joe Gibbs Racing Driver Gets Nod Over Denny Hamlin as Insider Dissects Their Season

Hamlin also emphasized the struggles of certain drivers this season, citing Logano’s lackluster performance and the challenges faced by Harvick’s team. However, he also lauded Harvick’s ability to consistently maximize results despite the team’s difficulties. “Kevin Harvick man, the guy is still amazing as far as getting the results, the best result that the car is capable of. His team cars are just not running well at all. Besides the RFK cars, the Fords just aren’t doing well. But Kevin Harvick isn’t on RFKs. So they’re finding a way for sure. They are in the danger zone for sure. The good news is we’re going to a short track where aerodynamics will mean quite as much. So the Fords have been good on the shorter-type race tracks.”

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As the Bristol rumble approaches, Hamlin’s verdict is clear: “If they don’t perform well, they could be out.” The final cutline awaits, ready to deliver triumph and disappointment.