Before NASCAR hit the track of Bristol on Saturday, the pressure of the playoffs had created a stifling condition. It was only Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick, the two playoff winners who could breathe easily. The looming threat of being eliminated was weighing down on the shoulders of the regular season champions Martin Truex Jr and Bubba Wallace. However, in 500 laps, the whole narrative of the playoffs changed.

While Truex Jr and Wallace were able to advance to the next stage, it was the former and the reigning Cup Series champions who had to bow out of the championship contention. The results do come as a surprise for many, but for this NASCAR insider, it was just a matter of time before Joey Logano was eliminated.

NASCAR Insider states his stance on the elimination of the reigning champion

The 2023 season marked the final season of Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick. As a result, the NASCAR community hoped that the dark horse would buckle up and give his one final shot at winning the championship but everything crumbled to dust, after the race at Bristol on Saturday. He was left heartbroken after he missed the next round, ‘by a mile’, and so was the Team Penske driver, Joey Logano.

The reigning champion, unlike his other Ford counterpart, had a favorable run in the race. It was a mid-race wreck with Corey LaJoie that threw a wrench at his chances of qualifying for the next round of the playoffs. This was the first time that a reigning champion was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

This inconceivable result came crashing down the NASCAR fandom and seemed equivalent to Chase Elliott missing out on the playoffs for the first time. While many are yet to believe the fact, for NASCAR journalist Matt Weaver, it was the only possibility that ever existed in the playoff picture.

Appearing on the latest episode of Door Bumper Clear, the journalist clearly stated his stance on Joey Logano’s elimination. Speaking on the elimination round, spotter Brett Griffin asserted, “Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick former Cup Series champions both out, a surprise factor there.”

To this Matt Weaver replied, “So to me, and it goes back to what I have said about this format is the biggest complaint that fans give me all the time – ‘Oh, the only races that matter are the final 10.’ That’s not true. Every single stage, stage points that you get playoff points. It does not surprise me that the 4 and the 22 are out because they did not have the regular season to give them the buffer that the 19 had. And that’s what it came to in the last two races.”

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Bubba Wallace gets candid after his playoff advancement

While the elimination of Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano may not be a surprise factor for the reporter, what shocked many was Bubba Wallace advancing to the next round for the first time in his Cup Series career.

The 23XI Racing driver was able to overcome the 19-point deficit and will be eligible to compete in the Round of 12 alongside his teammate Tyler Reddick. In the post-race interview, a worn-out Wallace expressed, “God, I love that sh*t. Counted us out. Like Coco Gauff said, ‘All they are doing is adding fuel to the fire.’ I love it. I’m worn out. Gave it our all there. Battled hard and executed. That’s what you got to do. We know next week’s a reset. We just got to go out and have some fun.”

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With that being said, it will be interesting to see how Bubba Wallace fares in the second half of the playoffs. Will he be able to enter the Championship 4 or will he have to relinquish his hopes once again?