Time is running out. With the Cook Out 400 Cup Series race at Richmond in the rearview mirror, drivers are now left in a do-or-die situation to make it into the playoffs. Twelve drivers are locked in, with only four races remaining in the regular season. While multiple drivers are teething on the edge of the playoff bubble, Michael McDowell and Bubba Wallace are holding onto the playoffs by a thread.

Disappointed in Michael McDowell’s inability to capitalize on a golden chance, NASCAR veteran Jeff Burton had some choice words in store for the Front Row Motorsports #34 driver.

“Hate to say loser”: Jeff Burton calls out Michael McDowell

Achieving a fourth-place finish at the Quaker State 400 in Atlanta, it seemed Michael McDowell was finally riding on an upward trajectory. Embroiled in competition with Bubba Wallace and Chase Elliott to make the playoff cut, Michael McDowell then placed 13th at New Hampshire, 19th at Pocono, and 22nd at Richmond.

With a majority of his playoff competitors struggling in the recent races, McDowell failed to capitalize on the opportunity to earn more points and pull away from the competition. Vexed by the #34 Front Row Motorsports driver’s underachieving race runs, Jeff Burton on the NASCAR on NBC podcast said,

“Another guy I think, and it doesn’t jump out because he did gain points, is Michael McDowell. And I hate to say loser, but didn’t capitalize. Because a lot of the people that he’s racing for these playoffs had really bad days, and they had an opportunity in front of them to gain more points on those guys than they ultimately did.”

“Have they had a little more performance, they could have separated themselves. Again, he gained a point, right? He gained only one point on a day where some of those guys had really bad days. (Daniel) Suarez and (A. J.) Allmendinger had really bad days. He had an opportunity to separate himself from those guys and they were not able to capitalize,” the NASCAR veteran further added.

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As the NASCAR veteran vents his frustration at Michael McDowell’s inability to gather crucial points, the Front Row Motorsport driver is now sitting on a paper boat in the playoff standings.

Michael McDowell finds himself on the hot seat

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Prior to the Cook Out 400 Cup Series race at Richmond, Michael McDowell sat 17 points above the playoff cut line. Earning only one playoff point post the Richmond event, McDowell now finds himself in a pickle. While his competitor, Bubba Wallace sits 54 points above the cut line, Michael McDowell’s 16th-place playoff rank is now under threat from various other drivers.

Tailing Michael McDowell closely on the playoff standings are Ty Gibbs, A. J. Allmendinger, Daniel Suarez, and Chase Elliott. Of these four drivers, Chase Elliott has been quickly gaining ground on the competition, propelling himself to the 20th rank in just two races from the earlier 23rd spot on the Cup Series standings.

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With only four races remaining in the Cup Series regular season, can Michael McDowell continue to hold onto his playoff spot? Stay connected to find out.