Austin Dillon won his way into the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with victory at Richmond Raceway. Image: Getty Images
With one round remaining in the regular season, 14 drivers have locked themselves into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs via the win-and-you’re-in format.
Just two spots remain based on points. In the event of there being another first-time winner, one of either Tyler Reddick or Alex Bowman would be bumped out of the top 16.
Their predicament comes off the back of Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon winning his way into the Playoffs at Richmond, despite being a lowly 25th in the points with just five top 10 finishes and no top fives.
Reddick and Bowman are winless in 2025 but have been consistent enough to be top 10 runners on points.
Reddick, driving for 23XI Racing in the #45 Toyota Camry, is seventh with five top fives and nine top 10s. He was the runner-up in this year’s Daytona 500.
Bowman, who drives the #48 Chevrolet Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports, is ninth in the standings with six top fives and 14 top 10s.
Reddick is +89 while Bowman is +60 to the cut line.
Drivers currently locked into the playoffs who aren’t top 10 in the points include Joey Logano (12th), Ross Chastain (14th), Austin Cindric (15th), Josh Berry (22nd), Shane van Gisbergen (24th), and Dillon (25th).
NASCAR has continued to court controversy for its win-and-you’re-in Playoffs format that pits 16 drivers against each other in a football-style knockout finals.
The system whittles the drivers down to four, starting with a Round of 16, then a Round of 12, and Round of 8, and finally the championship-deciding race at Phoenix.
Alex Bowman drives the #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. Image: Ally Racing
There are some concerns that Reddick and Bowman will be eliminated from the Playoffs by someone like Cody Ware, who has singled himself out as a Playoffs candidate.
The driver of the #51 Rick Ware Racing Ford Mustang is 36th in points but said he has a good shot of winning at Daytona on Sunday (AEST).
Daytona is the where he scored his best finish in his 131 starts, claiming fourth at the same 400-mile race a year ago.
The same day, Harrison Burton won his way into the Playoffs with a famous win for Wood Brothers Racing in the #21 Ford Mustang. Burton did not advance past the Round of 16 in 2024.
“We always seem to do well at Daytona every time we go there, but I think even more so in the summer, so why not us?” said Ware about winning at the beachside speedway.
“I don’t know what it is about the night race, whether it’s the heightened aggression of the field and being able to capitalise on it even more than in the Daytona 500, but I’d say we have just as good a shot as anybody to win on Saturday night.
“At Daytona, it’s about as equal as it gets. The name of the game is survival, and it’s more of a mental game. It’s like playing chess at 200 mph versus beating and banging. It’s not traditional stock car racing.
“I feel like I’ve honed my craft at the superspeedways and the results show. And now more than ever, we’ve put ourselves in position where we’ve had great results. Now is the time to capitalise and put the 51 in victory lane.”
This isn’t Golf or Tennis where it’s basically one athlete vs another. This is a team sport. Arguably the best team sport of them all because it takes everyone doing their job almost perfectly.
It’s a team thing Austin. https://t.co/OEoG4J5LEN
— Mamba Smith (@MambaSmith34) August 17, 2025
Growing criticism of the Playoffs was renewed on social media this weekend when NASCAR’s ‘Chief Hype Officer’ Mamba Smith made a controversial post about the format.
The comment has since received more than 1.4 million views and more than 1000 replies.
“The point isn’t to crown the best driver,” he wrote.
“It’s to crown the best team who executed the best when the pressure was at its highest and the lights were the brightest.”
Totally guessing but I think everyone on this website would say welcome to the playoffs Cody you sure deserve it, we’re happy you’re here! Nobody would be mad, from our limited and very vague experience
— Wood Brothers Racing (@woodbrothers21) August 18, 2025
Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin took issue with the Tweet and cited the predicament Reddick and Bowman find themselves in.
He said it would be a cruel end to the regular season if either of them is knocked out of the Playoffs despite being regular top 10 runners.
“When we’re talking about the format in general, nothing against Cody Ware, but he has no top fives. I don’t know if he has any top 10s this year, but Cody Ware could eliminate Alex Bowman or Tyler Reddick from the Playoffs,” said Hamlin.
“So everything that Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman did for the first 25 races can be eliminated by what happens on a green-white-chequered on the 26th race by someone in the mid-30s in points.
“Could you imagine? And we’re supposed to just be, ‘Cool – that sounds fair’. The fanbase is over it.”
Ultimately, the Playoffs reward drivers who win their way in and perform at their best during the final 10 races of the year rather than those who are consistent over the course of the season – that much is evidenced by the predicament of Reddick and Bowman.
It’s not the first time the Playoffs have been criticised. Last year, Joey Logano won his way in with victory at Nashville but was only 17th in the points.
A Round of 16 win at Atlanta booked his place in the Round of 12 and then a Round of 8 win at Las Vegas got him into the title-deciding Championship Four race at Phoenix, which he won.
I’m not a fan of this playoff format.
Full episode here. 🎙️: https://t.co/f3ZfPUjGfG pic.twitter.com/fIAKST0L1l
— Jeb Burton (@JebBurtonRacing) August 18, 2025
As for Dillon winning his way into the Playoffs, team boss Richard Childress said his grandson deserves his spot.
“Austin has earned his way,” said Childress.
“I said you guys have to earn your way. He went out and won a Truck championship. He went out and won an Xfinity championship. He won races in everything he’s ever driven.
“They’re going to give you criticism because he is my grandson. But we take it. It’s just the way life is. You can’t be burdened down by what people say. Do what you do and move forwards.
“I think he’s won 20-some NASCAR races. I mean, probably maybe pushing 30. I don’t know the number. He’s won his share.”
NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Picture (Race 25 of 36)
Pos
Num
Driver
Team
Manufacturer
Wins/Points diff
1
19
Denny Hamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
4
2
88
Shane Van Gisbergen
Trackhouse Racing
Chevrolet
4
3
5
Kyle Larson
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
3
4
20
Christopher Bell
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
3
5
24
William Byron
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
2
6
9
Chase Elliott
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
1
7
12
Ryan Blaney
Team Penske
Ford
1
8
19
Chase Briscoe
Joe Gibbs Racing
Toyota
1
9
23
Bubba Wallace
23XI Racing
Toyota
1
10
22
Joey Logano
Team Penske
Ford
1
11
1
Ross Chastain
Trackhouse Racing
Chevrolet
1
12
2
Austin Cindric
Team Penske
Ford
1
13
21
Josh Berry
Wood Brothers Racing
Ford
1
14
3
Austin Dillon
Richard Childress Racing
Chevrolet
1
15
45
Tyler Reddick
23XI Racing
Toyota
+89
16
48
Alex Bowman
Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet
+60
Cut-off line
17
17
Chris Buescher
RFK Racing
Ford
-60
18
60
Rya nPreece
RFK Racing
Ford
-94