The Non-Playoff Drivers Are Still Gunning for Wins

By Jared Turner

While most of the attention in the first two races of the Monster Energy Series playoff has understandably been focused on the 16 championship-eligible drivers, it’s important not to forget that more than half of the field consists of drivers not in title contention. On Sunday at New Hampshire, drivers already eliminated from championship contention made their presence felt by taking four of the top 10 finishing positions. While championship-eligible drivers made it a clean sweep of the top five, the four non-playoff drivers in the back half of the top 10 certainly deserve some props — and that’s especially true for the two who are rookies, Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez. It won’t be a total shocker if Jones, Suarez, or Clint Bowyer or Joey Logano — the other two non-playoff top-10 finishers at New Hampshire — finds his way to Victory Lane before season’s end. All four are aligned with top teams, and all four are just that good.