NASCAR Playoff Chaos Prediction: Insiders predict 2 new winners in final 3 regular season races

Only three races remain in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season. With the start of the playoffs getting closer with each passing week, NASCAR insiders Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic are expecting some chaos.

With Richmond, Watkins Glen and Daytona up before the Round of 16, the duo is thinking we could see at least two new winners in the final three races of the regular season. That would throw the playoffs for a loop, but it certainly could become reality.

“I think Richmond could be a new winner. I really do. Watkins Glen is probably going to be SVG. You say Allmendinger. But I think we’re going to get a repeat at Watkins Glen, and then we’re going to get two new winners to close the season at Richmond and Daytona, which leaves Reddick as the only guy in (on points),” Gluck stated, via The Teardown. “Bowman, you know, he’s +63. Buescher is +23. We’ve now escaped the chance of Josh Berry being eliminated from the playoffs.

“There won’t be — if there’d been four new winners to close the season, which would’ve really been five with Bubba, all of a sudden you would’ve knocked the lowest one-win driver in points out. There can only be three more new winners now. Reddick still can be knocked out, if there’s three new winners from below him. Otherwise, if he survives three more, he’ll be good. He’s +122. Preece is now within -23. I don’t think Kyle Busch is in it at all, -73. Kyle Busch could win though.”

As for who those winners will be? Bianchi believesKyle Busch could make some noise, especially at Watkins Glen. Regardless, Bianchi is thinking the next three races should feature some wild racing.

“Remember COTA this year? Real strong. Almost won that race. Who knows what happens at Watkins Glen,” Bianchi stated, regarding Busch. “They’re in a position too, where Watkins Glen is a track with one of two mindsets — are we chasing a win, are we chasing points? Well, we know what they’re going to do. They don’t give a damn about points. They’re going to set up their strategy accordingly and go for the win.

“Maybe I’m overly optimistic here, but I think these next three weeks are going to be fascinating. I really do. I think Watkins Glen is going to be very entertaining, and I think Richmond is — I’m talking myself into it, it hasn’t delivered much in the past few years. I think it’s going to be wild, like it was last year. And then who knows what happens at Daytona.”

Alas, there’s three more bites at the apple for drivers on the outside of the playoffs looking in at the moment. We’ll see if we get the chaos Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi are predicting, but it’s shaping up to be a wild race to the finish of the regular season.