The Impact Of A Cup Series Championship, Part I

DARLINGTON, S.C. – With the NASCAR Cup Series playoff grid now set, it’s time to ask the question, “What would it mean for [insert driver] to win a championship this season?”

Here’s a pre-postseason look at drivers ranked 16th through ninth on the playoff grid, and the effect a championship this year would have on their overall legacy.

16th-Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy (Five points behind the cut line)

A Bowman championship would be vindication in three ways. One, for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who hand-picked Bowman to run the No. 88 alongside Jeff Gordon in 2016 when another concussion sidelined him, and further supported him to take the reins after his retirement in 2017.

Two, for sponsor Ally, who wanted Bowman in the No. 48 after Jimmie Johnson’s retirement. And finally, for Hendrick Motorsports, who have stuck by Bowman’s side from the wins, to his back injury and concussion, and through the narrative that someone else should be in his seat.

That narrative might finally get put to bed if Bowman wins it all this year.

15th-Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevy (Two points behind the cut line)

A championship for Austin Dillon, at this stage of his career, would be absurd in the best possible way. It would be unexpected, electric, and the only person that could be happier about it than Dillon himself would be his car owner and grandfather, Richard Childress, for a variety of reasons.

That said, for all of Dillon’s struggles in the earlier stages of his Cup Series career, for him to be one of the few to have a title in all three top divisions, on top of having two crown jewel victories to his name, would strengthen his case for a NASCAR Hall of Fame induction down the road.

14th-Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota (One point behind the cut line)

If you told a Reddick fan after his 2024 campaign, where he finished with three wins, the regular season title, and a run to the Championship 4, that a year later he’d return to the playoffs with no wins and be below the elimination line entering round one, they might’ve laughed in your face.

And yet, that’s the surprising reality we’ve been given, on top of further developments with the 23XI/FRM v. NASCAR lawsuit. A championship for Reddick this year might just mean more than if he had won it last year, with all the added adversity and tough luck he’s dealt with.

13th-Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford (One point behind the cut line)

A Josh Berry-WBR championship might be the most feel-good story that NASCAR could ever produce, for both the team and the driver. For the driver, Berry’s story is one of perseverance and getting a call at the right time to show himself at the national ranks after years of running late models.

For the team, it’s a story of regaining relevance and never giving up. If they can re-capture the speed they had that led to Berry’s first Cup Series win at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway back in March, and achieve a championship as the longest-running team in the sport, it would be something darn special.

12th-Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford (One point above the cut line)

Joey Logano is an enigma. Whenever he wins nowadays, it’s like he pops up out of nowhere. Whenever he’s not up front, unless you’re a fan of his, you don’t really think of him. When you look at his stats and take away the wins, it feels like his performance has been dipping significantly the last few years.

And yet, somehow, Joey and his team manage to make the playoffs bend to their will, so long as they get there. Now, it is an odd-numbered year, which means Logano shouldn’t win a fourth title this year if you’re a numbers person.

But, if he somehow does, it makes his legacy that much more interesting to look at whenever retirement comes.

11th-Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevy (One point above the cut line)

A championship for Ross Chastain now might not hit the same as it would if he captured it in 2022 on the heels of his ‘Hail Melon’ move at Martinsville, but for the watermelon farmer-turned NASCAR driver, it would still be just as sweet.

Keep in mind, this is a driver who has been around the NASCAR garage for 15 years and has scratched and clawed through numerous low-budget opportunities to get to the best situation of his career with Justin Marks and Trackhouse Racing. Plus, he earned a crown-jewel win at the Coca-Cola 600 in May.

Josh Berry might be the feel-good story of the century if he wins the title this season, but Chastain would at least top the decade if he could pull off what some might say would be an upset crown.

10th-Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford (Two points above the cut line)

When his father, Tim Cindric, was fired from Penske Racing’s IndyCar operations earlier this year, immediate questions were raised about the younger Cindric’s future in the No. 2 car.

While those questions were quelled rather quickly, there is still, from a performance standpoint, a target on Cindric’s back. BHe’s slowly been getting better at the cup level, but an argument could be made that he hasn’t quite met expectations, though a championship could change all of that very quickly.

To think all three members of modern Team Penske could have a Cup Series title to their name would be something remarkable if it happens.

9th-Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota (Two points above the cut line)

If Josh Berry winning the title for the Wood Brothers is the most feel-good option, then Bubba Wallace winning a title in general is the most impactful option for the sport.

To see an African-American at the top of stock car racing, with everything considered, would be something so special to so many. What sort of gets forgotten though, is that Wallace lost his Xfinity Series ride with then-Roush Fenway Racing due to sponsorship issues in the same year he subbed for Aric Almirola after the latter’s back injury at Kansas Speedway.

If he doesn’t get those rides, if Almirola never gets hurt, and Wallace doesn’t lose that funding, where might he be all these years later? It’s a true what if that, thankfully, fans don’t have to consider.

That said, can Wallace win a championship? He has a shot, like everyone else in the playoff field. But will he? That remains to be determined.

If it happens, it will be a monumental moment for him, and for NASCAR as a whole.