The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series is heating up as the championship heads to the Round of 12 of the playoffs.
Kyle Larson secured his fifth victory of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway in dominant fashion, leading 462 of the 500 laps.
The No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver leads the standings over Christopher Bell after accumulating 47 bonus playoff points across the regular season. NASCAR gave Larson a lovely moment with his son after the race at Bristol as the two celebrated on the circuit.
As the series heads into the next round of the playoffs, the remaining 12 drivers will be eager to do all they can to reach the Round of 8. But speaking on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour Podcast, the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion revealed the one driver he has doubts about.
Kevin Harvick declares Daniel Suarez as the driver he is ‘least confident’ about heading into the Round of 12
After the race at Bristol, Ty Gibbs, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr and Harrison Burton were eliminated from the playoffs, as neither of the four drivers could manage a top 10 finish in the Round of 16.
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Only Larson and Joey Logano gained automatic qualification for the round of 12 with victories – Larson’s coming at Bristol and Logano’s at Atlanta – with Chris Buescher winning the race at Watkins Glen.
Mexican Daniel Suarez is among the 12 that have qualified for the next round, having secured a great result at Atlanta with second place.
But after a dismal race at Bristol which left the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing car down in 31st, Harvick has serious doubts about Suarez and his ability to perform at the next three races at Kansas, Talladega and Roval.
Asked about who he was least confident in going into the Round of 12, Harvick responded: “Least confident, for me, is the No. 99.
“They’ve got to go to Kansas and put something together. He’s a good road racer, I haven’t seen the Superspeedway speed that I’d like to see out of the No. 99.
“So if they’re going to be in the mix, they’re going to have to minimise the damage at Kansas, they’re going to have to go to Talladega and make a decent day out of it and then be pretty good at the Roval. But that’s going to be tough to do.”
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Daniel Suarez was eliminated from the Round of 12 in his last NASCAR playoff appearance in 2022
Suarez has been competing in NASCAR since 2017, and this season is only the second time he has reached the playoffs.
The 32-year-old made his first appearance in 2022 after claiming his first Cup Series win at Sonoma Raceway.
Interestingly, Suarez was eliminated from the 2022 playoffs at the point he is at now in 2024. The Mexican finished 36th at Roval and was knocked out in the Round of 12, finishing 10th overall in the standings; his career best.
After claiming only six bonus points from the regular season after winning the second race of the season at Atlanta and grabbing one stage win, Suarez has only finished in the top 10 seven times throughout 2024 and will be under huge pressure to deliver results and get his car into the Round of 8.