HAMPTON, Ga. — For some drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series garage, Sunday’s playoff opener at Atlanta Motor Speedway is the first step on the road that leads to championship glory as 16 of the sport’s best battle over the next 10 weeks for the Bill France Cup.
For others, the mindset shifts as they look to help their fellow teammates case the trophy at the season finale at Phoenix Raceway in November.
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Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain is focused on being the ultimate team player as his teammate Daniel Suárez looks to chase the race team’s first championship in NASCAR national series competition.
“If there is an opportunity to push the N0. 99, make a hole for him, do anything to help the No. 99, absolutely we are all in,” Chastain said Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, site of Sunday’s race (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). “That starts with building the race cars at the shop, picking tire pressures, settings and setups.
“Daniel and I have our differences in the way we drive, and our teams have their differences in how they operate, but my crew chief made it clear to (Matt Swiderski), I’ve made it clear to Daniel and our leadership group at Trackhouse. The No. 1 team will help however we can.”
The same sentiment can be echoed across the street from the team’s shop in Concord, North Carolina, where RFK Racing also calls home, as Chris Buescher’s No. 17 missed out on the postseason festivities after a new winner was crowned at Darlington’s Southern 500 with Chase Briscoe taking the checkered flag.
“It’s not so much of a mindset shift for us,” Buescher told media members following his qualifying run at Atlanta Motor Speedway. “We come to tracks like (Atlanta) and that’s what has made us so good at superspeedway races. The fact that we have been working so well together and can constantly grab stage points and be in the hunt for winning these things as long as we can stay out of trouble.
“It has been pretty typical with how we look at these sort of things. I obviously know if we can do anything throughout these playoffs to help the No. 6, without hurting yourself. I’m certainly aware of it and we will do what we can.”
For 23XI Racing, it is the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, felt simultaneously as Tyler Reddick and the No. 45 Toyota team delivered the team’s first Regular Season Championship while Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 team came up just short of racing for the ultimate prize at the end of the season.
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As Wallace still processes what missing the 2024 postseason looks like, he is proud and eager to help his 23XI teammate in Reddick chase his first Cup Series title.
“It’s big for our team, putting down the ‘sob’ hat for a minute and putting on the ‘pumped and excited for the future,’ being able to win a Regular Season Championship in four years for a team is big,” Wallace stated. “Having people in the right place where it matters, having Tyler coming in, I knew from day one he would be fast and competitive and get the job done.
“On the outside looking in, it sucks, but at the same time, you’re happy for the team, and I can say that confidently, without blowing smoke. It’s cool to see how everyone is coming together to get to where we are.”
These drivers will look to keep the momentum progressing forward for their respective teams in the Cup Series playoffs as they kick off the 2024 postseason with Atlanta’s 400-mile event on Sunday.