The first elimination race of NASCAR’s playoffs has a three-time Daytona 500 winner and a pair of former Cup Series champions in danger of being bumped from title contention at Bristol Motor Speedway. The trio also happen to be among NASCAR’s biggest stars in a 16-driver playoff field in which popular drivers Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain and Bubba Wallace were among those who failed to qualify. This year’s field is fairly watered down, and yet Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr. and Harrison Burton are all below the cutline headed into the first elimination race of the playoffs. The bottom four drivers at the end of Saturday night’s race will be eliminated.
