Two NASCAR Cup Series Playoff contenders — William Byron and Martin Truex Jr. — will begin the Round of 12 of the Playoffs from behind the eight ball, as both drivers will drop to the rear before Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after multiple pre-race inspection failures.
While the other 10 drivers who are vying for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series championship will start from the front of the field, Byron (originally set to start third) and Truex (fourth) will start in the back of the field.
Both drivers will be officially scored from their earned starting spots, despite dropping to the rear of the field (important to keep in mind for DraftKings players).
Here is the official starting lineup for Sunday’s race:
Starting Lineup: 2021 NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas
It’s a tough blow for both drivers. Truex finished sixth earlier this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after starting fourth, while Byron came home eighth in the spring at LVMS after starting from the second position.
Both drivers will need to drive flawlessly on Sunday to score great finishes to help bolster their Playoff hopes.
Truex enters Sunday’s race at Las Vegas as the second seed in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, while Byron has a hold on the eighth seed. Eight of the 12 drivers currently in Playoff contention will advance to the Round of 8 three races from now.
In addition to Byron and Truex, Aric Almirola, who was eliminated from championship contention at Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend, will also drop to the rear of the field. Almirola’s No. 10 machine also failed pre-race inspection twice.
JJ Yeley will also drop to the rear for multiple pre-race inspection failures.
