Stubbs: Playoff pressure ratchets up at Watkins Glen

The Finger Lakes region of New York is one of the most beautiful areas of the country. With the serenity of the scenery comes a calming presence that fills all who embark on a journey to western New York.

Thirty minutes south, however, lies a town that's been embedded in racing history since the 1950s. Watkins Glen International has been a staple of the NASCAR schedule since 1986.

On Sunday, the track will host a NASCAR Cup Series playoff race for the first time, with the 16 championship hopefuls traversing the twists and turns in the second race of the opening round.

Joey Logano may be the only playoff driver not feeling any pressure, as a win at Atlanta locked him into the Round of 12. That's not the case for the other 15 drivers looking to advance, however, and a couple already find themselves in what could be considered must-win situations.

With the first race of the postseason in the books, here are the playoff drivers considered favorites for Sunday's race, and one that could be considered a wild card.

Favorite: Kyle Larson

Spoiler alert: Hendrick Motorsports will be very prevalent in this department, as the company hasn't lost a race at WGI since 2017. Larson owns two of those victories in 2021 and 2022, and enters Watkins Glen in need of a shot in the arm. A crash at Atlanta whittled his advantage over the cut line down to just 15 points. He's far from a must-win situation, but a third Watkins Glen victory certainly wouldn't hurt.

Favorite: Chase Elliott

Elliott was once christened as NASCAR's road-course magnate, but the advent of the Next-Gen car in 2022 has stifled his success. Elliott is winless on road courses with the Next-Gen car, though his best chance at a win came at Watkins Glen in 2022. On that day, Elliott was bested by Larson, an outcome he hopes to flip this time around. Watkins Glen ended up being the death knell for Elliott's playoff hopes in 2023 after he ran out of gas, making Sunday's race an opportunity for the No. 9 team to get vengeance.

Favorite: Tyler Reddick

It'd be too easy to put defending Watkins Glen winner William Byron in this spot and give Hendrick Motorsports a clean sweep, so how about introducing a Toyota driver to the fold? If anyone has taken Elliott's road-course crown in NASCAR's Next-Gen era, it's Reddick, who has won thrice on road courses in NASCAR's seventh generation vehicle. If anyone can break up Hendrick's Watkins Glen monopoly, it's Reddick, who's been the best driver in NASCAR over the past three months.

Underdog: Martin Truex Jr.

Four years ago, calling Truex an underdog going into any race weekend would've been unheard of. As the 2017 champion rounds out his final full-time season, however, that claim has become a lot more justifiable. A horrendous slump landed Truex the last seed in the playoffs, and with a 19-point deficit to the cut line, Truex's final playoff run could soon come to an end. That wouldn't be the case if he were able to break through at Watkins Glen, however, where he won in 2017. In 18 starts at WGI, Truex has seven top-fives and 11 top-10s, a mark most drivers would envy. It may seem crazy to think that Truex could win a race after struggling for much of the summer, but crazier things have happened in the past three weeks of racing alone. If anyone can snag a miraculous road-course victory, it's Truex.

--Samuel Stubbs, Field Level Media