Critical Path Security 6 Drivers to Watch: Darlington & Portland

The NASCAR Cup and Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs are here. Darlington Raceway will host the opening race for both series as they kick off the most important part of the season. 16 and 10 drivers respectively will look to secure their spot in the next round with a win. Meanwhile, the non-playoff drivers will look to pull the upset and steal the win away. Across the country, the Xfinity Series is heading to Portland International Raceway for road racing in the northwest. NASCAR’s second series only has 2 races left until their playoff begin. Will a surprise winner arise to steal a playoff spot from a non-winner? With two different tracks, there are plenty of options for who you need to watch this week. Find out who are the Critical Path Security 6 Drivers to Watch for Darlington and Portland.

For those who are not fans of the current playoff system, the last slate of races through the three series might be tough. The sole spotlight of the broadcasts will be fixated on the playoff drivers, leaving those on outside without much attention. This is especially true for the early rounds, where there is a sizeable chunk of playoff drivers still in contention. Despite this, there are plenty of storylines to track throughout the field. From the competitive cars who can steal wins to the back markers hosting a plethora of drivers, pay some attention to those without the yellow, purple, or red stripe on their windshields.

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Austin Dillon

How long will Austin Dillon remain in the playoffs this year? The last time Dillon won his way into the playoffs, it was a short lived stay. After hitting the DVP at Bristol, Dillon was eliminated in the Round of 16. However, 2020 saw the 3 team put together a strong first round to advance to the Round of 12. That year was the last time Dillon finished inside the Top-5 at Darlington. Since that second place finish, the grandson of Richard Childress has an average finish of 19.2. In the Gen7 era, that average inflates to 21st. On paper, the opening race of the Round of 16 does not look too promising.

If you are looking for optimism for the 3 team, consider that Dillon’s crew chief won the last Southern 500. Manning the pit box for Chase Briscoe’s playoff-sealing win, Richard Boswell now leads Austin Dillon. Dillon was able to replicate his Richmond performance with a new crew chief. Maybe Boswell can do the same with a new driver. Plus, Dillon is the lone RCR entry into the playoffs. With that focus, the 3 car should essentially have two sets of data to work with. The playoffs are a time for the upsets to be pulled. Austin Dillon moving through to the Round of 12 with a Darlington win would certainly qualify.

Josh Berry

From one underdog driver to another, Josh Berry has avoided most of the unwanted ire from the non-playoff fanbase. Despite sitting outside of the Top-20 in season-long points, Berry’s status went under the radar since his Las Vegas win occurred early in the year. Guiding the Wood Brothers to back-to-back playoff appearances, Berry certainly looks to make more noise than Harrison Burton did last year. The 21 team has been more competitive in 2025, but some of the issues from last year still linger. Although Berry has a better shot of advancing to the next round, it still appears to be an uphill climb.

As for Darlington, Josh Berry has a troubled history at the track. Through 4 starts, Berry only has one lead lap finish. That brings his average finish to a lowly 25.0. However, that lone lead lap finish was a Top-5 in the spring race last year. If you want to look for positives out of the other runs, his poor results were circumstances of wrong place, wrong time. A track where tire management is key, one would think that would play well into Berry’s skillset. If that Top-5 is any indication of what Berry can do when others wreck into him, the 21 team could be a dark horse this weekend.

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Connor Zilisch

Connor Zilisch’s Daytona was a short lived endeavor. After fracturing his collarbone from his fall in victory lane at Watkins Glen, Zilisch started his 88 car last week at Daytona. Once that first caution waved, Zilisch exited the car to allow Parker Kligerman to replace him. Kligerman went on to win the race as the substitute for Zilisch. That win would mark the second time this year Kligerman has crossed the finish line first at Daytona yet not receive credit for the win. Shifting focus back to Zilisch, Portland will mark his first full race back behind the wheel. While there is a substitute driver on standby, the plan is for Zilisch to drive from green to checkered.

Under normal circumstances, Zilisch would be the clear favorite for Portland. The only drivers to beat Zilisch on a road course this year are Cup drivers. Those drivers are a bit busy down in Darlington. However, the injury does throw a wrench into the usual expectations for Zilisch. If Zilisch is able to run the full race, will the injury hamper his ability to wheel the car around a road course? Other drivers have manage to win with injuries, so it is not improbable for Zilisch to still be the favorite. Whether the injury factors in or not, Zilisch and the 88 team will certainly be one to watch.

Joey Hand

Making his Xfinity Series debut, Joey Hand will be stepping behind the wheel of the 28 RSS Racing entry. Hand is a well known road course ringer for the Cup Series. His latest NASCAR start saw him almost pull out an improbable win at Chicago in RFK Racing’s Stage 60 entry. Now, he looks to bring a similar performance to the Xfinity Series. Now, the 28 RSS ride is not the same quality as a third RFK Racing entry. However, that car has been better this season than expected. Kyle Sieg (the usual driver) has put together some surprising runs at non-superspeedways. The speed is not there for a win, but Hand certainly can put together a solid run.

Joey Hand’s odds of pulling out a Top-10 are increased due to the limited ringers in the field, especially from the Cup Series. The usual suspects made the trip to Portland, but the more notable names are not in the entry list. It will be challenge, but Hand has impressed in his time in NASCAR. If there was a road course ringer to bring that 28 into the Top-10, it would be Hand.

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Jake Garcia

When Jake Garcia made the jump to ThorSport last year, there were high expectations for the young driver. However, things did not go as expected. After 3 Top-5s and 8 Top-10s with McNally, only 2 Top-10s with the organization that won the championship was disappointing. This season has been a return to form for both driver and team. Entering the playoffs, Garcia has already racked up 2 Top-5s and 8 Top-10s. He pointed his way into the playoffs over Ben Rhodes, his 2-time champion teammate. While the odds are low for a deep playoff run, Garcia could put together a run.

That said, Darlington is not the track that is ideal to kick off the playoff for Jake Garcia. In his only 2 starts, Garcia has not finished better than 20th. Despite flashing plenty of talent in his young career, the ThorSport driver has not figured out the Lady in Black. Granted, last year could be chalked up to a bad overall season. Plus, making the playoffs should bring some more help to the 13 team. If Garcia can score a “good points day” on Saturday, that would set him up nicely for the rest of the first round.

Jack Wood

Another driver returning from injury this week is Jack Wood. After a crash at Watkins Glen, Wood missed the Truck Series race at Richmond. With the time off last week, Wood is now healed enough to return to pilot McNally’s 91 truck. Plus, he has a sweet throwback scheme to Dick Trickle’s from 1983. Maybe the scheme will help bring some more performance to the 91 team. It has been another disappointing season for Wood, who returned to fulltime competition this year. Through 17 starts, Wood has only picked a single Top-10 (Rockingham) and sits 19thin points. Meanwhile, two of his teammates are in the playoffs.

If Jack Wood is banking on Darlington to be the track to find a good result, it might be misguided hope. In 3 starts, Wood’s best finish is only 18th. Last year, he wrecked out of the race in the closing laps. Still, McNally Racing brings solid trucks that can compete with the top teams. Jack Wood has the opportunity to find a good finish this weekend.

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