The first NASCAR driver to officially make the 2021 playoffs

The first driver to officially qualify for a spot in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs was decided on Sunday at the Martinsville Speedway.

We’ve seen seven different winners in the first seven races of the season before the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 however, none of the drivers had technically secured a playoff berth heading into the eighth race at Martinsville Speedway, The 16 playoff spots go to the regular season points champion plus the 15 drivers with the most wins.

Martin Truex Jr. officially solidify himself a spot in the playoffs after he won the fifth race of the campaign at Phoenix Raceway back March, and now managed to earned his second win of 2021 at Martinsville Speedway over the weekend.

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Truex Jr. is the only driver who is truly safe with two wins to his name, there’s  no way mathematical he cannot be among the 15 drivers with the most wins by the end of the 26-race regular NASCAR season, considering there can be, at most, 13 drivers with two wins.

The other six race winners However, can still mathematically drop out of the playoff picture by the time the regular season comes to a end.

Martin Truex Jr. is the first NASCAR Cup Series driver with two wins  this season. Truex Jr. passed JGR teammate Denny Hamlin for the lead with only 16 laps remaining.