Winless drivers who could punch playoff tickets at Watkins Glen

With the regular season cutoff race at Richmond Raceway quickly approaching and drivers scrambling to clinch their berths, there are still a handful of winless Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers hoping to avoid having to rely on points to make a run at the title.

What follows are a select few from this group that have an above-average shot to pick up their first victory of the season this weekend at Watkins Glen International.

AJ Allmendinger

Watkins Glen wins: 1 (2014)
Average start: 10.1 (one pole)
Average finish: 9.4
Notable: This is typically looked at as Allmendinger's best shot at winning and forcing his way into the playoff field. He squandered his only shot from the pole, however, in 2015 -- finishing 24th.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Watkins Glen wins: 0
Average start: 16.6
Average finish: 21.7
Notable: Earnhardt Jr.'s overall Watkins Glen numbers aren't ... good ... sure, but he has turned a major corner at road courses over the past few years -- he finished third at Sonoma in 2014 -- and he's running out of opportunities to find his way into the playoffs. Look for him to go all out in his final road course race.

Joey Logano

Watkins Glen wins: 1
Average start: 15.4
Average finish: 12.8
Notable: Sure, Logano has a win (Richmond) but it's encumbered and ineligible for playoff consideration. In the midst of four straight WGI top 10s, Logano won this race two years ago and was the 2016 runner-up.

Matt Kenseth

Watkins Glen wins: 0
Average start: 17.6
Average finish: 14.2
Notable: Kenseth had never found much success at The Glen, but has notched a top-10 finish in four of his past five starts there.

Chase Elliott

Watkins Glen wins: 0
Average start: 16.0
Average finish: 13.0
Notable: With limited Monster Energy Series competition under his belt, Ellliott is already an above-average road racer -- something that can take other drivers years to master. Given his success in 2017, a top 10 is expected. A win is in the realm of possibilities.

Clint Bowyer

Watkins Glen wins: 0
Average start: 18.9
Average finish: 15.1
Notable: Bowyer wheeled an under-funded ride to an 18th-place finish last year and is an accomplished road racer overall, despite not winning at WGI. He has three top sixes in the past five years and was runner-up this year at Sonoma, where he does have a win.

Trevor Bayne

Watkins Glen wins: 0
Average start: 33.0
Average finish: 15.5
Notable: Going solely off average finish, Watkins Glen ranks highest on Bayne's list. The Roush Fenway Racing driver also notched a top-10 finish there in 2016.