Playoffs — It All Comes Down To Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — And so – once more – it is going to come all the way down to a perpetually thrilling night-time 400-miler on the Daytona Worldwide Speedway to finalize the NASCAR Cup Sequence Playoff discipline.

Fourteen of the 16 positions are already firmed up by profitable drivers this season. The ultimate two championship contenders can be determined in Saturday night time’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 common season finale on the Daytona excessive banks.

23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick and Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman at present maintain the ultimate two factors positions.

Reddick is a robust 89 factors up on the cutoff line and Bowman has an inexpensive 60-point benefit. Neither driver has ever received a NASCAR Cup Sequence race at Daytona, though Bowman has a pair of runner-up finishes, the final coming within the 2024 Daytona 500.

For Bowman, specifically, the plan at Daytona is mockingly, simple.

“Daytona’s at all times wild,” he stated. “You by no means know what’s going to occur, however that’s a part of the enjoyable. For us, it’s about staying out of the mess and being there on the finish. That is the ultimate race to get locked into the Playoffs, so each level issues.”

And naturally, all the very best laid plans might change with a brand new winner.

If final weekend’s clutch first win of the season for Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon is any indication, it’s anyone’s guess who can be hoisting a trophy within the observe’s iconic Victory Lane.

There have been 16 totally different winners within the final 17 Daytona summer season races – amongst them, Kyle Busch (2008), Brad Keselowski (2016), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2017), Erik Jones (2018), Justin Haley (2019) and Chris Buescher (2023) who’re nonetheless needing a victory Saturday night time to advance into the Playoffs. Rely 2021 Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell on that win-and-in checklist as properly.

Solely twice, nevertheless, within the elimination format has a driver received the ultimate common season race to earn the longshot Playoff berth – Dillon in 2022 (at Daytona) and Chase Briscoe in 2024 (at Darlington, S.C.).

“It’s the form of place the place something can occur and I really feel like our automobile at all times have higher dealing with right here than others,” stated Stenhouse, who received the 2017 summer season race and the 2023 Daytona 500. “We’ve executed fairly properly at superspeedways this 12 months, so I be ok with our probabilities. Hopefully we will put ourselves in the suitable place on the finish and provides [sponsor] Jack Hyperlink’s and all of our followers one thing to cheer about.”

Though Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron wrapped up the Common Season Championship final week at Richmond, Va. he has lots at stake this weekend at Daytona.

The 2-time defending Daytona 500 winner is attempting to turn out to be the primary driver since former Hendrick teammate, Jimmie Johnson to brush each Daytona races in a season (2013). Byron scored his first profession collection win within the 2020 summer season race.

Simply how unpredictable is Daytona? Take into account. … the race winner led 10 laps or much less in eight of the final 9 Daytona races. … Twelve of the final 17 summer season Daytona races have gone into extra time. … The ultimate lead change got here within the closing three laps within the final eight summer season races at Daytona. … The summer season winner hoisted his first trophy of the season in 5 of the final seven years.

Time to buckle up.

Qualifying is Friday at 5 p.m.