DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The NASCAR regular season finale is slated for this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, marking one of the most anticipated events on the sport's busy calendar. 15 out of 16 spots in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are locked in, but several drivers could still clinch the final slot with a win at Daytona. The Coke Zero Sugar 400 will decide it all this Saturday night.
Each driver who's won a race in the NASCAR season thus far is locked in to the playoff grid, leaving three spots for drivers who haven't. Two of those three spots are occupied by Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick, who despite not winning have scored enough points to mathematically eliminate the chance of a challenger catching up to their positions.
As of this past Sunday's race at Watkins Glen International Raceway, the final playoff spot is held by Bubba Wallace, who has a 32-point cushion on Ty Gibbs. Gibbs and Daniel Suárez have a slim chance of passing Wallace on points with their performances at Daytona, but it would likely take a win for them or another non-playoff driver to make their way in.
Also winless to this point in the season is Chase Elliott, the sport's most popular driver who missed races this year due to a snowboarding accident. Elliott would need to win Daytona in order to keep his championship hopes alive, a feat he hasn't ever accomplished (save for one win on the track's road course configuration).
Elliott's Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman also missed time due to injury, and would also need a race win to advance. Like Elliott, he has never won at Daytona in his career, and would need a clutch performance if he hopes to pursue his first series title.
The prospect of a non-playoff driver pulling off the upset is not unfamiliar to Daytona fans; just last year Austin Dillion stunned the field by winning the Coke Zero Sugar 400 with an assist from teammate Tyler Reddick. He survived a huge pileup to punch his ticket, bumping Martin Truex Jr. below the cut line in the process. If someone underneath the cut wins on Saturday, the same thing will happen to Wallace.
Also taking place this weekend will be the Wawa 250, the Friday running of the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Comprised largely of drivers hoping to earn a spot in the Cup Series, the Xfinity Series circuit still has two more races after Daytona before starting their own playoffs, culminating in a regular season finale at Kansas. Still, finding victory lane at Daytona is a prestigious honor, and the field's relative inexperience can often lead to some thrilling finishes. Points leader Austin Hill has won two of the last three Xfinity Series races at Daytona, and so he may well be the man to beat on Friday.
WNDB will be carrying on-air radio coverage before and after the races, signing on at 4:00 pm Friday and 5:00 pm Saturday. Mixed in will be regular coverage from the Motor Racing Network, who will be calling the races as they happen. Tune in to 93.7 FM or 1150 AM to listen in.
