DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The final NASCAR Cup Series Playoff position will be decided at the sport’s most iconic track in what is annually one of the most thrilling and unpredictable races. That’s the scene for Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway (7 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
This regular season finale will formally decide the Regular Season Champion, currently Martin Truex Jr. holds a 39-point advantage on his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin, and conversely settle the other end of the Playoff standings as well. 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace is hoping to earn his first ever Playoff-berth and holds a 32-point advantage over Joe Gibbs Racing’s Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Ty Gibbs for the final Playoff transfer position.
The following drivers have already secured a place in the 2023 Playoffs with a victory: Truex, Hamlin, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron (who boasts a series-best five wins), the 2021 series champion Kyle Larson, two-time series champion, Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch, RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher, JGR’s Christopher Bell, Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick, two-time and reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion, Team Penske’s Joey Logano, Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell and this year’s Daytona 500 winner, JTG Daugherty Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Clinching a Playoff position already based on points are 2012 season champion and RFK Racing owner/driver Brad Keselowski and 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick, who will be retiring at the end of the season.
And while Wallace currently sits in that final points position, a new season winner on the 2.5-mile Daytona high banks could claim that pivotal position as well, with 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott and former Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric still hoping for a clutch win. Past Daytona summer race winners Justin Haley, Aric Almirola, Erik Jones and defending Coke Zero Sugar 400 champion Austin Dillon are also primed to hoist another Daytona summer trophy and take that final Playoff spot.
Among those with more than four Daytona starts, Wallace – who has three runner-up showings in Daytona races – boasts the best average finish (13.0). Dillon, the 2018 Daytona 500 winner, averages a 15.6 place finish, followed by Haley (17.1), Almirola (20.2) and Jones (22.8). Cindric has a 10.5-average finish in four starts at the track.
Beyond Gibbs in the standings is Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez, only 43 points behind Wallace. Gibbs’ best finish at Daytona (13th) came last year in this race. Suarez’ best work was seventh place, just this February.
“We know what we have to do and that’s win,” said Suarez, driver of the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet. “It’s pretty simple and we plan to give it our best shot.”
There are 14 former NASCAR Cup Series Daytona race winners entered this week with Hamlin’s three Daytona 500 wins, most in the field. Stenhouse, Dillon and Harvick have each won a Daytona 500 and Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Blaney, Byron, Haley, Jones, Keselowski, Almirola and Busch have all won summer races at Daytona. Among those, Byron, Haley, Jones and Almirola all scored their career first NASCAR Cup Series victories in the Daytona summer race. No driver on Saturday’s grid has won multiple summer races.
And the last back-to-back summer Daytona winner was Tony Stewart in 2005-06.
“Everybody’s in a must-win situation,” said Wallace, the driver of the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota.
“When the last race is Daytona and we’ve seen surprise winners, no one is safe until the race is over with,” he added. “We’re hoping we can do everything right, continue to get stage points and if there is a new winner, it’s the 23-car. Everybody’s fighting for the same real estate.
“If we could lock ourselves in and do a good job it would be a massive pat on the back to everybody involved in this program and 23XI showing their commitment to the sport and our commitment we have to deliver back to the team for all the opportunities given to us,” he added. “You never want to take any of this for granted.”
Competition begins Friday evening with Busch Light Pole Qualifying at 5 p.m. on the USA Network.
Source: Holly Cain / NASCAR Wire Service
