The NASCAR playoffs have gained another driver, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the racing season at the historic Darlington Raceway.
Harrison Burton secured his place in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs by winning the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona on Saturday. Despite initially not being in the top 20 in points, Burton’s victory has now put him in contention for the championship title.
Next up, the drivers will head to South Carolina to compete in the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sunday, September 1st. This race will determine the final 16 drivers who will participate in the playoffs, which are scheduled to begin on Sunday, September 8th at the Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quaker State 400.
As of now, 13 drivers have secured their playoff spots by winning at least one race this season. The drivers include Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Austin Cindric, Joey Logano, Daniel Surez, Alex Bowman, and Harrison Burton.
Kyle Larson currently holds the top position in the playoff standings, followed by Bell, Reddick, Byron, and Blaney.
Martin Truex Jr., the 2017 series champion, is comfortably leading the playoff standings with a 58-point advantage. Truex, who drives the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, is expected to secure his place in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Ty Gibbs, Chris Buescher, Bubba Wallace, and Ross Chastain are battling it out for the final spot. Kyle Busch, a two-time series champion, needs a win at Darlington to make it to the playoffs.
Gibbs, the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, currently holds the 15th position in points and enjoys a 39-point cushion, giving him a good chance to secure a playoff spot. Additionally, Gibbs has shown promise at Darlington Raceway, finishing second to Keselowski in the Goodyear 400 on May 12th.
Buescher, who won three of the final five regular-season races in 2023, has a 21-point lead over Wallace as the last driver in the playoff field. Buescher, driving the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford Mustang, has historically performed well at Darlington.
Wallace will need a strong performance at Darlington to qualify for the playoffs for the second year in a row. However, Wallace is in good form, with four top-10 finishes in his last five races, including a sixth-place finish at Daytona on Saturday.
Chastain had been considered a favorite for the playoffs but has fallen behind with just one top-10 finish over the past two months. Chastain is currently 27 points away from the 16th playoff position and will likely require a win at Darlington to secure a playoff spot for the third consecutive year. However, Chastain has never won at Darlington Raceway in his career, posing a significant challenge.