The Cup Series regular season ends with a Saturday night showdown at the mecca of NASCAR — Daytona International Speedway.
Always a must-see race because A) it’s Daytona, B) there’s a tendency for surprise winners and C) there’s the possibility of crazy crashes, this year’s race will also determine the final two playoff berths as well as the points each of the 16 drivers will take into the 10-race postseason.
Yes, there are now two playoff berths available after Kurt Busch, who had clinched a spot with a win at Kansas Speedway on May 15, pulled out with a lingering head injury that has caused him to miss multiple races.
Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr. are the top two winless drivers in the standings and are well positioned to grab the final playoff berths unless … another winless driver makes a surprising run to the checkered flag. Blaney won this race one year ago, but other recent winners include Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2017), Erik Jones (2018), Justin Haley (2019) and William Byron (2020). Of those four, only Byron is currently locked into the playoffs.
So, who will celebrate Saturday night? Here is everything you need to know to get ready for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
UP FOR GRABS:Daytona will determine final two NASCAR playoff berths
KURT BUSCH:Pulls out of playoffs, opening additional postseason spot
OPINION:Busch’s openess about head injury sets needed example for drivers
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