Monitoring NASCAR’s most determined groups at Daytona

“It’s going to be a large number, proper? I imply, everyone knows it.”

That was the warning from Spire Motorsports driver Michael McDowell earlier than the NASCAR Cup Sequence common season finale at Daytona Worldwide Speedway on Saturday night time, the place simply two spots stay within the Subject of 16.

These two spots will successfully be determined by who wins, with 20 drivers needing nothing lower than reaching Victory Lane at one of the crucial chaotic tracks on the schedule. It is going to completely be a large number.

Already locked into the NASCAR Cup Sequence playoffs: Denny Hamlin, Shane Van Gisbergen, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Josh Berry and Austin Dillon.

However every of those drivers have teammates that aren’t already set to chase a championship and a win is the one factor that will get them there.

Inserting the items the place they have to be

Two-time Cup Sequence champion Kyle Busch, faces this situation for the second 12 months in a row, however this time with a teammate in Austin Dillon who simply gained his means into the gauntlet with a victory at Richmond. Thus, Dillon has only one objective on Saturday: doing no matter it takes to get Busch into The Dance with him.

“We have talked as a gaggle and people guys are group gamers and wish to be there and wish to assist out and in case you can orchestrate it completely …” Busch stated, his voice type of trailing off. “If you will get it good, I really feel like Austin (Dillon) and I did that not this 12 months within the (Daytona) 500 however the 12 months earlier than.”

That was the 12 months that Busch was the chief on the five hundredth mile however misplaced the race in an extra time end.

Dillon, who had a really satisfying week after his upset victory from twenty eighth within the championship standings, feels motivated to do no matter it takes to get Busch in. And Dillon has beforehand been the beneficiary of that philosophy as then teammate Tyler Reddick pushed him to victory lane on this race again in 2022.

These conferences have already taken place too.

“Yeah, I feel it is largely (been about) what we are able to do to help him, assist him put himself in good positions,” Dillon stated. “It takes lots in these races but when we can provide him the help to the place it performs out good, good for him in any type of means, we’ll.”

Dillon additionally referenced that very same Daytona 500 in 2023.

“He was very near profitable the five hundred with me behind him within the first 12 months out of the gate,” Dillon stated. “So we’ll do what we are able to and that is going to be large for our group if we are able to accomplish that.”

Bowman on the new seat

Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photograph by: Jam Media / Getty Photographs

There are such a lot of shifting elements to this closing playoff spot. Reddick and Alex Bowman maintain the 2 closing provisional playoff spots on factors however a brand new winner from outdoors the cutline would finish the championship hopes for the one lowest in factors between them by the top of the night time.

Reddick holds a 29-point lead over Bowman ought to a brand new winner emerge like final 12 months when Harrison Burton gained his means in from thirty fourth within the standings. If there’s a new winner, Bowman would wish to outpoint Reddick by 29 factors.

Every stage pays as much as 10 factors via the top-10 in order that battle might be largely dictated by midway. 

“There’s simply lots of racing, that is going to play out tomorrow that may type of decide how that appears,” Reddick stated. “I might say that by the third stage we may have a good suggestion of the place everyone seems to be and who’s racing for what.”

Who do you push?

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photograph by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Photographs

There’s one other attention-grabbing subplot set to play out relating to the Toyota groups.

Denny Hamlin drives for Joe Gibbs Racing however co-owns 23XI Racing with Michael Jordan and Curtis Polk. Gibbs has three of its 4 drivers locked into the sector with Hamlin, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe largely tasked with doing what it takes to get Ty Gibbs into the Spherical of 16.

Hamlin says he’s staying out of the 23XI technique and is as an alternative targeted on his duties to Joe Gibbs Racing.

“I belief them,” Hamlin stated of locked in Bubba Wallace and Reddick’s strategic course of. “They undergo they usually put together and do all of the numbers to determine the place they suppose they have to be and what’s the proper technique to remain up entrance or not. I’ll allow them to deal with that.”

It’s additionally value noting that Hamlin has beforehand stated that if given the selection between pushing a teammate into the playoffs or pushing one in every of his 23XI drivers into the playoffs, that he would select the latter.

In fact, Reddick doesn’t must win and there’s a situation that Hamlin might nonetheless push Gibbs into the sector and nonetheless lock the automotive he owns into the sector within the course of.

Once more, attention-grabbing subplots.

Three teammates dealing with the identical dilemma 

Brad Keselowski, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford, Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford, Ryan Preece, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Photograph by: Chris Graythen – Getty Photographs

All three RFK Racing drivers — Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece — all face the identical odds regardless of having the third finest organizational common end within the sport. However the very best case situation is that solely one of many three will make the Subject of 16.

They are going to every be confronted with the situation of making an attempt to assist one another out up till the purpose the place it’s time to make a really egocentric choice on the ultimate lap. 

“Clearly, this isn’t perfect,” stated Keselowski, the 2012 Cup Sequence champion. “However that is what the state of affairs is and we attempt to management what we are able to management. We are able to’t management what occurred up to now.”

When it was recommended throughout a press convention that Buescher may need to ‘dump’ Preece, each junior RFK drivers had a hearty giggle on the concept of actually spinning his teammate.

“If I dump him stage one, I don’t have have to fret about it later is what you’re getting at, proper,” Buescher requested. “However severely, I nonetheless say that there’s little question in my thoughts that (if) you come off of flip 4 and in case you’re serving to one another all day, then all bets are off at that time – or possibly earlier, I don’t know.

“However a traditional teammate will let you know that we’ll race one another exhausting however respectfully. In the end, you hope that now we have three of our Mustangs with the power to have a shot to win the race on the finish and we’ll simply duke it out all the best way to the road.”

Keselowski stated he’s taken extra of no matter occurs, occurs method to Saturday night time.

“You attempt to plan for a race like this that has a lot chaos, and it’s simply absurd to attempt to do this,” stated Keselowski, the 2012 Cup Sequence champion. “Clearly, you simply attempt to survive and win ultimately.”

Busch, ought to he win his means into the playoffs for the primary time since 2023 and snap an 82-race winless streak, says it is going to be a championship caliber celebration within the infield after the race.

“I may be worse than Brad Keselowski after a championship.”