It's The 11th Hour, Daytona, Who Can Make The Final Playoff Spot?

By Tom Luttermoser        Image: Daytona International Speedway Twitter

It's 2022, NASCAR has given it's fans a gift. Many still refer to it as the NEXT GEN Cup car. Then Generation 7 NASCAR Cup car has brought us some of the best racing we have seen in a decade or more, even at some tracks long thought to be dead (except Texas, only a bulldozer can fix Texas). It has brought us more winners than we have ever seen in the Modern Era, 15 Points paying winners and 18 including the Duels at Daytona & the All-Star races. As of today, Ryan Blaney is in that final Playoff spot by a slim 25 points over Martin Truex Jr. 25 Points in today's Cup series might as well be 5, good Stage Points and a better finishing position lock Truex into the Playoffs... So could a win. 

Now, of course we have all heard non-stop since Michigan about the 1 remaining spot and about Blaney and Truex. But there 13 OTHER drivers who technically could lock themselves into the Playoffs with a win at Daytona. Remember, the rules state that you must be in the Top-30 in points to lock yourself in with a win. 

That means the drivers who can lock themselves in on Saturday night with a win are; Martin Truex Jr, Aric Almirola, Austin Dillon, Erik Jones, Bubba Wallace, Justin Haley, Chris(topher) Buescher, Michael McDowell, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Cole Custer, Brad Keselowski, Ty Dillon, Harrison Burton and Todd Gilliland. 

Can is obviously very different than being able to do so. Of that list, 8 have won at Daytona in Cup before. Keselowski, Jones, Stenhouse, Almirola, Austin Dillon, McDowell, Buescher (in the Duel earlier this year) and Haley. But! You also have to look at the guys who have performed without that all important win as well. Wallace is a 2x Daytona 500 runner up and is very very good on Superspeedways. Gilliland was impressive earlier this year, Erik Jones was impressive at Talladega and the 500 earlier in the season as well.

Tom's Top-5 picks for this Daytona cutoff race who are not already locked in would have to be (in no order)

Bubba Wallace
Ricky Stenhouse Jr 
Buescher 
Keselowski
​Jones

Dark Horse: ​Todd Gilliland