DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — After a week that centered on penalties and an appeal, the focus turns to racing at Daytona International Speedway.
Tonight’s race (7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock) is the next-to-last event of the regular season.
Four playoff spots remain. Ross Chastain holds the final spot. He has a one-point lead on Bubba Wallace.
Tyler Reddick enters as the points leader after winning Monday’s race at Michigan.
Here are three things to watch at Daytona:
1. Expectation of help?
It’s a common notion at drafting style tracks. Cars with the same manufacture are encouraged to help each other as much as they can.
Chris Buescher is the only Ford driver in position to secure a playoff spot without winning. Ross Chastain is the only Chevrolet driver in position to claim a playoff spot without winning.
So how much help do they expect from their manufacture teammates?
“It’s more of an ask if given an opportunity to help out a manufacturer car versus a competitor,” Buescher said. “I think the ask would be there to try and have that scenario in your mind from some of our teammates across the board on the Ford camp, but, no, I certainly don’t think you can expect it from others.
“We’re all competitors. We obviously have a very singular goal in mind, all of us for the same thing, and you’re not gonna get there if you’re helping out those that you’re gonna have to compete with at the end of the day.”
Said Chastain: “I think there is going to be some ask out of some of my Chevy teammates. I don’t expect it, though.
“When I make a move or I’m in a line and I need a Chevy teammate to go with me or help me, I want them to go with me because it was the right move not because they feel like they have to help me. If I make the right choices in drafting, it’s going to be for the right reasons why they go with me, push me and help me.”
2. Race for stage points
So many positions can change in the season standings that the race at the end of the first and second stage could be nearly as chaotic as the final laps of the race.
Last year’s Daytona race saw a crash at the end of the second stage that involved 12 cars. That incident started when Christopher Bell tried to push teammate Ty Gibbs into the lead on the outside line. The crash eliminated Gibbs and ended his playoff hopes.
There’s a lot of focus on stage points at Daytona because of the likelihood of being collected in a crash at the end of the race. Scoring stage points helps limit what could be lost in the final laps.
Watch how drivers try to put themselves in positions in the final laps of each stage.
3. Last true chance for many
Yes, one race remains in the regular season after Saturday night. But that is the Southern 500 at Darlington and it is not as much of a wildcard race as Daytona.
While drives carry an abundance of hope into most races, many of them understand this is their best chance to win to make the playoffs. That can mean more risks.
Among the drivers who need to win at either Daytona or Darlington to make the playoffs are two-time Cup champion Kyle Busch, former Daytona 500 winners Michael McDowell, Austin Cindric and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
