One more race, and the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series playoff field will be official with the premier series’ top-16 drivers advancing to the 10-race postseason for a shot at the championship in November.
Through the first 25 races of the regular season, there have been 15 different race winners, meaning 15 drivers made themselves playoff eligible. But with so many different drivers in Victory Lane this season, the idea of “win and you’re in” has been much less of a guarantee — though it’s true now ahead of the regular-season finale.
Those on the playoff bubble, particularly winless drivers Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr., have needed repeat winners to keep themselves in playoff contention. Kyle Larson winning his second race of the season last weekend at Watkins Glen International certainly helped.
But now, headed into the last regular-season race — the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday (7 p.m. ET, NBC) — Blaney and Truex have one last chance to lock themselves in the playoffs. The problem for them, however, is that without a win, there’s a chance neither makes it.