Why the NASCAR Owners’ Championship will be a major topic at Daytona

Here’s why the the NASCAR Owners’ Championship has a major developing situation at Daytona due to Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott.

The NASCAR Cup Series is heading to Daytona International Speedway and the stakes could not be any higher. There is only one spot left for drivers to make the 2023 NASCAR playoffs after Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick clinched at Watkins Glen International. Bubba Wallace is clinging onto the final spot by 32 points. Of course, this would change with a new winner at Daytona.

However, this is not the only playoff battle that will happen for Wallace on Saturday night. There is one that not many people are talking about unless they are a NASCAR owner. As of right now, the No. 9 car has a 30-point advantage over the No. 23 car in the Cup Series owner standings. This is due to the replacement drivers performing well when Chase Elliott missed seven races due to an injury and suspension.

It is a very important battle that no one is really talking about due to the drivers’ playoffs being a bigger focus. There is one main reason why it is so important and it comes down to the bonus money. The NASCAR Owners’ Championship is the one that matters for bonus money in the Cup Series. It doesn’t matter where the drivers themselves finish overall.

Every NASCAR owner wants their cars to make the playoffs and Hendrick Motorsports could find itself in a situation where two of its four entries do not clinch a spot. Alex Bowman also missed time due to an injury and the No. 48 car is pushed into a must-win situation as well. The possibility remains that both cars make the playoffs but it will take a Bowman victory to make that happen.

The No. 9 car and No. 23 car are the only entries that can make it on points alone at Daytona. Wallace could make the playoffs as a driver for the first time in his career; however, his car might miss the show, which would be the opposite of last year as he switched to the No. 45 car for 23XI Racing. In fact, the possibility exists that a driver wins the Cup Series championship but their car doesn’t due to the different playoff grids.

It may not be a storyline that many people talk about at Daytona this weekend but it is one that will be closely monitored behind the scenes. This is one of the most important races of the season for owners looking to make the playoffs and the tension will be high all around.

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