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Final spot in NASCAR Cup Series playoffs comes down to 17 drivers at Daytona

AP photo by Paul Sancya / NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace walks to his car for a Cup Series qualifying session on Aug. 5 at Michigan International Speedway. Heading into Saturday night's regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway, Wallace has the best position in the points standings among the 17 drivers battling for the final spot in the 16-man playoff field.
AP photo by Paul Sancya / NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace walks to his car for a Cup Series qualifying session on Aug. 5 at Michigan International Speedway. Heading into Saturday night's regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway, Wallace has the best position in the points standings among the 17 drivers battling for the final spot in the 16-man playoff field. AP photo by Paul Sancya / NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace walks to his car for a Cup Series qualifying session on Aug. 5 at Michigan International Speedway. Heading into Saturday night's regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway, Wallace has the best position in the points standings among the 17 drivers battling for the final spot in the 16-man playoff field.

By MARK LONG / The Associated Press 5 min read

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — There’s sure to be high drama on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night.

Maybe even more than usual.

In a 400-mile race on the 2.5-mile superspeedway that will also be the regular-season finale for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, 17 drivers — including Bubba Wallace, 2022 Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric and fan favorite Chase Elliott — will vie for the final spot in the 16-man field for the playoffs.

There’s no prohibitive favorite to fill that vacancy, though there are advantages for some drivers. And given the unpredictable nature of three-wide pack racing at nearly 200 mph, there’s no telling who will end up in victory lane. In three previous races with Daytona hosting the regular-season finale, William Byron (2020) and Austin Dillon (2022) won to eke out postseason spots.

“It’s definitely a nailbiter for the guys that are on that bubble, but it’s also a big opportunity for guys that are on the outside looking in,” said 2017 Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., who missed the playoffs by three points last year at Daytona. “They have a chance in one of the biggest wild-card races of the year to shake things up and get into the playoffs, one last shot.”