Harrison Burton winning the Coke Zero Sugar 400 last weekend at Daytona has brought up conversations about the integrity of the playoff format once again. The victory was the 23-year-old’s first top-five finish in three years and he now gets the chance to be in the playoffs ahead of arguably more deserving drivers such as Bubba Wallace and Chris Buescher.
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Supporters of the system can present the valid argument that the way things are done now makes way for the underdog to win and produce a lot of interesting drama. But one also needs to be aware of the fact that fans cannot always see the best 16 drivers in the field competing for the championship in the current method. The ongoing season is shaping up to be a great example.
Austin Cindric, Daniel Suarez, and Burton are all too far low in the points table to be considered top drivers in 2024. And yet, they will be in contention for the title when the postseason begins just because they were good drivers with a good car on a single day. The retired icon Kevin Harvick is against this approach and strongly believes that playoff qualification shouldn’t come down to one race.
He said on a recent episode of Harvick Happy Hour (2:19), “The No. 21 is not making a run in the playoffs. The No. 99 is not making a run in the playoffs. No. They are just some of those guys that have won a race. Austin Cindric is not making a run in the playoffs. So, I just think we are wasting spots.” Harvick’s extreme stand is balanced by the example that defending champion Ryan Blaney set in 2023.
Harvick stands behind consistency and year-long performance
The veteran agreed that late playoff runs such as the one Blaney had last year do make for a great watch. However, such performances are rare to come by and do not warrant the elimination of consistently well-performing drivers. Harvick continued to make a case for Wallace, who has been consistently running in the top 10 throughout the season.
Would bringing back the Top 30 rule serve this problem? He thinks not, for the quality of the champion would still be in question. “I still believe that it shouldn’t come down to one race,” he stated strongly. “Still believe that there should be two or three races that determine the championship.”
“I look at the whole points system and structure. It is super exciting, yeah. But it’s also very open for controversy.” 13 drivers from the field have won races and secured their playoff berths. Three more spots are yet to be filled with one race left to unwind. Top-notch names like Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs will also be in the battle for those seats.
