The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the venue of its season-opener this weekend after a thrilling showdown at Michigan. 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick won the rain-delayed event on Monday and shook up the top order of the points table. Plenty of action went down in the tail end of the 16-driver playoff list as well. All the movements make the upcoming race at Daytona a crucial junction in the season.
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The penultimate event of the regular season will begin with qualifying at 5:05 p.m. (All Eastern Times) on Friday, August 23. No practice session has been scheduled. The main race will fall on Saturday, August 24 exactly at 7:30 p.m. and the night will end with the run-of-the-mill press conference. The Xfinity Series will be accompanying its superior counterpart to the venue.
Qualifying will go down for the second-tier race at 3:00 p.m. on Friday and the main race will kickstart on the same day at 7:30 p.m. A further step below, the Craftsman Truck Series will be traveling to the Milwaukee Mile for its first postseason race. Following practice at 2:00 p.m. and qualifying at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, the main race will unwind on Sunday, August 25.
Understanding the importance of the Cup Series race at Daytona
After Michigan, two events remain to set the 16-driver playoff field. Twelve drivers have won races so far this season meaning up to four spots can be decided on points if there are no new winners in Daytona and Darlington. Five drivers on the table will be battling hardest to get through the cut based on points. First of them is Joe Gibbs Racing star Martin Truex Jr.
The veteran is in his final full-time season in the Cup Series and sits 77 points above the elimination line. His teammate Ty Gibbs is 39 points above the line and Chris Buescher is a single point above it. Both Ross Chastain and Bubba Wallace join Buescher on the border and are in a very narrow corner. The coming of Daytona at this juncture is not ideal by any means for these drivers.
The track is known for producing unpredictable winners and causing high-speed crashes. Furthermore, Austin Dillon will be appealing his Richmond penalty on Wednesday. Things could turn a lot more complicated if he wins it. The goal for every driver apart from the twelve winners will be to reach the victory lane. And this is bound to make things interesting at the World Center of Racing.
