The NASCAR Cup Series field will convene at the Daytona International Speedway this Saturday. 160 laps around the World Center of Racing will move the teams and drivers another step closer to determining who the final 16 to make the playoffs will be. With four spots yet to be filled, there is reason for every winless driver to dream big, with the nature and history of the 2.5-mile-long track reinforcing their chances.
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Five of the last seven races at Daytona have been won by drivers who necessarily had to win to secure a playoff spot. The winners list puts up less than likely-to-win drivers like Justin Haley, Erik Jones, and Austin Dillon in the victory lane. This bolsters the thought process of Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain, who sits a single point above the elimination line.
Good things happen when @RossChastain races in @WWEXGroup colors. 😏 pic.twitter.com/2V2aha3of4
— Trackhouse Racing (@TeamTrackhouse) August 22, 2024
He told the press, “I’ve learned to just enjoy it for what it is. There’s just no way around it. If we leave Michigan and don’t have it secured, then it’s math.” The #1 Chevrolet Camaro driver knows that the goal is to finish well in the stages and the race to secure the maximum possible points. Chastain missed out on a decent finish at Michigan last Monday after spinning out late during the 2024 FireKeepers Casino 400.
Richard Childress Racing superstar Kyle Busch, on the other hand, is a lot more optimistic and confident. That could be because of the fourth-place finish he secured at the two-mile Michigan track on Monday. His #8 Chevy Camaro was quick on speed and his crew was at its very best after a long time. Daytona is a venue that he has run relatively well at since joining RCR but he is wary of the iminent threats at the tri-oval.
Kyle Busch expresses wariness of what is required to win at Daytona
Busch elaborated on his odds of winning a race like the upcoming 400-mile-long event at a track like Daytona during the end of the regular season. He touched on the importance of being in contention and how he expects the mindset of others racing around to be.
“There are 36 guys that show up and walk through the gate and at least think that they have a shot to win so they’re going to go out and prove that they can. A lot of Hail Marys are thrown and sometimes a lot of wrecks happen. You’ve got to be in the right place at the right time and hope for the best,” Busch told the media
Good day w my @RCRracing guys, gave me a great @Lucas_Oil 🎱 today. Just a lil too tight. See if we can make some magic next week.@TeamChevy l @ECRengines pic.twitter.com/YkusANk76u
— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) August 19, 2024
The 2X Cup Series champion is 93 points below the elimination line. Thus, his hopes of qualifying on points are out of the question. He needs a win and he knows it. The Daytona track, with its unpredictability, could be where he finds his path to the victory lane again. It would be only his second-ever victory at the fixture should he manage to get ahead of the others.
A win this weekend would also continue Busch’s impressive statistic of winning a race during every season of his NASCAR Cup Series career, which is at the moment at risk given RCR’s struggles over the past few months.
