The NASCAR Cup Series playoff field was set after an eventful finish at Darlington, where a major crash on lap 345 ended the hopes of many drivers, including Bubba Wallace. Crashes eliminated many contenders in the playoffs, but one driver who was able to escape the chaos was Kyle Busch. In the final half of the regular season, Bush needed a win to advance to the playoffs, which would have been their 12th straight postseason appearance. And the 39-year-old stuck with Chase Briscoe until the end of the race and did some interesting things. But despite finishing second, Briscoe passed Busch, ending his postseason hopes. Eventually, Briscoe, Ty Gibbs and Martin Truex Jr. were born. When things settled down, he made the playoffs ahead of Wallace, Busch, Chris Buescher and others.
Busch was eliminated from the playoffs, but he and the rest of the field will continue to compete against 16 drivers in the playoffs. Before Darlington, Bush shared what would happen if he found himself in the offseason. “The whole season has been disappointing,” he said at the time. “Every week you say, ‘Okay, what’s next?’ It sounds like you’re asking, but that’s something we can’t change.”
“Chris Buescher (former) said he had a lot to ask and a lot of questions. I can’t answer how the year went, but it’s in the past and you know it. “You can use it as a distraction or a motivational tool, but we’re trying to use it as a motivational tool.”Despite missing out on the play-offs, the drivers are motivated to perform well as they still have something to fight for in the final 10 races. Despite heading into the championship, each driver still competes for ownership points, which are calculated over the course of the final races.
Drivers use these races to prove they belong, even if their performance is different. By performing better, each driver can earn more for themselves and their team, even if they finish in the top 16. When all the drivers perform well, they also benefit from the team’s sponsors, with the additional exposure that each race or win provides. In the end, the drivers race with pride, knowing that they have raced their best in the final race of the season. Don’t miss out
Kyle Larson went on to explain what it means for drivers who missed the playoffs to continue racing in the postseason, why these races are so exciting, and why it’s important for all drivers to compete. “Racing will be a lot more fun because the field is a lot smaller and you won’t be stuck in traffic,” Larson explained to Victory. “Overtaking will therefore become more difficult than before, so we need spacious cars to ensure competitive and exciting racing.”“They’re guys who haven’t made the playoffs yet, but they have the ability to win races and they’re out there competing and doing everything they can to win races. Because the season is still going on and you are competing for points. They may not be competing for a championship, but the points race for 17th will be exciting and fruitful. So they have every reason to compete with us.”
