Could NASCAR Let Busch Into Chase Based Only On Wins?
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
The way into the NASCAR chase is simple. A driver needs to start every race of the season, be inside of the top-30 in points and win a race (assuming that there are 16 winners or less). If a driver doesn’t win they need to have enough points to be in a position to take a spot in the chase given to those highest in the standings without a victory (again assuming there are less than 16 winners).
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For NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, the road to the chase has been a bit different. Following a wreck in Daytona where he broke his leg and foot, Busch missed the first 11 races of the NASCAR season. Upon his return two months ago NASCAR granted him a waiver for the races that he didn’t start making his path to the chase clear. Busch would have to win a race and somehow get into the top-30 in points. Since that waiver was granted Busch has run in seven NASCAR races, winning two of them and climbing to within 87 points of the top-30.
While many believe that Busch will make it into the top-30 within the next eight races, there is always the chance that he won’t. 87 points in eight races is about 11 points a race, a number that looks more than obtainable when Busch is winning at the rate he currently is. However in NASCAR a couple of bad races can put a driver in a big hole quickly.
What if Busch wins again over the next eight races but fails to make the top-30 in points? Heck, what if he wins twice more and falls just short of the top-30 in points? Would NASCAR really let a driver with 3-4 win not make their playoff?
Busch recently spoke with Racer.com and he was asked if he felt that wins might force NASCAR’s hand into allowing him into the chase if he misses the top-30 in points.
"Well, certainly I think the more wins that we do achieve, that it’s going to put them in a tougher spot. But also I think now that if there were 16 different winners obviously that will put us in. The two wins will put us up over a guy that has one win. I’m not thinking about it exactly. Obviously it’s on our mind, but I’m not thinking about the points gained when we win. When we win, I know we did all we can do.What matters most is for us to go out there and perform at our best at the level that we know how to do. If we do everything right and do it how we know we can, there’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to average a 14th-place finish or whatever it’s going to take that I can be in the Chase by being in the top 30. I never would have imagined we would have got two wins this fast."
Busch currently sits 35th in the standings, 87 points behind 30th. If he were to finish the regular season with three wins and he was in 31st or 32nd place (15-20 points out of the top-30) would there be a case for him to be allowed into the chase? NASCAR would certainly put themselves into a box if they wavered and allowed Busch into the chase as many would consider it unfair, especially those around whichever driver would be bumped from the chase to make room for Busch.
So, what is your take? Should 3-4 wins trump being in the top-30 in points? Should two wins trump it if Busch just misses the top-30? Be sure to comment below and let us know.