NASCAR: The 13 drivers in must-win situations at Daytona

There are 13 drivers who need to win the NASCAR Cup Series regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway to get to the playoffs.

There is one spot still open in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, with 15 drivers having won at least one of the season’s first 25 races to secure their spots.

Following Sunday afternoon’s race at Watkins Glen International, which was won by Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson, there is no longer an opportunity for there to be more regular season race winners (17) than playoff spots (16).

As a result, any driver not already locked into the playoffs can do so by winning this coming Saturday night’s 160-lap Coke Zero Sugar 400 at the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona International Speedway.

The only two exceptions are Spire Motorsports’ Corey LaJoie and Rick Ware Racing’s Cody Ware, who sit in 31st and 32nd place in the point standings, respectively.

There is no way for them to vault into the top 30 in the standings by the end of Saturday night’s race, even with a victory, and even the race winners must finish inside the top 30 to be eligible for the playoffs.

There are two drivers who can lock in on points, provided that there isn’t a new winner. These two drivers are Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. Blaney currently occupies the 16th and final spot, leading Truex by just 25 points with 60 points on the table for each driver in the regular season finale.

In addition to Blaney and Truex, there are 13 drivers who can win the regular season finale to lock into the playoffs. The difference is that these 13 drivers must win this race and cannot possibly lock in on points.

Here is a list of the 13 drivers in “must-win” situations heading into Saturday evening’s race.

NOTE: Drivers are listed in order of their position in the point standings.

• Erik Jones, #43 Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet
• Aric Almirola, #10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
• Austin Dillon, #3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
• Bubba Wallace, #23 23XI Racing Toyota
• Chris Buescher, #17 RFK Racing Ford
• Justin Haley, #31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
• Michael McDowell, #34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr., #47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
• Cole Custer, #41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
• Brad Keselowski, #6 RFK Racing Ford
• Harrison Burton, #21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
• Ty Dillon, #42 Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet
• Todd Gilliland, #38 Front Row Motorsports Ford

All 13 of these drivers are locked into the top 30 in the point standings, so all they need to do to qualify for the postseason is find victory lane on Saturday night.

That is easier said than done, of course, but it is worth noting that seven of these 13 drivers do have past wins at Daytona International Speedway.

Tune in to NBC at 7:00 p.m. ET this Saturday, August 27 for the live broadcast of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 from Daytona International Speedway. Begin a free FuboTV trial now and don’t miss it!