NASCAR: The irony of all the playoff complaints

The NASCAR Cup Series playoff system has been heavily criticized throughout the 2022 season. What’s funny about it, however, is what the playoffs might actually end up looking like.

Throughout the first 25 races of the 26-race 2022 NASCAR Cup Series regular season, especially as more and more new winners emerged, the playoff system has been criticized in more ways than one.

The “win and in” nature of it, even though not necessarily true if there are more than 16 winners, has come under fire the most, with fans suggesting that it renders points useless and doesn’t reward consistency.

Yet here we are with one race remaining, and even with all the different winners we’ve seen, the 16 drivers in the provisional playoff picture are the drivers who occupy the top 16 spots in the point standings.

Isn’t that something?

There is one caveat, however, as Kurt Busch’s withdrawal from the playoffs is what made this possible. The 23XI Racing has been sidelined since his qualifying crash at Pocono Raceway last month, and while he was granted a medical waiver, he requested that the waiver be rescinded since he won’t be ready to return for the start of the playoffs.

Ty Gibbs, who is not championship eligible since he competes full-time for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series, has been Busch’s replacement behind the wheel of the #45 Toyota since his injury.

But even without the whole unfortunate situation surrounding Busch, nobody outside the top 17 would currently be in the provisional playoff picture. Had Busch not missed the races he missed, he was slated for a top 16 finish in the point standings himself.

While his playoff eligibility would have resulted in at least one top 16 driver missing the playoffs, since Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, who sits in third place, and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex, who sits in sixth, would be battling for the final spot as non-winners, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe, who is currently the lowest driver locked in in 16th, would only be one spot lower in 17th.

Of course, this could all change if we do get an upset winner in tonight’s regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway (or if the drivers around 16th place in the point standings gain or lose positions).

In fact, in the event of an upset winner, Busch’s decision will have saved Blaney or Truex from missing the postseason, since both previously would have been on the outside looking in.

Blaney and Truex now occupy the two remaining open spots, and the only way one of them drops out is with an upset winner. While neither one is locked in yet, at least one is now guaranteed to make it with two spots open as opposed to one.

But it’s still quite ironic that, despite all the talk about the flaws of the playoff format, the top 16 drivers would literally be in if the regular season ended now.

The regular season is scheduled to come to an end with tonight’s Coke Zero Sugar 400, which is set to be broadcast live on NBC from Daytona International Speedway beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET. Who will claim the final two open playoff spots? If you haven’t yet had the chance to start a free trial of FuboTV, do so now!