NASCAR: The one driver saved by Kurt Busch’s announcement
By Asher Fair
Had Kurt Busch not withdrawn his medical waiver request and made the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, nobody would have gotten in on points.
Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon became the 16th different driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series regular season race in 2022 by taking the checkered flag in a rain-delayed Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
Dillon’s regular season finale victory secured him a playoff spot, but only 14 of the other 15 winners are set to join him in the postseason.
Prior to the race weekend, 23XI Racing’s Kurt Busch, who has been sidelined since his qualifying crash at Pocono Raceway in July, announced that he had requested the withdrawal of the medical waiver NASCAR had granted him when he was first sidelined.
Having been one of 15 winners with just one regular season race remaining, Busch would have qualified for the playoffs if not for this decision, since there could be no more than 16 winners. He won the race at Kansas Speedway in mid-May and was locked into the top 30 in the point standings, even with six missed starts to wrap up the regular season.
Busch’s decision effectively freed up a playoff spot and guaranteed that even with a new winner, there would still be a spot open on points.
That is indeed how it played out.
Dillon would not have qualified for the playoffs without his win, as he finished in 19th place in the regular season point standings. However, without Busch’s announcement, he still would have made it.
But Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney would not have.
With Dillon winning, the battle for the final playoff spot was between Blaney and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr., as neither driver had won a race in 2022.
Truex, despite finishing the regular season in fourth place in the point standings, missed the playoffs, while Blaney, who finished in third, was the 16th and final driver to advance.
Had it not been for Busch’s decision, Blaney would not have advanced, as nobody would have gotten in on points, and two of the top four drivers would have been left out of the postseason.
Prior to 2022, we had never previously seen any top four drivers left out.
Next. First points leader misses playoffs. dark
Darlington Raceway is scheduled to get the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs underway on Sunday, September 4 with the Cook Out Southern 500, which is set to be broadcast live on USA Network beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET. Start a free trial of FuboTV today!