Coulda, woulda, shoulda. The NASCAR fanbase knows it all too well, specifically the large percentage of it that cannot stand the ins and outs, both figuratively and literally, of the modern playoff format.
As has been the case in the overwhelming majority of NASCAR Cup Series seasons since the modern "win and in" playoff format was implemented ahead of the 2014 campaign, several of the drivers who were among the series' top 16 point scorers during the 26-race regular season failed to qualify for the playoffs simply because they didn't win.
This year, there were three drivers who won from outside of the top 16 to get into the playoffs, and all of them were actually outside of the top 20.
3 non-top 20 drivers replace 3 top 16 drivers in NASCAR playoffs
Wood Brothers Racing's Josh Berry, who won early on in the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, finished the regular season tied for 21st in points.
Trackhouse Racing's Shane van Gisbergen could only muster 25th, despite having tied for the series lead in wins with four, while Richard Childress Racing's Austin Dillon finished 26th, which was not surprising since his only top five finish of the regular season was his win at Richmond Raceway.
This meant that three drivers inside the top 16 didn't get in, including one who was in the same exact boat last year.
For RFK Racing's Chris Buescher, a 10th place finish in the regular season points wasn't enough. Last year, he finished ahead of eventual series champion Joey Logano of Team Penske in the regular season standings, but because he didn't win, he missed the playoffs entirely as well.
Teammate Ryan Preece, who was seeking his first career playoff berth, scored what was by far and away his best ever regular season finish in 14th. But that too wasn't enough, and now he is left in the battle for top non-playoff driver in 17th.
Then there was Joe Gibbs Racing's Ty Gibbs, who quietly finished 16th after a rough start to the season. He and Richard Childress Racing's Kyle Busch, the driver he replaced three years ago, were separated by just two points in the standings to conclude the regular season.
But unfortunately, because of where the winners came from, that tight battle ultimately meant nothing, and very few fans probably even knew about it because neither one of them had any path to the playoffs on points as the regular season wound down.
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are scheduled to begin this Sunday, August 31 at Darlington Raceway with the Cook Out Southern 500, which is set to be shown live on USA Network beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET. Start a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss any of the action fron the "Lady in Black"!