NASCAR: The quiet rule change that got Harrison Burton into the playoffs

When the rule change was made in the offseason between the 2022 and 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, not much attention was paid to it.

Barring a massive upset in a superspeedway race, it probably wasn't going to apply.

Prior to the 2023 campaign, the "win and in" nature of the playoff format only applied to the drivers inside the top 30 in the point standings.

If, for instance, a driver sitting in 32nd place in the standings won a regular season race, he would not be locked into the playoffs thanks to that win, unless he ascended to the top 30 by the end of the regular season.

That requirement was removed for the 2023 season, and while it had no effect on the complexion of last year's playoff picture, it absolutely will this time around.

Harrison Burton shakes up NASCAR Cup Series playoffs

Wood Brothers Racing's Harrison Burton has been sitting in last place out of the 34 full-time drivers since the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July. He fell behind Spire Motorsports' Zane Smith amid an uptick in the rookie's form, highlighted by Smith's runner-up finish at Nashville Superspeedway in late June.

Burton entered the recent Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway 26 points behind Smith, a relatively wide gap considering his average of just 11.08 points per race.

But the driver of the No. 21 Ford pulled off the upset at Daytona and secured his first career Cup Series victory, ending a wait of more than seven years for the Wood Brothers to capture their 100th victory.

Even with the win, the 23-year-old Huntersville, North Carolina native still sat in 34th place in the point standings, and following this past Sunday night's Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, that's where he ended the regular season, 44 points outside of the top 30.

But thanks to that rule change, it doesn't matter, and the third-year driver is locked into the four-round, 10-race playoffs – and thus a top 16 finish in the championship – for the first time in his Cup Series career.

There are 13 other drivers who locked themselves into the postseason with wins during the regular season, and two drivers got in on points.

USA Network is set to broadcast the Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart live from Atlanta Motor Speedway beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, September 8. Begin a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoff opener!