Tyler Reddick heads to Daytona as NASCAR points leader

Outlasting the competition in a rain-delayed Michigan race, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick secured his second win of the season, his seventh of his career and the first at the 2-mikle track, and to top it all off, he moved into the NASCAR Cup Series point standings lead for the first time in his career. With just two races to go in the regular season, Reddick holds a 10-point lead over Hendrick Motorsport’s driver Chase Elliott in second and up 28 points on Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin in third.

Previous points leader, Hendrick Motorsport’s Kyle Larson, dropped to fourth in the standings 32 points back from Reddick, following an incident at Michigan that left him with a 34th-place finish.

Reddick will look to close out these last two races and hold onto the points lead and win the Regular Season Championship, becoming the sixth different driver to accomplish the feat.

Regular Season Championship Clinch Scenarios:

Tyler Reddick (or whoever’s first in points) needs to be up by the corresponding number after the race to clinch:

• Daytona – 60 or 61 points, depending on tie-break
• Darlington – 0 or 1 point, depending on tie-break

At Daytona, Reddick has an average finish of 24.6 in 10 starts. His best finish at Daytona is runner-up in this race in 2022. Reddick’s closest competitor in the driver standings, Chase Elliott has an average finish of 20.5 at Daytona with a best finish of runner-up in the 2021 Daytona 500. Neither driver has won at Daytona in the Cup Series. 

Unpredictable Daytona International Speedway up next under the lights

All eyes will be on the Daytona International Speedway as the iconic hallowed grounds will play host to the NASCAR Cup Series penultimate race of regular season, the Coke Zero Sugar 400, this Saturday, August 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90). The World Center of Racing is currently riding a streak of seven different Cup Series winners dating back to 2021 – Michael McDowell (Feb. 2021), Ryan Blaney (Aug. 2021), Austin Cindric (Feb. 2022), Austin Dillon (Aug. 2022), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Feb. 2023), Chris Buescher (Aug. 2023), William Byron (Feb. 2024) – making the unpredictability of this event that much more intriguing.

Daytona International Speedway, the 2.5-mile paved superspeedway oval located in Daytona Beach, Florida, has hosted 154 NASCAR Cup Series races since the inaugural event in 1959 – 66 have been 500 miles, 61 were 400 miles and four were 250 miles. There were also 23 qualifier races that were point races. But this weekend marks just the first time the summer race will be the NASCAR Cup Series penultimate race in the regular season. Daytona served as regular season finale from 2020-2023.

The 154 NASCAR Cup Series races at the historic Daytona International Speedway have produced 65 different pole winners and 70 different race winners.

This weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series on-track activity at Daytona International Speedway will begin with Busch Light Pole Qualifying on Friday, August 23 at 5:05 p.m. ET on the USA, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Daytona Clinch Scenarios: Two races to go in the regular season

Literally only two chances left (Daytona and Darlington) for the NASCAR Cup Series competitors to lock themselves into the Playoffs, and both venues are tall tasks to overcome. Below are the latest clinch scenarios for the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway:

Already Clinched

The following 12 drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field: Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Christopher Bell, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Joey Logano, Daniel Suarez, Austin Cindric.

Can Clinch Via Points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 4th winless driver in the standings.  The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs or Chris Buescher.

• Martin Truex Jr.: Would clinch with 35 points
• Ty Gibbs: Could only clinch with help
• Chris Buescher: Could only clinch with help

If there is a new winner from Ross Chastain or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 3rd winless driver in the standings.

• Martin Truex Jr.: Would clinch with 50 points
• Ty Gibbs: Could only clinch with help

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:

• Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs, Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace, Kyle Busch, Chase Briscoe, Todd Gilliland, Michael McDowell, Carson Hocevar, Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Preece, Justin Haley, Austin Dillon, Daniel Hemric, Corey LaJoie, John Hunter Nemechek, Zane Smith, Harrison Burton

Since the ‘Win and You’re In’ format was initiated in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 2016, driver Erik Jones’ 2018 summer race win, William Byron’s summer win in 2020, and Austin Dillon’s summer race win in 2022 are the only three summer race victories at Daytona International Speedway to clinch a driver into the postseason – the other three winners were either not eligible for the Playoffs due to not competing for a championship in the series (Justin Haley in 2019) or the drivers had already previously won in the same season (Brad Keselowski in 2016, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 2017, Ryan Blaney in 2020 and Chris Buescher in 2023).

You can win from anywhere, but from the pole is the shortest route

A total of 28 different starting positions have produced winners in the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway. But the most proficient starting position in the field is the pole or first starting position producing wins in 26 of the 154 NASCAR Cup Series races at Daytona International Speedway (16.8%).

The youngest driver to win from the pole or first starting position at Daytona in the summer races was NASCAR Hall of Famer Fireball Roberts at the age of 30 years, 5 months and 3 days and did so on July 4, 1959. The most recent driver to win from the pole or first starting position at Daytona in the NASCAR Cup Series was NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the 2015 July race (Qualifying was cancelled for this event).

NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Daytona with 12 (Feb. 1968, July 1969, 1970 sweep, 1978 sweep, July 1980, July 1981, July 1983, 1984 sweep, July 1986). Eight of Yarborough’s 12 Daytona poles are from the summer race, which is also the series-most for that event as well.

This weekend, 10 of the 65 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona pole winners are active, but only three have won poles for the summer race at Daytona: Chase Briscoe (2023), Chase Elliott (2018), and Kyle Busch (2013).

Though starting upfront has it perks, a driver can win from any starting position on the grid. Daytona leads all tracks in the NASCAR Cup Series with the most wins from starts outside the top-20 with 14 victories (10.9%). The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Daytona is 42nd, by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart in the 2012 July Daytona race.

Daytona Dominators: The best of the best at the World Center of Racing

Winning at one of NASCAR’s most prestigious tracks, Daytona International Speedway, is a major accomplishment. So, it is not particularly surprising that the Cup Series’ winningest driver at Daytona is NASCAR royalty.

NASCAR Hall of Famer ‘The King’ Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Daytona with 10 victories in career (Feb. 1964, Feb. 1966, Feb. 1971, Feb. 1973, Feb. 1974, July 1975, July 1977, Feb. 1979, Feb. 1981, July 1984).

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in wins at Daytona with three (Feb. 2016, Feb. 2019, Feb. 2020), yet none are from this weekend’s summer race.

Of the 70 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona winners, 42 of them have won the summer race (60%). NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the Cup Series in summer race victories at Daytona with five wins (1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1978).

A total of 12 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona International Speedway winners are active this weekend, and eight of those 12 Daytona winners have won the summer event at the 2.5-mile track. Six of the 12 need a win this weekend to secure their spot in the Playoffs (drivers needing a win to make Playoffs are bolded in chart below).

First-time winners galore at the World Center of Racing

One thing Daytona International Speedway is known for is unpredictable finishes that on occasion produce first-time winners in the NASCAR Cup Series. In fact, five of the last 12 NASCAR Cup Series races at Daytona International Speedway have fashioned just that – first-time winners.

A total of 23 different drivers have posted their first NASCAR Cup Series win at Daytona International Speedway, 11 of the 23 drivers posted their first win in the summer races.

The most recent first-time winner at Daytona was in the 2022 Daytona 500 when Team Penske’s Austin Cindric became the first rookie to win the prestigious season opener.

The most recent first-time winner in the summer races at Daytona was the August race of 2020 with race winner William Byron earning his spot in the Playoffs with the victory.

Of 23 different drivers that have posted their first NASCAR Cup Series career win at Daytona International Speedway, Justin Haley started the deepest in the field at Daytona to win his first race with a 34th-place starting position in 2019. 

William Byron heads to Daytona looking for a season sweep

Come this Saturday, the NASCAR Cup Series field will have 12 former Daytona International Speedway winners entered, led by Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin with three wins. The most recent Daytona winner that is entered this weekend is Hendrick Motorsports William Byron, who won the 2024 Daytona 500 earlier this season and now returns to sunny Florida looking for a Daytona season sweep.

If William Byron can accomplish the feat, he will become the sixth different driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to sweep both Daytona races (Daytona 500 & Summer Race) in a single season; joining Fireball Roberts – 1962 (Daytona 500, Firecracker 250); Cale Yarborough – 1968 (Daytona 500, Firecracker 400); LeeRoy Yarborough – 1969 (Daytona 500, Firecracker 400); Bobbie Allison – 1982 (Daytona 500, Firecracker 400); Jimmie Johnson – 2013 (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola).

Byron has made 13 series starts at Daytona posting two wins (2020, 2024), three top fives, four top 10s and a pole.

Also on Friday, media and fans are invited to celebrate the 2024 Daytona 500 champion William at the Ticketing and Tours Building before on-track activity begins for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 race weekend. At 12 p.m. (noon) ET, Byron’s official DAYTONA 500 Champions Walk of Fame plaque will be unveiled in the sidewalk outside the building. The plaque features the driver’s hands, right footprint and autograph within a 3×3 cement block, all captured in February as part of the Champion’s celebration.

NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.

Win Spoiler Alert: Drivers going for the Daytona win with no regard for a title – While majority of the competitors this weekend will be vying for NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, five drivers are entered in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 that are not running for the title in the series and are looking to play the spoiler by grabbing the win this weekend.

Former V8 Supercar champion and NASCAR Cup Series winner, Shane van Gisbergen, will pilot the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet this weekend working with crew chief Travis Mack.

NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Austin Hill will pilot the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Hill drives for RCR in the Xfinity Series full-time in 2024. Hill will be paired with crew chief Keith Rodden this weekend.

Joey Gase will drive the No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet this weekend working with crew chief Jay Guy.

Parker Retzlaff will jump behind the wheel of the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet and will work with crew chief Darren Shaw this weekend.

BJ McLeod returns to the series in the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports with crew chief David Ingram.

Of the five drivers, Austin Hill has the best average finish at Daytona in the NASCAR Cup Series with a 14.0, followed McLeod (22.6) and Gase (25.7). Van Gisbergen and Retzlaff will be making their NASCAR Cup Series career track debuts this weekend.

Looking Ahead: Drivers not locked into the Playoffs that have won at the next two tracks – Time is running out for the drivers who have not earned a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs this season. Just two races remain in the regular season and with 12 drivers already earning spots by virtue of their wins, only four spots still available.

Several drivers that are looking for their first win of the season have won previously at the two tracks coming up on the schedule (Daytona and Darlington). Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch and Legacy Motor Club’s Erik Jones are the only two drivers still looking for a win this season that have previously won at both of the tracks coming up to round out the regular season.

Below is a chart of all the active winners at the next two tracks, the drivers bolded in each list are the drivers looking for their first win of 2024: