DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR fans packed the Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night for the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
The race was not only an exciting one for fans, but one that has major playoff implications for NASCAR Cup Series drivers.
With just one race left in the NASCAR regular season before the playoffs, those drivers on the bubble for the top 16 spots that qualify for the playoffs have few chances at this point to make it in.
Saturday’s race started off mostly smooth, even with the drivers racing three cars wide for much of it. But at lap 61, a huge wreck took out several drivers, including Denny Hamlin.
His race ending early was the second setback in a bad week for Hamlin, who was penalized earlier in the week for an engine inspection violation that set him back in the Cup Series points race.
Another crash came with only about ten laps to go, which sent Michael McDowell into the air — and on top of part of Joey Lagano’s car — ending both of their nights. And right after racing resumed, another crash in the final few laps sent Josh Berry’s car spinning on its top on the racetrack. None of those drivers in those crashes were seriously hurt.
After all that, in the last couple of overtime laps, Kyle Busch was in the lead and looking to get his first win in a year the two-time cup champion has been struggling. But Harrison Burton took the lead in the last lap, and edged Busch to win his very first NASCAR Series Cup race – by winning the Coke Zero Sugar 400. And the win came just in time. Without this win, Burton was way outside the top 16 drivers heading into the playoffs.
And that meant time for celebration, as Burton found himself in victory lane here at the Daytona International Speedway for the first time, and with that, securing his place in that 16-driver playoff field.
“For the stars to align and for us to win is just unbelievable, so I can’t believe it. It’s really special and yeah, it’s just amazing,” said Burton.
Several drivers came to victory lane to congratulate Burton on his big win. One of those drivers congratulating him, Bubba Wallace, currently stands just outside the playoff picture. Wallace was competitive in this race, but came up short.
“He’s had such a good year, and he’s been pointing his way towards the playoffs, and that hurts his cutline, so for me to get in there now, for the Wood Brothers, and for him to have enough courage to come and congratulate meant a lot, because it hurt him a so bad points-wise that I won tonight,” said Burton.
Burton’s father knows something about winning at Daytona. Jeff Burton was a longtime NASCAR driver and won this race in 2000. He was calling the race on a television network and came down to congratulate his son on the big win.
“Harrison has been told he’s not going to be here next year, and you haven’t heard him say a word,” said Jeff Burton. “And that’s not just a façade — he hasn’t said it to me either — and that’s the kind of person he is. And that doesn’t always work, because this is shark-infested waters, but he’s going to be that, that’s who he is, and I’m proud of him for that.”
The next and final regular season race in the NASCAR Cup Series is Sunday, Sept. 1 at Darlington Raceway, when the final playoff field will be decided.