Playoff upsets and Daytona International Speedway seem to go hand in hand at this point.
Heading into the weekend, the playoff picture shifted when Kurt Busch announced he would not compete for the championship as he continues to recover from a concussion. His decision opened an additional spot in the postseason, leaving two vacancies up for grabs.
Despite that, the Coke Zero Sugar 400 unfolded like there was only one position left, with drivers fighting for every inch. As if the situation needed more chaos, weather entered the mix. With 23 laps to go and rain approaching, the ‘Big One’ struck that consisted of an 18-car pileup that thinned the field dramatically. NASCAR threw the red flag as rain began to fall on the superspeedway, resulting in a delay of more than three hours. Fewer than 20 laps remained, and only 17 cars were still running, many of them needing a win to make the playoffs.
When the race finally went back green, Cole Custer blew a tire and slapped the wall with six laps remaining. No caution was thrown, sparking controversy. Three laps later, Austin Dillon gave Austin Cindric a bump to take the lead. With help from his Richard Childress Racing teammate, Dillon cruised to the victory and into the playoffs, locking Ryan Blaney into the final spot by just three points over Martin Truex Jr.
Tune into this episode of Above The Yellow Line for a full race recap, a preview of the ‘Round of 16’, and more.
