A Superspeedway Cinderella & the Beauty of Win-and-You’re-In

Once again, Kyle Busch missed a great opportunity for another superspeedway win, finishing second. Christopher Bell wound up third, and Cody Ware and Ty Gibbs completed the top five.

What Really Happened?

Love it or hate it, nights like this are what the NASCAR playoffs were created for. Burton brought a glass slipper from the Disney kingdom to Daytona beach to win in fairytale fashion.

With Daytona so close to the start of the playoffs, everybody knows it’s an opportunity for almost anyone to steal a win and a spot in the top 16, and the No. 21 team took the most advantage of the win-and-you’re-in policy.

Burton entered Daytona last in the points among the full-time drivers. Now victorious, Harrison celebrated with his dad Jeff Burton in a beautiful moment that some feel was overshadowed by the gravity of the newest addition to the playoffs. 

After all, how can the driver 34^th in points be allowed the chance to compete for the championship after being noncompetitive all year?

That’s the beauty of sports, and the wonder of the playoff format.

In sports, winning is the way to qualifying for any sort of postseason, and it’s the only way to earn a championship. For many, the best part of sports is seeing the underdogs win and have a chance at a championship.

The N.C. State men’s basketball team had a 17-14 record before winning nine straight games and making the Final Four. The New York Giants toppled an undefeated New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XLI. The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 Finals after the Warriors had a record-setting regular season.

These Cinderellas were celebrated, and Burton’s triumph – especially after such a rough few seasons – should have this same, positive, exciting weight.