If there’s one word to describe the finish of Saturday’s (Aug. 24) Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, it’s electric.
With Kyle Busch just two turns away from scoring his first Daytona NASCAR Cup Series win since 2008 and extending his Cup winning streak to 20 seasons, Harrison Burton got a huge push from Parker Retzlaff on the backstretch to control the lead heading into turn 3. Busch went high and then ducked low as the field approached the trioval, but Burton successfully held the two-time Cup champion at bay to score his first ever Cup Series win in a historic upset.
The win marked the 100th Cup win for the fabled Wood Brothers Racing team, and Burton became the first driver born in the 2000s to win a Cup race. He and his father Jeff also became the eighth father-son duo to win races at NASCAR’s highest level.
The win was also a much-needed boost for Burton in what’s been an abysmal season to where he was shown the door for Josh Berry in 2025.
While Burton may be searching for a ride next season, he will always have two titles that no one can take away from him.
Burton: Cup Series winner and playoff driver.
But what’s frustrating about Burton’s win is that NASCAR’s rules regarding playoff eligibility will turn what should be a feel-good story all around into one embroiled in controversy.
Last year, NASCAR removed the requirement that a driver with a win had to be top 30 in regular season points after 26 races to qualify for the playoffs. Burton currently sits 34th in points. Not only is he out of the top 30, but he is dead last in points among full-time drivers.
With 306 points through 25 races, Burton is 517 points behind regular season points leader Tyler Reddick and 248 points behind 16th place. He has the worst average finish and second-worst average running position of any full-time driver this year, but the Daytona win is enough for him to make the playoffs.
Are those results worthy of a playoff spot? Results from arguably the worst-performing team all year?
Whether one feels that Burton deserves to be in the playoffs or that his presence diminishes the prestige or integrity of the postseason, this situation is a matter of hating the game but not the player.
Burton did everything right. He drove clean and beat Busch straight up, fair and square, with the restart of his life. Under NASCAR’s current rules, he has just as much of a right to compete for the…
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