DAYTONA, Fla. (WFLA) — After a big wreck in Michigan that shuffled the deck on the finish of the race and the point standings in the Cup series, there are four things to look for as the regular season draws to a close.
Number one who will take the points lead into the last race. Taylor Reddick is now ahead of Kyle Larson, and Reddick said he learned a lot about what not to do after last year.
“Well, I think one thing that worked against against us at times, we’re just making big mistakes,” he said. “We didn’t have a whole lot of playoff points going into it last year, compared to the guys we’re competing against for the championship. So I think it’s just minimizing the bad days.”
The second thing to look for race favorites Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell. Even though Bell is currently 7th in the standings, a strong finish for him at Daytona could shake things up in the point standings.
A third thing to look for? Drivers on the bubble. Only the top 16 make it into the playoffs.
Right now, Joey Logano and Daniel Suarez are 15th and 16th, with Kyle Bush and Chase Briscoe on the outside looking in.
Michael McDowell, currently 21st, told us before Richmond that all drivers are now focused on making it into the top 16.
“Really just laser focused on these next four races and and trying to get a win and make it into the playoffs,” McDowell said.
The fourth thing to look for at Daytona? The big crash. It seems to happen every race at the Super Speedway, and Zane Smith said it’s just something you have to avoid.
“The luck of the draw. I have no idea,” Smith said. “Sometimes you’re in it. Sometimes you’re not. And I feel like… the 500, especially, if you’re up front because you have to be to capitalize on if there’s that late race caution, you need to be up there and have a shot at it. And then typically that happens from you not getting involved in the big one.”