NASCAR Cup Series: Nobody deserves to be in the playoffs

As a lifelong NASCAR fan who has seen more than a few seasons come and go, I can confidently say that the recent win by Harrison Burton at Daytona International Speedway was nothing short of electrifying. The young driver’s journey to victory lane, marked by struggles and setbacks, is a testament to his grit and determination.

As a gamer, I was down in the dumps, sitting at the back of the pack during Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, struggling to climb the point standings amidst the fierce competition. But then, against all odds, I managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and booked my ticket to the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs for the very first time in my career. It was a triumphant moment that I’ll never forget!

In his over two-year stint with Wood Brothers Racing, Harrison Burton has had a challenging start to his career. In the year 2022, he ranked 27th in the point standings, and this dropped to 31st in the following year. His initial 97 races yielded only five top-10 finishes.

As a dedicated fan, I must admit that lately, my favorite racer, Burton, has found himself trailing behind in the point standings. This shift can largely be attributed to Zane Smith’s impressive runner-up finish at Nashville Superspeedway in June. Prior to his summer resurgence, Spire Motorsports driver was languishing at the bottom. Contrastingly, Burton’s only top 10 performance of the season was a 10th place run at Talladega Superspeedway back in April.

Now Burton is a NASCAR Cup Series race winner and is headed to the playoffs.

Despite the recent series victories being quite popular, the unique circumstances surrounding this particular win – including its location, Leigh Diffey’s thrilling broadcast of the finish, Jeff Harrison Sr.’s presence in the NBC Sports booth, and the significance of it being the Wood Brothers’ 100th win after a wait of over seven years since their 99th – couldn’t help but bring up some negative thoughts about the current playoff format.

Some supporters argue that Burton hasn’t truly earned his playoff spot, given the struggles he faced earlier in the season prior to his victory at Daytona.

Please, just save yourself the time and the embarrassment.

As a gamer, I can tell you that the current 16-player playoff system gives more weight to wins compared to points. Simply put, victories come first in determining qualification, followed by point totals. It’s all about who’s been winning the most games, and then we look at the points they’ve accumulated. Pretty straightforward, right?

If ten contestants win, they all qualify, plus the top six drivers without wins who have the highest point totals. However, if more than sixteen winners emerge, no one makes it based on points alone.

If the number of winners is 17 or less, it’s the racer with the fewest points among the single-race winners who fails to qualify for the postseason. If there are 18 winners, then it’s the two with the least points. If each of 26 drivers wins one race during the regular season, the top 16 on points make it in, while the bottom 10 don’t. Essentially, you can understand that more winners means fewer spots in the postseason.

Consequently, the poor performance of Burton from mid-February to mid-August has no bearing on his playoff eligibility.

Due to a strong performance from Smith during Saturday’s race, Burton is currently holding the last position in the point standings. He is 10 points behind Smith, and his average points per race stands at 12.24, indicating that he might end up in last place even on the regular season finale. However, if he manages to qualify, he will still make it to the playoffs.

It’s clear that in sports like football and baseball, long-term success throughout the season matters more compared to NASCAR due to their unique competition formats.

It’s similar to arguing that a race winner, who fulfilled the requirements to enter the playoffs, doesn’t truly deserve his playoff spot, just as it would be incorrect to suggest that a Wild Card team shouldn’t have a chance at winning the Super Bowl or the World Series because they didn’t win their division.

In essence, they convey the same idea. If you manage to accomplish it through one method, you won’t necessarily require another approach to progress further.

The reality is that it doesn’t matter how you earn it, as long as you earn it.

It’s clear that the playoff format isn’t flawless; it’s something many spectators, including myself, believe could use some adjustments.

Should it value points over wins instead?

Would it be beneficial to restrict the “win-and-in” format to drivers who are ranked among the top 20 or top 25 in the championship standings, similar to how it was before the rule adjustment made last year?

Is it necessary to establish a minimum total points, such as around 500, that a driver must reach by the close of the regular racing season, so that a single victory guarantees their spot in the competition?

As a dedicated NASCAR enthusiast, I’ve noticed the ongoing debate about restructuring the playoff format, a conversation that’s been happening for years since its inception a decade ago. It’s crucial to understand that not every fan will wholeheartedly agree that the current format is flawless. Personally, I find it intriguing to consider potential changes and improvements that could enhance the racing experience.

However, it’s indisputable that the existing regulations govern every driver, these regulations are widely understood by all drivers, and the structure ensures fairness for each participant without exception.

Regardless of whether someone believes a driver without wins deserves a place in the 16-driver playoff field, it’s the wins themselves that carry the greatest weight in determining eligibility. Any other arguments put forth are essentially inconsequential.

It’s hard to argue that a driver who met the necessary requirements doesn’t deserve his place, while one who didn’t meet those requirements and as a result wasn’t eligible, somehow deserves it simply because of personal beliefs or assumptions about who should be included and excluded.

In a different context, neither this situation resembles an NCAA football or basketball selection show. However, similar sports do experience upsets and have methods for securing automatic qualification. For example, North Carolina State (NC State) wouldn’t have made it to the NCAA tournament without their unexpected victory streak during the ACC tournament, eventually reaching the Final Four.

The reality is that nobody truly “deserves” to be in the playoffs. Playoff berths are earned, not given, and they are earned in one of two ways: wins or points.

Harrison Burton clinched a playoff spot by triumphing in a race, an achievement that only 12 other full-time drivers have managed since February.

It’s true that other drivers often accumulate points, but it’s clear Burton wouldn’t have been among them to do so. Even if they score many points, they still trail behind the winners if they haven’t managed to win a race, and this doesn’t guarantee them a place in the playoffs.

Given that only one race remains in this year’s regular season and a driver within the top 10 of the points standings might not make it to the playoffs, is Burton, currently ranked 34th, a more deserving contender?

The answer is unequivocally yes. He earned his way in with a win, and that other driver didn’t. The score is effectively 1-0, and that’s what matters. That’s the way the format is, and that’s really all there is to it.

The final event of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular season is approaching this Sunday, September 1. Tune in to USA Network at 6:00 p.m. ET as they broadcast live from Darlington Raceway for the Cook Out Southern 500! To ensure you don’t miss any of the thrilling action from the “Lady in Black”, sign up for a free trial of FuboTV today and stay connected to all the racing excitement!

2024-08-28 16:33