The race to fill up the final four spots in the playoffs is finely poised. Although most of the prominent drivers have made the cut as expected, a few drivers like Chris Buescher, Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain, and Kyle Busch have yet to secure their place in the knockout stages.

Although Darlington will host the final race of the regular season this time around, the race at Daytona International Speedway is still seen as a big turning point in this playoff race. Winning the race and securing a berth in playoffs seems like a better prospect than banking on points. As it is a tricky spot for any driver to be in, ask Bubba Wallace; he knows a thing or two about being in this situation.

But despite last season’s nail-bitter finish at Daytona, the 23XI Racing star finds himself in a similar position, without a victory and relying on points to help him advance to the next stage of the competition. However, a win by either of the new drivers could foil his plans, and Chris Buescher from RFK Racing is in the lead to pull off this upset.

History repeating itself could be detrimental to Bubba Wallace’s playoff chances

Last year’s regular-season finale was hosted at the iconic Daytona International Speedway. Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski swept the race for RFK finishing 1st and 2nd, respectively. This win ensured Bubba Wallace made it to the playoffs, whereas it ended hopes for Chase Elliott. The HMS driver, for the first time in his career, was unable to advance to the next round.

However, the story is different this time around, as Buescher himself is struggling without winning. Truth be told, he’s been unlucky, with results going against him when he needed them. But with the Daytona race coming up, he would look to seal the deal in his favor, knowing that he is up against the challenge of Bubba Wallace and a few others.

For the time being, Buescher leads both Chastain and Wallace in terms of points, but marginally. Bubba Wallace, who is in the 14th spot, trails by just 17 points. So you see a string of top 10 results along with a stage win or two would jeopardize Buescher’s qualification scenario. The No. 17 Ford is arguably a better race car among the drivers who are in the hunt for playoffs and it is only a matter of time before it gets back to victory.

Despite being under a considerable amount of pressure, Bubba Wallace isn’t ready to give up yet. Instead, he embraces this challenge and would like to get back at his critics with another late entry into the final 16.

Wallace isn’t out of the playoff picture just yet

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Although Buescher is a direct rival for Wallace that could impede his progress in 2024, he has started to mount pressure on the rest of the drivers. Ross Chastain and Chase Briscoe in particular. He certainly made gains in the last three weeks of racing, where the rest of the drivers failed to hit their markers.

Three weeks before the Brickyard weekend, Bubba Wallace was 51 below the cutline, and now he sits just seven points behind Chastain. A solid top 5 result backed by a stage win at Brickyard certainly helped his cause. Moreover, when No. 1 was out with a DNF finish at Pocono, he ensured to finish the race with a solid top-10 run.

Like most of the drivers, Wallace has his fair share of critics and naysayers who are always on the hunt to get on his back. But he isn’t looking to give them another opportunity, as he is optimistic about his chances to make the playoffs. “We thrive off counting us out. You thought we’d be out in the (first) round, too, last year, didn’t you? We didn’t do that, either. Just keep on fighting, prove y’all wrong.” He was quoted saying.

Wallace certainly is using naysaying as fuel for his motivation to reach his objectives for the season. And this will certainly make the final four regular season races a thrilling watch for the fans.