Chris Buescher‘s stunning triumph at the final race of the regular season was a great success. It didn’t just rewrite the stars for Michael Jordan’s protégé, Bubba Wallace, catapulting him into the playoff standings; it also burst the bubble of NASCAR’s golden boy. As anticipation hung in the air, fans held their breath for a twist of fate that would sweep Chase Elliott into the playoffs.

Well, it wasn’t to be. But indulge us: had everyone sailed through to the playoffs after the initial round, who would have risen to the cream of the crop in the top 12 leaderboard?

Would Chase Elliott have a better place than the top-12 elite if the whole NASCAR regular-season fleet made the playoffs?

Kevin Harvick‘s ill fortune and Joey Logano‘s speed, which led to a disastrous crash, have serendipitously propelled Bubba Wallace into the elite dozen. Meanwhile, Martin Truex Jr., the regular season’s crown jewel, is teetering on the brink, barely clinching a spot in the esteemed top-12. Would the landscape have shifted if every regular-season driver had gunned for the playoffs? Would we see the same twelve names advance?

NASCAR has spilled the beans. A revealing chart (a snapshot) posted on NASCAR’s official Reddit page paints an interesting picture. If all regular-season racers had been contenders, Chase Elliott would have sat pretty at 8th, outpacing Bubba Wallace and Martin Truex Jr. based on their latest track forays.

The chart denotes Elliott as 25 points clear of the precarious top-12 borderline, while Wallace and Truex Jr. would lag by 7 and 6 points, respectively, falling short of the mark. And not to forget, even Erik Jones would’ve been in the coveted top 12, according to this “what if” scenario. The comparison underscores a stark contrast between the drivers’ playoff starts versus their regular-season exploits.

Many fans, with a keen eye, couldn’t help but delve into the nuances of this intriguing hypothetical chart.

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Fans are buzzing over this fresh perspective and are hungry for more.

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Loyalty in the NASCAR world typically runs deep, with fans often having eyes only for their chosen driver. Yet this recent revelation from NASCAR has stirred the pot. The newfound insight has not only captured fans’ imagination but has also ignited calls for such updates to become a regular pit stop.

One admirer exclaimed, “Okay now this is the OC stuff I want to see when I come on this sub. Can you keep updating this? Like the cut-off after the round of 12 but instead of just the 12 drivers, it’s the entire field?”

“I need a weekly update of this lol” echoed another.

Some penned their takes, musing, “this is either one of three things:

• a top tier shitpost that captures my attention
• a leaked document from NASCAR previewing next year’s plan to let everyone make the playoffs
• genuinely good original content”

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The ‘what-if’ scenario spurred a wave of imaginative thinking, with fans saying, “This is pretty dang cool to see! Wild to imagine if this was a thing”

Although having every driver in the playoffs might defeat its very essence, it does shine a light on the season’s collective performance, offering a broader view. Besides that, with the chart showing Chase Elliott riding high, his supporters have their hopes revved up for his shining prospects next year.