The Daytona Coke Zero Sugar 400 saw Harrison Burton, last in points among full-time drivers, snatch a win from Kyle Busch. Burton has not had one of the best years in his career, as he was fired recently from Wood Brothers Racing to look for a new team in 2025. But his parting gift to the team, his first Cup Series win, sees him qualify for the playoffs and its riches despite being ranked 34th.

There wouldn’t have been a better way for him to leave the team, as a spot in the playoffs helps him find prospects for next year. But the incredible jump he will make from being last in points among full-time drivers to the lucrative 16-driver field has once again raised questions over NASCAR’s playoff qualification system. Denny Hamlin was the latest to share his take on how the format overlooks consistency in favor of one big moment.

Denny Hamlin discusses NASCAR playoff format

Burton’s win highlights the loopholes in the current system, where consistency barely matters. On the Actions Detrimental podcast on Monday, Hamlin explained how he feels this system isn’t fair because it rewards a single good race over consistent performance.

Talking about Burton’s unexpected win Hamlin said,

Jumping from the 34th spot to a confirmed top 16 is a huge financial gain for Wood Brothers Racing, almost like a lucky break that came out of nowhere. Teams reaching the playoff can anywhere from $1 million to $5 million depending on how the rest of their campaign goes. This is a massive shot in the arm, especially for a team like Wood Brothers Racing, which is struggling at the wrong end of the table.

Even though Hamlin acknowledged that Burton’s victory took skill and effort, he was frustrated with how the current playoff system works.

Nothing should take away from Burton’s win. Entering Daytona, everyone had the same chance- win and you are in the playoffs. Burton did nothing that went beyond the rules. Guaranteed he received a push from Parker Retzlaff on the backstretch to take the lead, but he admirably held off Kyle Busch to give Wood Brothers Racing their 100th win and earn himself a playoff spot. So why the debate?

Before Daytona, Burton had only one top-10 finish and 4 DNFs to his name. He is still last in average finish and has the second-worst average running position among full-time drivers. Burton is 248 points behind the 16th-place Kyle Busch, whom he pipped in the final minutes of the Daytona race. Yet, it is Burton who is headed into the playoffs, while Busch’s fate hangs in the balance.

The earlier format, the one in place before 2004 rewarded consistency over the course of a season, with a race win only adding to your points tally and nothing more. But the changes were made because it made the last stretch of the season less exciting with many drivers having nothing to fight for. Yet, the debate rages over how fair is the current format.

NASCAR insider, Eric Estepp also brought this up on his YouTube channel, a day before Hamlin’s assessment. He said that Burton’s win should be celebrated for what it represents but whether the team deserves a place in the championship playoffs is questionable.

He said, “Harrison Burton won tonight, a legitimate winner – he’s in the playoffs. But is Harrison Burton a playoff driver, or is the Wood Brothers a playoff team? No. They’ve been outside the top 30 in points all year…for the better part of 3 years.”

Denny Hamlin feels that while the ‘win-and-you’re-in’ approach adds excitement, it can sometimes feel unfair to drivers and teams who have performed well over the entire season but miss out because of the format. “I find that hard to swallow, but I know it’s the rules. So, it’s just up to us to win, right?” stated Hamlin.

Incidentally, Hamlin’s 23XI driver, Bubba Wallace, got the wrong end of the stick following Burton’s win. A win for any driver who had qualified for the playoffs would have helped Wallace’s cause, who finished a commendable sixth.

Burton’s win shakes the playoff field

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Although Hamlin is in the playoffs, he knows that due to Harrison’s victory, his team 23XI Racing, will be suffering. Bubba Wallace has yet to get into the playoffs, and with the Darlington race being his last chance, Hamlin stated his thoughts on the playoff format. Bubba Wallace is -21 points from the cutoff, putting him in the drop zone.

Unlike Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, the other 23XI Racing driver, has secured a spot in the playoffs by winning 2 races this year. The team is looking to see where they stand in the championship once the playoffs begin.

Apart from Wallace, Ross Chastain and Chris Buescher could also miss out on the playoffs, despite consistent performances. Burton’s unexpected win at Daytona has shaken up the playoff field, with only one race to go.

Will Bubba Wallace make his way into the playoffs by securing a win at Darlington? Or will it be someone else who will book their ticket to the post-season drama? Share your thoughts in the comments below.