“This is shark-infested waters here,” Jeff Burton claimed after his son clinched his first career Cup victory. Indeed, a slew of tough contenders meant Harrison Burton’s season before Daytona had been less than remarkable. But after the Coke Zero Sugar 400 win, the 34th-ranked driver is in the playoffs. Is this a fair system, given that there are drivers who have been far more consistent and perhaps deserving of that playoff spot?

Burton may have turned the tables a little too much. And NASCAR’s playoff system is to blame for that. Introduced in 2014, this system allows a single-race victory to act as a springboard into the playoffs. So even after the Wood Brothers Racing driver led a miserable season, one that sealed his departure from the team for next season, he will be competing in the postseason. But an insider points this out as a big flaw within NASCAR.

To be fair, these are the rules and Burton had the same chance as others below the playoff cut line. He knew a win was all he needed and once he overtook Kyle Busch in the final minutes of the last lap, his place was secured. But is he a worthy contender, in the face of stronger rivals? That is the question that NASCAR insider Eric Estepp brought up.

Speaking on his namesake YouTube channel on Sunday, Estepp emphasized that he had never been a fan of the current format, where one win gives you a playoff spot. He mentioned Daytona should have been about Harrison Burton’s maiden victory and not the fact that he wildly shuffled the playoff picture.

He said, “Why can’t we just celebrate this win for what it is. A beautiful moment, an emotional moment…for so many in the sport. Wood Brothers get number 100, Dex Imaging gets all that good publicity, all the Victory Lane photos, do the hat dance…Why can’t that be the moment? Why does this moment now have to impact the next 11 weeks of the season…who’s going to make it to the championship at Phoenix?”

Then Estepp observed that the ‘win and you’re in’ playoff system is a tad unfair. Harrison Burton and his team were nowhere close to the playoffs as compared to other rivals. “Let’s be honest – 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.

Burton barely left a scratch on the 2024 Cup Series season before the Coke Zero Sugar 400. He had only one top-10 finish prior to Daytona and no top-5 finish to go along 4 DNFs. He is still last among full-time drivers in points and average finish, yet the #21 Ford will be in the playoffs.

He got the all-important win and that’s all you need under the current format. Before 2004, consistency was highly rewarded. A race win would award you a few more points and how you performed over the season determined your shot at championship glory. But a criticism of that system was that it robbed fans of drama in the final weeks of the season.

With TV ratings and fan interest dwindling, NASCAR took the step to introduce a more dramatic eliminator system that you see today. After the playoff field of 16 is set, four drivers are filtered out after one round, until we are down to 4 for the championship. Though this adds to the thrill, it also means that you need to win only one race to advance to the next round and subsequently the championship race.

The outcome at Dayton dented the hopes of many drivers including Bubba Wallace, who would’ve benefited if any driver already in the playoffs would have prevailed. Likewise, many consistent drivers are likely to be left out of the playoff picture with only one race to go.

“They are going to knock out a Chris Buescher or a Ross Chastain. While neither of those drivers has been particularly great this year, they both could realistically figure it out and at least make it to the round of 8.”

Indeed, both Buescher and Chastain’s playoff chances are hanging in the balance. Hopes look especially slim for Chastain.

Burton may have put Chastain in unchartered territory

During his three-year tenure at Trackhouse Racing, Ross Chastain was mostly sure of himself. He was charting his playoff game plan at this time in the last two years – but 2024 spells a different scenario. After New Hampshire, Chastain held 9th in points. But then set in a successive streak of six finishes outside the top ten.

That severely axed his position as he battled with Bubba Wallace for the last playoff spot – but Harrison Burton’s win hit the last nail in his coffin, as he became the 13th playoff driver. Chastain is now 27 points below the playoff cutline. At Daytona, Chastain was running well until the No. 1 Chevy hit a ‘Big One’ on lap 60.

He could still piece together a respectable 12th-place finish. “I was just hoping it would stay running, keep the water in it and be able to keep up with the pack. Looking at the car, it was amazing it did.” However, his playoff hopes are not so amazing as he holds just a pair of top-tens at The Lady in Black. Yet Chastain is hopeful: “I look at it like we have another chance to go win the Southern 500. That’s what I’m focused on this week. The points, they give them out at the stages and end of the race. If you run good, they give you a lot of them.” 

Let us see how far Harrison Burton’s rivals can climb back up from the fresh setback. The Southern 500 will feature a wrecking tumult of emotions, as it will finally fix the 16-driver playoff field. But do you agree with Eric Estepp’s comments about the current NASCAR playoff system being flawed?