Harrison Burton’s maiden Cup Series win during the Coke Zero 400 race sparked up a controversial conversation. The playoffs since its initial years have always been a hot topic of discussion among the NASCAR community. Although it started as an idea to make season’s end entertaining, the current version seems harsh on the consistently performing driver. At least, this is what Kevin Harvick thinks of the current playoff format and the system that is in place.

Harvick went on to question the integrity of the playoff format, where it doesn’t reward the consistently performing drivers. But this “one win and you’re in” feature leaves the door open for even the non-performing drivers to overturn their misfortunes. This is exactly what Harrison Burton and Daniel Suarez have been able to accomplish with their sole victories.

Kevin Harvick questions the current playoff format’s credibility

Despite the win at Daytona, Burton hasn’t been able to leapfrog himself in the points standings. With just 306 points in the 34th spot, he will be competing for the championship. To put that in perspective, there’s a difference of 517 points between him and Tyler Reddick, who is leading the race for the regular season title.

Although Harvick wasn’t trying to take away the credit from either Burton or Daniel Suarez. He made his point about how the current format doesn’t appreciate a consistent running race team week-in-week-out. “I can see it both ways; there’s an entertainment side, but I’m a traditional racer that wants the best 16 guys to race for that championship,” Kevin Harvick said on the Happy Hour Podcast EP 51.

Now it is indeed hard to see either Harrison Burton or Daniel Suarez genuinely compete for the championships in the playoffs. Imagine the 21 teams going against the #11 or #5; it’s not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison. Adding to this sentiment, the former Cup Series champ stated, “The 21 is not going to make the run in the playoffs; the 99 isn’t making the runs in the playoffs. They are just some of those guys that have won the race, Austin Cindric isn’t making the runs in the playoffs. Are we wasting spots?”

In 2024, we have seen three subpar drivers secure their playoff spots. Daniel Suarez did it earlier in the season at Atlanta, Austin Cindric at Gateway, and Harrison Burton became a recent addition with his win at Daytona. Such wins add to the entertainment factor, but these results have left some good race teams high and dry.

Bubba Wallace and Ross Chastain in a tough to make the playoffs cut

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Given how outside drivers have been sweeping the wins away, the drivers who looked safe with ample amounts of points aren’t safe by any means. Only Martin Truex Jr. with a cushion of 58 points, is considered safe going into the Southern 500 race. But Burton’s win at Daytona has completely flipped the script for drivers tussling for the playoff bubble. Bubba Wallace and Ross Chastain in particular will be in the hot seat, eyeing to make the cut.

The 23XI Racing star was just a point adrift of the cutline before the Daytona race. Although he found himself on the receiving end of the crashes and wrecks, he managed a P6 finish. But this wasn’t good enough, as Burton’s win overshadowed his streak of good runs and left him 21 points below the cutline going into the Darlington race weekend.

Ross Chastain’s 2024 season hasn’t been something to rave about. However, his lack of race-winning speed and ability to churn out consistent performances could prove detrimental. The melon man is just behind Wallace, 27 points below the playoff bubble. This means he will need to recreate his Martinsville magic to ensure he advances further in the competition.

Who knows? There could be yet another surprise winner handing a big upset to these teams and drivers.