It wouldn’t be the summer NASCAR weekend at Daytona International Speedway if there weren’t any chaos, would it?
Where shall we begin? Should we start with Jeremy Clements’ unexpected Xfinity Series triumph that occurred exactly five years after his first win at Road America? What about Austin Dillon’s walk-off win to gain a playoff berth? Ryan Blaney makes the postseason by the skin of his teeth, while Martin Truex Jr. misses the championship hunt for the first time since 2014. Oh, and there is the ongoing Kyle Busch contract saga.
Busch had a press conference during the weekend and opened it by announcing that he didn’t have any announcements. Quite the contrast from what he was saying a few months ago when he incessantly quipped, “Ask Joe Gibbs,” about contract negotiations.
And quite literally above all of this — in the sky over Daytona Beach, Florida — were dark, heavy clouds that held the always predictable rain showers that disrupted yet another NASCAR weekend at “The World Center of Racing.”
The Cup Series race was scheduled to run Saturday night, but it began shortly after 10 a.m. on Sunday instead because of the unfavorable weather. More than 80% of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 was completed, but then the liquid menace once again washed away the fun at the 2.5-mile oval.
NASCAR red-flagged the race for more than three hours. Dillon, who was in the lead and needed a win, could only pray for the bad weather to stick around long enough for the race to be called. But since it was still early in the afternoon and at a racetrack equipped with lights, NASCAR was determined to get all 160 laps completed.
It was a win-win for NASCAR and Dillon. They both got what they wanted.
Blaney squeaked into the playoffs with a three-point advantage over Truex. He had no wins in the regular season and was 17th in the standings during the rain delay. His car was trashed from an early wreck, but he salvaged a 15th-place finish. Truex ended up eighth and was eliminated from playoff contention.
Had there not been a first-time winner, both drivers would have been in the postseason. In the points count, Blaney and Truex were third and fourth, respectively, but this championship format favors wins over weekly consistency. So do some fans think it may be unfair that Dillon, who was 19th in the standings, gets to participate in the playoffs? Probably. But he won, and Truex didn’t. Don’t hate the player; hate the game.
Tyler Reddick finished second. He helped his Richard Childress Racing teammate in the closing laps by defending away other cars, and it ensured a 1-2 finish for RCR and locked both teams into the playoffs. Reddick may be headed to 23XI Racing in 2024, but his business with Childress is far from over.
Now, will Reddick actually drive for RCR next season? Childress says so, but the Silly Season has gone from relatively tame to unhinged in just a few weeks. Busch hasn’t signed with any team for 2023. 19-year-old Ty Gibbs has been filling in for Kurt Busch at 23XI while he is out with concussion symptoms, and many in the industry feel he is ready for Cup, even though he has been announced to run in the Xfinity Series again next season.
Kurt Busch, 44, is near the end of his career and forfeited his playoff position. It’s not known what his future holds, but it seems plausible that his tenure in NASCAR has already ended. Concussion injuries are challenging to grasp, and Busch knows that protecting his health is more important than driving a racecar for another year.
Who might be in the No. 45 Toyota next year if it isn’t Kurt Busch? Perhaps Gibbs. Perhaps younger brother Kyle (although there might be a conflict of interest with Kyle’s Rowdy Energy brand and the Monster Energy brand currently on the car).
There have been rumors all summer about where Kyle Busch might land. Kaulig Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, and RCR (granted, not seen as likely) have been seen as candidates.
Then Richard Childress said something peculiar during his press conference at Daytona after his grandson won.
“You said that. I didn’t,” when asked if Kyle Busch would join the fold in 2023. That’s not a hard “no,” or a hard “yes.” But Childress says he and Busch have settled their differences, which came into the headlines after an infamous 2011 Truck Series crash where Busch wrecked RCR’s Ron Hornaday intentionally.
“He’s a great race driver,” Childress said about the two-time Cup champion.
The Silly Season will sort itself out over the coming months as it does every year. There is so much uncertainty and anticipation about both of the Busch brothers’ futures. There is nothing that fans and press folks can do other than wait until they are ready to disclose their plans, though.
For now, the focus for 16 drivers will be the 10 races leading to the crowning of a champion. Chase Elliott won the regular season title and seeks his second championship in three years while his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson looks to repeat. Several new faces are in the playoffs this fall, including Ross Chastain, Daniel Suárez, Chase Briscoe, and Austin Cindric, while veterans like Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, and Denny Hamlin look to add to their resumés.
NASCAR’s first stop will be Darlington Raceway for the Southern 500. In 10 weeks, a championship will be decided at the desert oval of Phoenix Raceway.
