Brad Keselowski in Need of 'a Miracle' in NASCAR's Regular-Season Finale at Daytona
Five drivers are fighting for three playoff berths, and a Daytona win would secure a Chase spot for any of the 27 eliminated drivers.
- On Saturday, the NASCAR Cup Series concludes its regular season at Daytona International Speedway with the Coke Zero Sugar 400, determining which three of five bubble drivers qualify for the 16-driver Chase field.
- NASCAR implemented a revamped 2026 playoff format that ends the 'win-and-you're-in' system, forcing drivers to rely on points standings rather than guaranteed entry through regular-season victories.
- Bubba Wallace and Austin Cindric hold comfortable cushions above the cutline, while Shane van Gisbergen and Ryan Preece battle for the 16th spot and Brad Keselowski trails by 66 points requiring a win.
- With engine changes reducing horsepower from 510 to 465, points leader Denny Hamlin warned the lack of track testing could lead to 'absolute chaos' during the race.
- Whoever survives Saturday night at Daytona will carry their Chase seeding into next week's Southern 500 at Darlington, marking the first race of the 2026 postseason.
26 Articles
26 Articles
My Mother Lode
Brad Keselowski in need of ‘a miracle’ in NASCAR’s regular-season finale at Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Brad Keselowski needs “a miracle” at Daytona International Speedway to make the Cup Series playoffs. A more likely scenario: his teammate at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, Ryan Preece, eking into the postseason with a strong showing at NASCAR’s home track Saturday night. “My car needs like a miracle,” said Keselowski,...
Five Drivers, Three Spots: NASCAR's Chase Bubble Comes Down to Daytona
NASCAR’s Cup Series closes out its regular season Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway, where the Coke Zero Sugar 400 will decide which three of five bubble drivers join the 16-driver Chase field under the series’ revamped 2026 playoff format. NASCAR scrapped the “win-and-you’re-in” elimination playoff structure used from 2014 through 2025, returning instead to […]
NASCAR Chase Cutline Tracker: Who’s In, Who’s Out Before Daytona?
There is no more hiding from the NASCAR Cup Series standings. Twenty-five races have reduced the fight for the 2026 Chase to one final night at Daytona International Speedway, where the regular season ends Saturday with the Coke Zero Sugar 400. For most of the field, the postseason question has already been answered. For five drivers, it hasn’t. Only three spots remain in NASCAR’s 16-driver Chase field. Bubba Wallace, Austin Cindric and Shane va…
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