Burton’s win comes two weeks after Austin Dillon, who was thirty second in factors on the time, gained at Richmond and would have punched his playoff ticket had NASCAR not rescinded it attributable to its extremely controversial nature. Up till 2022, neither of these wins would have assured a playoff bid as a result of NASCAR required playoff drivers to be within the high 30 in regular-season factors — a rule that was too lenient because it was.
Now it is gone solely, and these are the implications. Bubba Wallace and Ross Chastain, two drivers who’ve been aggressive all season lengthy, are respectively 21 and 27 factors behind Chris Buescher for the ultimate playoff spot with solely subsequent Sunday’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway remaining to struggle their option to the proper aspect of the bubble. But Burton, who even after his victory is nonetheless thirty fourth within the full-season standings, might be in.
Make no mistake: the playoffs aren’t solely dangerous. In actual fact, one might argue they’re an enchancment from the pre-2004 format in relation to figuring out a champion. There’s nowhere to cover anymore, robotically compiling “good, not nice” outcomes all season lengthy to win a title by advantage of avoiding danger and dangerous luck. The cream has to rise to the highest, and it is no coincidence that no playoff champion has ever recorded fewer than three wins or 500 laps led — each benchmarks that weren’t met by 2003 champ Matt Kenseth.
The “win-and-in” facet, although, has gone too far. Burton being within the playoffs this season is the NASCAR equal of if a four-win NFL group certified for the playoffs as a result of they scored essentially the most factors of any group within the league in a single week. Regardless that it is unlikely that he’ll advance very far, it is an eyesore to take a look at the standings and see one of many lowest-ranked full-time drivers all season lengthy assured to complete no worse than sixteenth in factors.
Frankly, 16 drivers making the playoffs is an excessive amount of to start with. Initially it was solely 10, then it expanded to 12 in 2007, then the format was modified as soon as once more in 2011 to incorporate the top-10 drivers in regular-season factors together with the 2 drivers between eleventh and twentieth with essentially the most wins. That format was in all probability the fairest, however it went away after Michael Waltrip Racing’s “Spingate” scandal at Richmond Raceway in 2013 exploited the system.
The present format was put in the next season, together with the top-30 rule which lasted by way of 2021. Now, it does not matter how badly a driver performs all 12 months — so long as they’re working full-time and so long as there aren’t greater than 16 winners within the common season, one win will get them in. The “win-and-in” facet was badly uncovered in 2022 when Martin Truex Jr. missed the playoffs regardless of being fourth in full-season factors, and Burton has now uncovered it once more.
It is time for some adjustments. NASCAR must not solely carry again the top-30 rule however lower it to 25 if not 20. Limiting the playoff discipline again to 12 drivers would not be a foul transfer, both.
