Daytona could feature unique pairings in race to make playoffs

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Kurt Busch’s decision to relinquish his playoff waiver creates a trickle-down effect that could alter Saturday’s Cup regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway (7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock).

Simply, Ryan Blaney is in a better chance to make the playoffs. Martin Truex Jr. moves into the final playoff spot. Bubba Wallace, who needs a win to make the playoffs, will have an inexperienced teammate helping him.

Daytona marks the sixth consecutive race Busch has missed because of concussion-like symptoms since his July 23 crash in qualifying at Pocono Raceway.

“I know he’s frustrated, emotional about it,” 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin said of Busch. “We just want to support him in any way we can and give him the time off he needs to get better.”

With Busch out, Blaney has more control of his fate. He’s 25 points ahead of Truex, who holds the final transfer spot. 

“I think our mindset is race like normal,” Blaney said Friday at Daytona. “Honestly, you always want to go up and try to win the race. You always want to get stage points. You always want to try to stay out of the wrecks. I don’t really see having any other thought process. 

“If you play conservative, you can find yourself in a bad spot at the end of the race if you just ride around at the back and don’t get stage points.”

Truex agrees.

“I think we need to go race and try to stay at the front and try to get stage points,” he said. 

There is a scenario where Truex could make the playoffs simply by pushing Blaney to the win. If Blaney won, Truex would make the playoffs because no one is close enough in points to take his playoff spot. 

But the idea of a Toyota driver pushing a Ford driver to the win at Daytona?

“If (Blaney) ended