NASCAR Cup Series: Chase Bubble Watch

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Daytona Beach under the lights for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 to settle the final three spots in the Chase.

Driver Standings

13 of the 16 available postseason positions have been filled prior to the regular season finale at Daytona.

After a trip to the northeast, Denny Hamlin will officially enter the Chase as the first seed and the series’ regular season champion. Somehow, this is Hamlin’s first career regular season title, and he clinched it by the narrowest of margins.

The driver who could not make up that two point gap? That would be Ryan Blaney.

Blaney is fresh off of his third win of the season but was unable remain in contention for the first seed heading into the final regular season race.

However, with the top five position solidified and his Chase-bound status, he grew his margin to the driver behind.

Ty Gibbs is the next driver who is already locked into the Chase. He returns to the postseason for the first time since 2024 with superb momentum after claiming his first two series victories this year.

Tyler Reddick’s fall from grace has landed him in fourth place before the final regular season race. The current Daytona 500 champion returns to that very track with the opportunity to retake third place and start his championship hunt on the right foot after his poor summer.

Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe have both made tremendous climbs through the standings. Already locked in, they sit fifth and sixth and look to remain hot throughout the final ten races.

Newly Locked

Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott are also locked into the Chase. Unlike the duo ahead of them, they have been on a summer slump to forget.

Daytona could be the catalyst for an inspired playoff run or horrible enough to continue their cold streak.

The whole garage knew that Team Penske would dominate the final quarter of the regular season when the 2026 schedule was announced. That collective thought turned into reality.

Joey Logano surged from outside of the Chase to ninth and locked in one race before the deadline and has his even year sparkle back yet again.

RFK Racing has one driver locked into the Chase. Chris Buescher’s consistency shined throughout the regular season which earned him and all of Prosper, Texas a reason to tune into the final run to the championship.

Then, Carson Hocvar rode the dente and his first career victory at Talladega to the Chase as well. Hocevar will have to channel his inner “intimidente” once again at Daytona in order to increase his championship odds in his first crack at it.

The final two drivers currently locked into the chase prior to Daytona is William Byron and Daniel Suarez.

Byron enters the Chase in a similar fashion to his teammates. The former Coke Zero Sugar 400 winner knows his way around the high banks at night which could be enough to turn the tides.

Like his teammate, Daniel Suarez is riding the high of his emotional Coke 600 victory to the Chase. He and Spire Motorsports will have an uphill battle in the final ten races from their current points position.

The Bubble

Unlike the two series below, the Cup Series’ Chase is nearly complete before the final race has been run. Three Chase positions remain open heading into Daytona but really, it’s more like two.

Bubba Wallace’s top five at New Hampshire was not enough to lock him into the Chase one race ahead of the deadline. That’s the bad news. The good news for him is his 75-point advantage will lock him into one of the three open spots once the race starts.

The final two drivers currently above the Chase cutline are Austin Cindric and Shane van Gisbergen.

Cindric has a chance to complete a Team Penske Chase trio. He sits 15th, 44 points ahead of Ryan Preece entering Daytona. In order to lock himself in, his superspeedway strategy should be simple. Stay out of the mess and finish the race.

van Gisbergen also has a moderate advantage to the cut. The lone Trackhouse Racing hopeful and current 16th and final Chase driver has a 31-point advantage to Preece heading into the Coke Zero Sugar 400.

With their large gaps to the cutline, nearly all of the superspeedway stress lies in Ryan Preece.

In order to will his way into the Chase after his early season drivers point penalty, Preece and his No. 60 RFK Racing team will have to deliver a Daytona for the ages.

A stage sweep, a win, and a whole lot of luck will have to combine for him to leap ahead of the cutline.

Preece will start fourth in his quest to qualify for the Chase. The NASCAR Cup Series’ Coke Zero Sugar 400 will kick off tonight at 5:30 p.m. ET on NBC.