Three Up, Three Down: Drivers in focus leaving Michigan

Huge playoff implications highlighted Monday’s matinee at Michigan International Speedway. Tyler Reddick had the fastest car in the closing laps and held off the field after two overtimes to score his second Cup victory of 2024 and overtake Kyle Larson for the regular-season points lead. Meanwhile, Larson, Bubba Wallace, Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain and Martin Truex Jr. were all involved in incidents that affected their respective playoff positions.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

With one point separating two drivers for the 16th playoff spot and a regular-season title still to be contested between multiple drivers, Saturday night’s race at Daytona International Speedway (7:30 ET, NBC, Peacock, NBC Sports App, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is going to be stressful for all teams. See who’s trending upward and who is going the wrong way after Michigan.

THREE UP ⬆️

1. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Started: 19th

Finished: 3rd

What happened: A nightmare summer may finally be over for the sophomore Cup driver as Gibbs stormed through the midpack of the field to be in contention for his first career victory in the closing stages. Despite two OT restarts, Gibbs kept the No. 54 out of harm’s way and scored his first top-10 result since Chicago in July.

What’s next: With a 39-point gap entering Daytona, there are still no guarantees, but the No. 54 team now has multiple options to either maximize stage points Saturday or go all-out for the win. However, Gibbs hasn’t scored a top 10 at the 2.5-mile Florida superspeedway in four Cup starts.

2. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Started: 13th

Finished: 4th

What happened: An assertive call from crew chief Randall Burnett on the final pit cycle put Busch in the lead in the final 30 laps, but the two-time Cup champion eventually lost the lead to William Byron. However, a complete, incident-free day resulted in Busch’s first top five since Dover.

What’s next: A top five could pay off in huge momentum for the No. 8 team entering Daytona. RCR usually brings hot rods to Daytona and Busch had one of the fastest cars in the Daytona 500 in February. He’ll be one to watch Saturday night.

3. Zane Smith, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Started: 27th

Finished: 7th

What happened: The on-track improvements have shown for Smith and the No. 71 team this summer, and they’ve proved that a runner-up result at Nashville wasn’t a fluke. While Monday’s result was just the second top-10 finish of the year for Smith, the No. 71 has finished inside the top 20 in six of the last 10 races.

What’s next: Daytona is the ultimate wild card and of those well on the outside looking in, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Smith battling for the win among the top dogs of the sport. He finished 13th in the Daytona 500 back in February.

THREE DOWN ⬇️

1. Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Started: 24th

Finished: 24th

What happened: It looked like Truex was on his way to a top-five result to take command of a postseason position on points. But a slide into the wall with six to go parachuted Truex to a 24th-place finish and a third consecutive result outside the top 20 and fifth of such in the last six races.

What’s next: With only two races left in the regular season, no one can kick Truex out of a playoff spot on wins with four spots still open, but the recent finishes for the No. 19 team shouldn’t have it feeling comfortable despite a 77-point cushion. Superspeedways have been the Achilles’ heel for Truex with not a single win. However, he’s finished the first races at Daytona, Atlanta and Talladega on the lead lap taking the checkered flag 15th, 12th and 11th, respectively.

2. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Started: 7th

Finished: 25th

What happened: So close to another top-10 result was all for naught for the No. 1 team as Chastain spun during the first OT after a chain reaction that started with Alex Bowman slapping the wall down the backstretch. However, Chastain has now taken the 16th spot in the postseason by just one point over Wallace after the No. 23 driver was involved in a wreck in Stage 2.

What’s next: Chastain went for it all earlier in the Daytona 500 that ended in him and Austin Cindric spinning on the final lap battling for the crown-jewel win. Expect Chastain to bring the same assertiveness to the superspeedway but a more-measured approach as Darlington is a strong race track for the No. 1.

3. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota

Started: 5th

Finished: 26th

What happened: Wallace secured seven stage points at Michigan, but this one will sting for the No. 23 camp after he was caught in a late Stage 2 wreck when Larson spun right in front of him. The damage was enough to take all the speed out of the McDonald’s Toyota and all Wallace could do was watch his teammate take the checkered flag instead.

What’s next: If Daytona was stressful for Wallace last year, then Saturday night is going to be a whole other level as he has to be ahead of the No. 1 to jump back into 16th in the postseason. Wallace’s capabilities on superspeedways are well-known, and if the No. 23 can avoid a potential attrition-filled race, it could mean a guaranteed spot in the playoffs.