NASCAR Barometer: Byron Wins Regular-Season Finale

William Byron weathered the storm and raced his way to the front to win his first NASCAR Cup Series race, the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in a make-or-break regular-season finale to set the championship playoff field. Byron was on the outside of the playoff field after rivals Jimmie Johnson and Matt DiBenedetto had the points advantage heading into the final stage at Daytona, but Byron successfully avoided the crashes and won in a dramatic overtime finish to advance into the playoff field, eliminating teammate Jimmie Johnson in his final full-time season in the series.

Up next on the schedule is the first race of the first round of championship eliminations at Darlington Raceway. This weekend's Saturday-night showdown will be the third time the teams race at the track this season after it hosted NASCAR's return to action after shutting down for the pandemic. The usual suspects, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick, won those first two races and have since gone on to be the most dominant pair in the series. 

UPGRADE

William Byron – Byron spent most of his Saturday night in Daytona racing in the top 10 in a nail-biting effort to retain his final spot in the playoff field. After the first two stages his advantage had been erased as DiBenedetto and Johnson both secured more stage points to make it a 60-lap shootout to make the championship field. After a big crash took Johnson out of contention, all Byron had to do was get to the finish, but he did not let up and forced his way to the front in an impressive drive from the young driver. His win put the cherry on top of his championship berth, and he should be viewed as a driver capable of advancing deep into the elimination rounds. Twelfth-place is his best Darlington finish in four tries. 

Joey Logano – Logano worked his way to the front after the competition caution Saturday night and held on to win his fifth stage of the season in a tense finish to the opening segment. He then went on to lead the field to the finish of the second stage, setting up a potential race-winning run in the final segment. Things looked like they were falling his direction until the crashing began. Logano was one of the many victims of Daytona's carnage, but his 36 laps led were the highest of any driver that night. His two wins so far this season guaranteed his spot in the championship playoffs. Logano has never won at Darlington, but he does have three top-fives and six top-10s from 13 career starts at the track, including a sixth-place finish in the last race there earlier this season.

Matt DiBenedetto - DiBenedetto entered Saturday's race in a more uncomfortable position than he would have liked. Despite having a cushion in points to retain his spot in the playoffs, there was plenty of danger for him to navigate before closing the deal. However, DiBenedetto had good fortune on his side, and he successfully navigated the multiple pitfalls to finish 12th and secure his spot among the 16 drivers still eligible to compete for the championship. This week, DiBenedetto has to put that stress behind him and focus on being consistent and being mistake-free in this week's first race in the round of 16. With two top-10s in his last three Darlington races, he could be in store for a good start to his playoff campaign.

Kevin Harvick – Harvick ended the regular season with momentum firmly in his grasp. He clinched the regular-season championship two weeks ago, and he now enters the knockout rounds with a record stash of playoff points to help him advance all the way to the finale. Up first is the Southern 500. Harvick won at Darlington when racing returned earlier this season, leading 159 of 293 laps. While he had a lackluster night at Daytona, his foundation had already been laid. Harvick has points on his side to help him navigate the initial knockout rounds and potentially earn one of the four championship spots on offer for Phoenix, which is a track at which he's consistently been one of the best.

Denny Hamlin – Toyota cars ran at the front Saturday in Daytona. Denny Hamlin was one of those drivers at the front of the field. His tremendous success this season already makes him a championship favorite, but his effort on Saturday may be evidence of championship-winning form. Hamlin led just nine laps, but he spent the entire night at the front of the field and avoided all the missteps that befell his fellow competitors. His third-place finish was the highest-placed Toyota and his 15th top-five finish of the season. Like Harvick, Hamlin won at Darlington earlier this season. He also has the additional points to help him navigate the early elimination rounds, and many fantasy players should expect him to be among the final four in Phoenix.

DOWNGRADE

Jimmie Johnson – After a midseason slump, Johnson entered Saturday night's race on the outside looking in at the playoffs. Recent weeks saw him eat into that deficit, setting up a three-way battle to make it into the playoff field. Saturday, knowing what had to be done, Johnson was the most aggressive he has been in recent memory. His work was getting the job done, too. It all came undone in the final segment when, while running in the top 10, Johnson could not sneak through one of Daytona's famous crashes unscathed, forcing him out of playoff contention. The seven-time series champion missed out on the playoffs by just six points despite being disqualified in Charlotte and missing the Indianapolis race. It was an impressive effort that came up just shy.

Erik Jones – Jones came into Saturday's race with nothing to lose. He knew he had already lost his ride for 2021 and would be looking for another team. He also knew that he was not in the playoff positions. All he had to do was go out and race for the win. That is exactly what he did, and he was a factor as long as he remained in the race. The problem for him was that he didn't remain in the race, though. Jones was one of the many competitors caught in the first major crash of the evening, which left him with nothing to show for his effort. Without making the playoff field, it seems as though Joe Gibbs Racing made the correct decision to not renew his contract. It's now up to Jones to prove them wrong in the final 10 races.

Kyle Busch – Once again this season Busch appeared to have a car that could contend for the win only for it all to come apart. After spending 31 laps out front, an ill-timed block caused him to crash in the night's first major accident. The damage was enough to put Busch completely out of the race and was entirely emblematic of his 2020 season to date. While he had safely claimed a spot in the playoffs, he's joint last among the 16 playoff drivers. He has a lot to do with no room for error as he works to find his way into the final four at Phoenix later this year. He remains on the prowl for a win, though. One this week would see him through to the round of 12, and it would be the second Darlington win of his career. He finished second there earlier this season.

Matt Kenseth – Kenseth continues to find the going rough since his return to NASCAR Cup Series racing. His 28th-place finish Saturday night was his third finish outside of the top 20 in the last five races and his 11th of the season. While Kenseth said he expected it to be a challenge, after finishing 10th in his first race back at Darlington, he probably didn't expect it to be this tough. Although Kenseth can offer fantasy managers the upside potential of the odd top-10 finish, he has truly been more of a top-15 or top-20 kind of selection. While he finished 10th in that Darlington return, fantasy managers should keep in mind that just a few days later on the same track he finished 30th.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Bubba Wallace – Fantasy players have known for some time that Wallace can be a driver to look to when the series heads to the two superspeedways. He did the job again on Saturday, driving from a 21st-place starting position to finish fifth. The kicker is that just a handful of laps prior to the conclusion, he made a move that may have given him the win. Wallace legitimately put himself in position to win that race, and it isn't the first time he has done something like that. At certain tracks, even with less than ideal equipment, he's a driver who can race with the best of them. It seems like just a matter of time before Wallace finds the additional pieces needed for the puzzle to earn his first series victory.