Bubba Wallace Officially Clinches NASCAR Chase Spot at Daytona
· Yahoo Sports
Bubba Wallace can finally stop worrying about the cutline.
The 23XI Racing driver officially clinched his place in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase during Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, securing his postseason future before the regular-season finale was even over.
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Wallace entered Daytona in the strongest position among the drivers still trying to lock themselves into the 16-driver Chase field. He needed only two points to make it official.
He took care of that during the race.
Wallace finished the stage in sixth place, collecting enough points to mathematically guarantee himself a spot in The Chase regardless of what happens over the remainder of Saturday night.
At Daytona, where one crash can erase an entire night in seconds, getting that business handled early was no small thing.
Bubba Wallace No Longer Has to Worry About the Daytona Cutline
Wallace entered the regular-season finale 14th in the Cup Series standings with 630 points, holding a 75-point advantage over the postseason cutline.
That left him in dramatically better shape than the drivers behind him.
Austin Cindric entered Daytona 15th in points, 44 above the cutline, while Shane van Gisbergen held the 16th and final Chase position with a 31-point advantage over Ryan Preece.
Brad Keselowski entered the night 66 points below the cutline and still mathematically alive.
Wallace’s situation was much simpler. With only two points needed to clinch, the biggest threat was the unpredictability of Daytona itself.
That threat is now gone.
Whatever happens to the No. 23 Toyota over the remaining laps, Wallace knows his championship pursuit will continue when The Chase begins.
Wallace Can Turn His Attention to Winning at Daytona
Clinching during the race also changes the complexion of Wallace’s night.
There is no longer any need to calculate points or worry about protecting his position relative to the cutline. His Chase berth is secure.
Now he can focus entirely on trying to win the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Wallace has already proven he can get it done at Daytona. He scored his first career Cup Series victory at Talladega in 2021 and has established himself as one of the stronger superspeedway racers in the Cup garage, including multiple runner-up finishes at Daytona.
But whatever happens at the finish Saturday night, one of the biggest questions surrounding Wallace entering NASCAR’s regular-season finale has already been answered.
He’s in.
Bubba Wallace will race for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series championship.