For the second straight week, a new winner shook up the NASCAR playoff picture.
After a wild three-wide move with 25 laps to go, Chase Briscoe was able to hold off the field — including a hard-charging Kyle Busch — to win the 2024 Southern 500 and make the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
2024 will be the second time in Briscoe’s four-year career that he will race in the playoffs, as his Phoenix win in 2022 clinched him a spot in that year’s postseason.
On the flip side of the battle for the win was two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, who, like Briscoe, needed a win to make the playoff field. After a runner-up finish at Daytona one week ago, it looked like Busch could put his disappointing 2024 campaign behind him if he could find a way around Briscoe.
However, it wasn’t meant to be.
Nor was it meant to be for Chris Buescher, who had his heart broken at Darlington for the second time in 2024.
“We felt like we did what we needed to do today,” Buescher told NBC Sports. “Didn’t quite get it done again, now we’re on the outside looking in. Unfortunately, it’s just the system we’re all playing in. We had such a great year. We outran so many of these cars that are going to get to compete for a championship, but that’s the system. We didn’t work it right.”
Buescher’s main competitor for the final playoff spot entering Sunday’s race was Bubba Wallace, who won the pole and led early before falling off as the race went along. A slew of late cautions had Wallace knocking on the door to potentially knock Buescher out, but a crash right in front of the No. 23 doomed Wallace’s playoff chances, even without Briscoe’s win.
Despite a damaged car, Wallace clawed his way to a 16th-place finish that just wasn’t quite good enough for a second consecutive playoff berth.
“We just got behind on adjustments,” Wallace told NBC Sports. “We got back in traffic, a spot we hadn’t been in all day, and got caught up in someone else’s mess. Hats off to the 14.”
“I thought I did something yesterday,” Wallace added, referring to his blazing fast pole lap on Saturday. “They one-upped us today and stood up when it was game time.”
Wallace’s unfortunate end to the regular season was watched in person by 23XI Racing co-owner and NBA legend Michael Jordan, who nervously watched the crown jewel race in the No. 23 team’s pit stall.
The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will begin Sept. 8 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
