Bubble Watch: Last chance comes in Daytona regular-season finale

Kevin Harvick is the latest driver to clinch a 2021 NASCAR Playoffs berth, and he did so via points. That means 15 of the 16 postseason spots are taken, leaving just one up for grabs as the NASCAR Cup Series takes on Daytona International Speedway for its regular-season finale. Saturday's Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is the drivers' last shot to make the title battle.

TYLER REDDICK

Points to the good: 25 | Full standings
Trending: Warm -- Before Michigan, Reddick had six races in a row where he scored at least 30 points. Michigan was actually his lowest points day since Richmond, the ninth race of 2021.
Daytona outlook: Cold -- Reddick hasn't finished better than 27th in his four career starts at Daytona. He also crashed out of three of those four races.

AUSTIN DILLON

Points behind: 25 | Full standings
Trending: Cold -- Though his point deficit went from 28 to 25, Dillon is coming off of back-to-back DNFs from crashes. He hasn't finished within the top 10 since Charlotte, 11 races ago.
Daytona outlook: Hit or miss -- Dillon has won at Daytona before (2018) and finished third there earlier this season. He has also placed outside the top 10 in four of the last five events, including a DNF. He is the only other driver besides Reddick who can potentially make the playoffs on points.

MATT DiBENEDETTO

Points behind: 120 | Full standings
Trending: Warm -- DiBenedetto has finish 11th or better in the last six races, including back-to-back results of sixth or better. His points gap, though, means he has to win to make the playoffs.
Daytona outlook: Cold -- In 12 career starts, DiBenedetto has no top-five finishes and only three top 10s. He finished 33rd at Daytona earlier this season, completing just 14 of the 200 laps.

CHRIS BUESCHER

Points behind: 135 | Full standings
Trending: Cold -- Buescher hasn't recorded a top-10 finish since Charlotte in May. He also hasn't totaled more than 30 points since then.
Daytona outlook: Hit or miss -- Buescher finished 31st at Daytona earlier this year and has five career DNFs in 11 starts. But he also has three top-five and five top-10 finishes, including two in the last three races.

RICKY STENHOUSE JR.

Points behind: 173 | Full standings
Trending: Cold -- Stenhouse hasn't placed within the top 10 since Nashville, nine races ago. He earned 37 points two weeks ago at the Indy Road Course, where he finished 11th, but only 25 points last weekend with a 12th-place result at Michigan.
Daytona outlook: More miss than hit lately. Stenhouse does have. Daytona win from 2017 but he also hasn't finished better than 13th in his last seven races there.

ROSS CHASTAIN

Points behind: 185 | Full standings
Trending: Hit or miss -- Chastain earned just two points last weekend with a 35th-place finish and then eight points the weekend before at the Indy Road Course. Before that, though, he gained 30 and 34 points at Watkins Glen and New Hampshire, respectively.
Daytona outlook: Warm -- Chastain finished seventh at Daytona earlier this season. Though it's just one of his two top-10 finishes in six starts there, it is his career best finish and in his current equipment compared to preview part-time rides.

BUBBA WALLACE

Points behind: 195 | Full standings
Trending: Cold -- Wallace hasn't had a top-10 finish since the second Pocono race in June. He has scored more than 20 points since then just twice.
Daytona outlook: Hit or miss -- Wallace crashed out of the Daytona race earlier this season, but the race before that there, he was fifth. Wallace has also been runner-up at Daytona before (2018).

CHASE BRISCOE

Points behind: 227 | Full standings
Trending: Cold -- Briscoe's finishes as of late have been inconsistent. Those marks are 11th, 26th, ninth, 27th, 15th and sixth, dating back to Road America).
Daytona outlook: Hit or miss -- Briscoe has just one Cup start at Daytona, in which he finished 19th. In the Xfinity ranks, he best finish was third in four starts.

ERIK JONES

Points behind: 250 | Full standings
Trending: Cold -- Jones has scored more than 20 points just once in the past nine races. That one time was on a road course, too, where he finished seventh (Indianapolis) -- his first top 10 since the Bristol dirt race in March.
Daytona outlook: Hit or miss -- Jones' first career win came at Daytona in 2018. He finished 39th earlier this season, though, and has crashed out of the last two races there.

DANIEL SUAREZ

Points behind: 254 | Full standings
Trending: Cold -- Suarez has finished 20th or worse in the last six races. He also has scored just one point in three of those events.
Daytona outlook: Cold -- Suarez has never finished better than 17th at Daytona in eight starts and has crashed out of seven of those races. He averages a 31.6 average finish and finished 36th there earlier this season.

RYAN NEWMAN

Points behind: 271 | Full standings
Trending: Cold -- Newman finished 10th at the Indy Road Course but otherwise hasn't placed within the top 10 since Darlington in May. In the past eighth races, Newman hasn't finished better than 22nd in seven of them.
Daytona outlook: Hit or miss -- Newman has crashed out of the last two Daytona races, but he has also finished within the top 10 in five of the last eight events there. Newman has a Daytona win from 2008.

TOP 30 AND ELIGIBLE

Ryan Preece, -279
Daytona stats: 5 career starts, two top 10s, 22.4 average finish

Cole Custer, -295
Daytona stats: 3 career starts, 26.0 average finish

Corey LaJoie, -370
Daytona stats: 9 career starts, 3 top 10s, 18.7 average finish

Anthony Alfredo, -440
Daytona stats: 1 career starts, 32.0 average finish