DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Martin Truex Jr. should feel safe heading to Darlington Raceway for the NASCAR Cup Series’ regular-season finale. The 2017 series champion has a 58-point cushion in the playoff standings. It’s likely enough considering the most any driver could make up is roughly 60. Thirteen of the 16 postseason spots are locked, with Harrison Burton surprisingly securing the latest at Daytona International Speedway. Truex has a strong grasp on one of the remaining three, so NASCAR essentially has two bids up for grabs at the track nicknamed “Too Tough to Tame.” It will make for an intriguing race next weekend, with Ty Gibbs, Chris Buescher, Bubba Wallace and Ross Chastain vying for one spot based on points and nearly two dozen others needing to win to get in.
