The Cup Series regular-season finale has arrived.

Fifteen drivers have secured spots in the Round of 16 regardless of what happens at Daytona: Martin Truex Jr., William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell, Chris Buescher, Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

That leaves just one playoff spot up for grabs at the iconic Daytona International Speedway.

With differing scenarios based on the driver standings, owner standings, and valuable playoff points still up for grabs, here’s what you need to know about the playoff situation heading into Daytona.

Locked-in drivers

The aforementioned 15 are locked into the playoffs, but there’s still lots to race for Saturday night for the postseason-bound drivers.

In addition to the stages and race win, the final regular-season standings also pay out playoff points. Truex owns a 39-point advantage over Hamlin and looks set to capture the regular-season championship should he avoid major issues Saturday.

The top seed entering the postseason gets an additional 15 playoff points. Positions 2-10 are also awarded bonus points, and that’s where the battles get very interesting.

Keselowski, sixth, and Reddick, 12th, are separated by just 14 points. A sixth-placed finish in the regular-season standings pays out five extra points – the equivalent of a race win. That’s a significant swing for the group of seven drivers in this mix considering Reddick and Busch were eliminated in the Round of 16 by just two points a year ago.

While the focus will naturally be on the cut line, don’t underestimate the importance of the points battle inside the top 10.

On the bubble

Three drivers can point their way into the playoffs if there isn’t a new winner: Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suarez, and Ty Gibbs.

Wallace enters the race with a 28-point advantage over Suarez. Should the No. 23 team rack up 28 points in Saturday’s race, Wallace will make the playoffs no matter what Suarez accomplishes, barring a new race winner.

On the flip side, Suarez needs to outscore Wallace by 29 points and not lose more than 22 points to Gibbs in the process to make the playoffs without a win.

If Gibbs is to appear in the postseason as a rookie, he’ll likely require a win. He’d have to outscore Wallace by 50 points and Suarez by 22 to jump both in points.

Must-win situation

The simple way to snag the final playoff spot? Just win the race.

Of course, that’s much easier said than done. But if it’s going to happen anywhere, it’s at a superspeedway like Daytona where anyone can win.

2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott headlines the group of drivers in a must-win situation. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet missed six races after breaking his leg in a snowboarding accident and was suspended for another due to intentionally wrecking Hamlin, putting him in uncharted waters below the cutline.

Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman is also among the must-win drivers. He missed three races this season due to a back injury as a result of a sprint car crash. NASCAR also docked him 60 points in April for a technical violation.

A.J. Allmendinger, Austin Cindric, Justin Haley, Aric Almirola, Ryan Preece, Corey LaJoie, Todd Gilliland, Erik Jones, Austin Dillon, Harrison Burton, Chase Briscoe, and Ty Dillon are also in need of a win to maintain championship eligibility.

Of this group, Almirola, Cindric, Austin Dillon, Haley, and Jones have all won a Cup Series race at Daytona. Add Elliott to the mix when looking at superspeedway winners overall, as well as Wallace.

Needless to say, a large contingent of drivers facing a must-win situation are capable of winning at Daytona. That makes Saturday’s event a must-watch for racing fans.

Owner standings

The winner of the driver standings receives the big trophy after Phoenix. But just like last year, injuries have resulted in a difference in the driver and owner standings, putting another wrinkle into the equation at Daytona.

The owner standings are based on the performance of each car rather than the individual driver. It’s also the standings that actually pay the bills.

For example, LaJoie garnered 16 points when substituting for Elliott at Gateway in June. Those points went toward LaJoie’s ranking in the driver standings, not Elliott’s, and to the No. 9 car in the owner standings, rather than the No. 7 car he drives full time for Spire Motorsports.

Elliott’s missed time means he’s on the outside looking in, but the No. 9 car remains in the owners’ championship thanks to the performances of LaJoie, Josh Berry, and Jordan Taylor when Elliott was on the sidelines.

The No. 9 team has a 30-point advantage over Wallace’s No. 23 car for the final spot. Those are the only two teams that can point their way into the owners’ playoffs – the rest have to win to claim the final spot.

Even if Elliott doesn’t win and make the drivers’ playoffs, maintaining the gap to Wallace and securing the No. 9 team’s chances at an owners’ title is a must for the sport’s most popular driver.

The Coca-Cola Zero Sugar 400 commences Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.