​The surprise of the “win and in” is gone, but a bevy of unknowns still lurks at Daytona International Speedway for Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale.With their cars having undergone an aerodynamic and horsepower overhaul, drivers will be learning on the fly at 200 mph around the 2.5-mile oval.There will be no practice session before the 400-mile race at Daytona. To understand the impact on handling from changes that will increase passing runs by 3 mph while also reducing grip, the first opportunity will come when cars are inches apart at speed shortly after the green flag.How to watch 2026 NASCAR Cup race at Daytona: TV info, schedule, entry list, Chase standings, previewThe Cup Series regular season will conclude Saturday night on NBC. Nate Ryan,So what to expect?“That’s a great question and it’s something that every driver, every crew chief, even every spotter is currently debating,” said Austin Cindric, who has a lot riding on the performance of his No. 2 Ford.Cindric is one of five drivers trying to claim the three remaining spots in the Chase, the 10-race title run that will begin Sept. 6 at Darlington Raceway. Through 25 races, there are 13 drivers locked into the Chase field, which will be set exclusively by the points standings.That’s a major change from the past 12 seasons of the elimination playoffs, which tied championship-eligible berths to victories and opened up the possibility of out-of-nowhere winners (such as 19th-ranked Austin Dillon and 34th-ranked Harrison Burton in 2024) making the playoffs.NASCAR resurrects ‘The Chase’ as the 10-race championship format returns for 2026 seasonThe overhaul is the most significant update of its postseason in 12 years. Nate Ryan,But there still could be an upset brewing at a track whose reputation for chaotic scrambles and unpredictable finishes could increase exponentially under the lights.“Honestly, at this point, I have no expectations,” defending series champion Kyle Larson said. “I’m not a car guy. I’m not an engineer. I’m not an aerodynamicist, so I don’t really know what the racing is going to look like, but I’m excited to get out there and try to feel it out and learn quickly. I think we all hope that the racing is better and you can make runs work and all the things, but until we get out there, I have no clue.”There are some things that we do know heading into Daytona … and here are five major items to keep an eye on Saturday night:Chase cutlineBubba Wallace needs only two points to lock up a Chase spot. The 23XI driver is a superspeedway ace (with two Daytona 500 runner-up finishes), and he easily could clinch by the end of Stage 1 (a ninth or better in the opening 35-lap segment would be enough).To make up a 66-point deficit to 16th, Brad Keselowski will need some poor finishes by the competition combined with a strong result for his No. 6 Ford (which has been 18th or worse in six of the past 10 races at Daytona and hasn’t scored