The field of 16 has come together and the start of NASCAR playoffs is finally here! After an exciting season, the Round of 16 starts on Sunday with the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Let’s take a look at who’s in, and some previews and predictions of who will take home the 2024 NASCAR Championship.
Standings and Playoff Rules
For those who are unfamiliar with the NASCAR playoffs, here’s a little crash course. The playoffs consist of the Round of 16, Round of 12, Round of 8, and the Championship Four. Winning a race gives you an automatic bid into the next round. In Rounds 16, 12 and 8, the bottom four drivers are eliminated at the end of each round.
After the end of the Round of 8, the final four drivers compete in a winner-take-all race that will take place at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, November 10th. Here’s a look into the current standings entering Atlanta for the start of the playoffs:
- Kyle Larson 2,040 points
- Christopher Bell 2,032
- Tyler Reddick 2,028
- William Byron 2,022
- Ryan Blaney 2,018
- Denny Hamlin 2,015
- Chase Elliot 2,014
- Brad Keselowski 2,008
- Joey Logano 2,007
- Austin Cindric 2,007
- Daniel Suarez 2,006
- Alex Bowman 2,005
- Chase Briscoe 2,005
- Harrison Burton 2,005
- Ty Gibbs 2,004
- Martin Truex Jr. 2,004
Playoff Schedule
Round of 16
- September 8th: Atlanta Motor Speedway.
- September 15th: Watkins Glen International.
- September 21st: Bristol Motor Speedway.
Round of 12
- September 29th: Kansas Speedway.
- October 6th: Talladega Superspeedway.
- October 13th: Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course
Round of 8
- October 20th: Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
- October 27th: Homestead-Miami Speedway.
- November 3rd: Martinsville Speedway.
Championship 4
- November 10th: Phoenix Raceway.
Who’s In? Who’s Out?
This season saw eight drivers who made the playoffs miss it this year. That means eight drivers who missed it last year also made it this year.
These playoffs will feature two drivers who made it for the first time in their careers: Harrison Burton and Ty Gibbs. Those who made the playoffs last season but missed this year include Bubba Wallace, Michael McDowell, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ross Chastain, Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick (retired). Those who missed last season but made it this season include Chase Briscoe, Harrison Burton, Alex Bowman, Austin Cindric, Chase Elliot, Daniel Suarez and Ty Gibbs.
Probably the two biggest surprises of this season were the winners who snuck in during the final two regular season races, and two-time champion Kyle Busch missing out on the playoffs. In the final two races, two drivers stole wins away to lock themselves into the playoffs. Harrison Burton was last in the standings for playoff eligible drivers and won the race at Daytona in dramatic fashion to punch his ticket. Last weekend at Darlington, in a race that was dominated by Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe made a pass for the lead with under 10 laps remaining to steal a win while he was below the cut line to punch the final ticket to the post season.
Additionally, Kyle Busch in his first season at Richard Childress Racing, missed the playoffs. Kyle had a NASCAR Cup Series record of 19 consecutive seasons where he has won a race. But he was not able to extend that streak this season. The 2015 and 2019 Cup Series champion failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
Betting Odds and Storylines
Current betting odds for the NASCAR Championship as of September 4th, 2024 (Fanduel Sportsbook):
- Kyle Larson +350
- Denny Hamlin +450
- Christopher Bell +450
- Tyler Reddick +600
- William Byron +700
- Ryan Blaney +800
- Chase Elliot +1200
- Joey Logano +1600
- Martin Truex Jr. +1800
- Brad Keselowski +2200
One of the biggest storyline will be, can Denny Hamlin finally win the NASCAR Championship? The 19-year veteran has won pretty much everything else in the Cup Series, but still has not won a championship in his career.
Tyler Reddick won the regular season championship this season and is looking to keep that momentum into the playoffs. Six drivers are competing for another championship to add to their trophy case. Ryan Blaney is looking to be the first back-to-back champion since Jimmie Johnson did it back in 2009-2010. Kyle Larson, Chase Elliot, Martin Truex Jr. ad Brad Keselowski are looking to become two-time champions this season, and Joey Logano is looking for his third championship.
These NASCAR playoffs are going to be a must watch, and it will be exciting to see if there will be a repeat or a first time champion this season.
