Joey Logano is the first driver to earn a spot in the Championship 4 Round with his victory last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, leaving three positions still up for grabs but only two chances left to secure them.
NASCAR Cup Series Driver Playoff Outlook Following Las Vegas Motor Speedway |
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| Rank | Driver | Points | Race Wins | Stage Wins | Playoff Pts | Starts | +/- Cutoff |
| 1 | Joey Logano | 4,084 | 3 | 6 | 26 | 33 | In On Wins |
| 2 | Ross Chastain | 4,063 | 2 | 6 | 21 | 33 | 18 |
| 3 | Chase Elliott | 4,062 | 5 | 6 | 46 | 33 | 17 |
| 4 | Denny Hamlin | 4,051 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 33 | 6 |
| 5 | William Byron | 4,045 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 33 | -6 |
| 6 | Chase Briscoe | 4,042 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 33 | -9 |
| 7 | Ryan Blaney | 4,040 | 0 | 8 | 15 | 33 | -11 |
| 8 | Christopher Bell | 4,028 | 2 | 4 | 18 | 33 | -23 |
Chastain sits in second with two races left in the Round of 8
Ross Chastain, in his first playoff appearance, is second in the postseason standings following the Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas and is up 18 points on the cutoff with a shot at the Championship 4.
“It’s so good to be driving these Trackhouse Racing Chevy’s for everybody at Advent Health, Moose Fraternity, Jockey and Worldwide Express,” said Chastain. “To keep bringing this kind of speed in the playoffs is a dream come true.”
Chastain grew-up not too far from Homestead-Miami Speedway in Alva, Fla., and returns to his home state looking to lock-up his chance at making the Championship 4.
So far, Chastain has been impressive in his first postseason run, making seven starts and putting up two top fives and four top 10s. His average finish during the playoffs is 12.7.
Chastain will have to work this weekend to maintain his current points cushion, as Homestead-Miami has not been his best track.
In three Cup Series starts, he has a best finish of 17th (last season). His average finish at the Miami track is a 28.3 – the worst of the eight playoff contenders.
Elliott has work to do
The 2022 regular-season champion, Chase Elliott, sits in third in the point standings following the Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, up 17 points on the Championship 4 cutoff.
Since winning the Cup Series title in 2020, Elliott has earned a spot in the Championship 4 the last two seasons and is looking to make it three straight this season for a shot at his second-career championship.
If Elliott were to win the title this season, he would join Kyle Busch (2015, 2019) as the only other multiple title holder active in the series.
In seven Playoff starts this season, Elliott has been on a roller-coaster ride, posting one win (Talladega) and two top fives.
He has led 84 laps and has an average finish of 17.6.
Elliott has run well at both Homestead and Martinsville, the final race in the Round of 8, in his career. At this weekend’s track, Homestead-Miami, Elliott has made six series starts posting two top-fives and three top 10s. Plus, he leads all eight playoff contenders in average finish at the 1.5-mile track with a 9.0.
Hamlin on the cutline
Denny Hamlin has had the most experience in the final round with four career appearances (2014, 2019, 2020, 2021) and is looking for his fourth consecutive appearance this weekend at one of his best tracks, Homestead-Miami Speedway.
“I’m looking forward to Homestead,” said Hamlin. “We had a very good test there a few weeks ago and really felt like we unloaded as one of the best cars. After two days, the field kind of caught up to us a little bit, but I have a lot of confidence going there. I feel like the driver can make a difference just with the different lines you can run, so I think that fits into our strengths on top of just how strong we have been on these types of tracks this year.”
In 17 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile track in South Florida he has collected three wins (2009, 2013, 2020), five top fives and 11 top 10s. His average finish at the track is 10.0 (second-best among playoff contenders) and he has led 393 laps.
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Chris Graham
