Getty Kyle Larson celebrates a win at Kansas Speedway.
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin on September 4 with the race at Darlington Raceway (6 p.m. ET, USA Network). Now it’s time to get a refresher on the format and schedule.
The playoffs will feature four rounds with a decreasing number of championship-eligible drivers. First up is the Round of 16, which will have three races and all 16 drivers. Those that reached the playoffs will take on Darlington Raceway, Kansas Speedway, and Bristol Motor Speedway, and they will fight for a win that will automatically send them to the next round.
16 enter. 1 will leave the champion.
The #NASCARPlayoffs are here.
Once these three races are complete, the bottom four drivers in points will get eliminated from the playoffs. The other 12 drivers will move on to the Round of 12, which will feature races at Texas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and the Charlotte Roval.
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Eight drivers will leave the Round of 12 and they will continue in the semifinal round of the playoffs. These eligible drivers will battle for wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, and Martinsville Speedway. The goal is to secure one of the four spots in the season finale, which will take place at Phoenix Raceway on November 6.
All Drivers Will Compete Each Week
GettyDenny Hamlin celebrates a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
There will only be 16 drivers eligible to compete for playoff points, but they will not be the only ones on the track. The full field will suit up for the 10 remaining races, which sets NASCAR apart from other sports leagues.
The presence of other drivers means that there will be an extra emphasis placed on points. There have been scenarios in the past where non-playoff drivers won races, so those battling for spots in the next round had to gain as many points as possible.
The 2021 season alone had Bubba Wallace win at Talladega and Alex Bowman win at Martinsville. Neither was in the playoffs when they reached Victory Lane.
Between the possibility of non-playoff winners and only three races each round, points have even more importance during the playoffs. Teams will have to alter their strategies to get into the top 10 in each stage and at the end of the race, especially with wild cards on the schedule in Talladega and the Charlotte Roval.
Chase Elliott Secured a Major Advantage
GettyChase Elliott celebrates a win at the Charlotte Roval.
The emphasis on points is evident when looking at the initial leaderboard entering the playoffs. Chase Elliott has a massive advantage after winning the regular-season championship considering that it added 15 bonus points to his lead.
Elliott has 40 playoff points, which puts him 33 above the cutline. He should automatically move through the Round of 16 even without reaching Victory Lane at Darlington, Kansas, or Bristol.
Here we go. #NASCARPlayoffs
The rest of the leaderboard creates more intrigue. Chase Briscoe holds the 12th spot in the standings, and he is only two points above the cutline. A poor performance in the next three races could easily knock him down below the cutline, so he will have to focus on stacking more points than Daniel Suarez, Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman, and Austin Cindric.
Other than Elliott, there aren’t really any safe drivers during the Round of 16. Joey Logano is second in points, but he is only 18 points above the cutline. Ross Chastain is 13 points above the cutline while Kyle Larson is 12 points above. The other drivers in the playoffs have even less of a buffer.
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