The common 2024 NASCAR Cup sequence season might have closed at Darlington, crowning Tyler Reddick its champion, however the 2024 Sequence title is much from settled. That is all decided within the subsequent 10 races as a part of the Cup playoffs. For those who’re already misplaced, or a fan who wants a refresher, we have got you.
This 12 months marks the tenth 12 months with the knockout-style format. Initially known as ‘The Chase’ in 2004 and involving ten drivers who merely tried to collect extra factors than the others over the course of the ultimate ten races, the system has turn into one thing completely totally different within the fashionable period. It was a decade in the past that NASCAR did a an entire overhaul and launched an expanded playoff subject, eliminations, and ten races cut up into 4 distinct rounds to find out the Cup Sequence’ Season Champion.
So, how precisely does it work? This is a simplified breakdown of all of it:
16 contenders
After the primary 26 races, each full-time driver with a win is locked into the playoffs. The remainder of the 16-driver subject is made up of these with essentially the most common season factors, however no wins throughout the 12 months. In 2024, the one drivers to make it in on factors alone had been Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs.
Factors reset: The standings then reset with each playoff driver awarded 2,000 playoff factors. Bonus factors amassed throughout the common season are added to the full — 5 factors per race win, one level per stage win, and a handful of extra factors for the ten highest drivers within the standings earlier than the reset. This features a whopping 15 for the common season champion. Nevertheless, they will not be alone out on the observe. All of the drivers who failed to make the playoffs will nonetheless be competing and doing so with one aim in thoughts — steal race wins.
Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing, zone / GetGo Chevrolet Camaro
Picture by: Ben Earp / NKP / Motorsport Images
Three rounds of elimination
Spherical of 16: The primary three races of the playoffs make up the Spherical of 16, the place the 4 lowest drivers in factors (often thirteenth by sixteenth) can be eradicated from title rivalry. Just like the common season, a win by any playoff driver — regardless of how few factors, robotically advances them into the next spherical.
2024 races: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Watkins Glen Worldwide, Bristol Motor Speedway
What to anticipate: That is the spherical the place most of the ‘pretenders’ fall out of the playoffs, corresponding to those that aren’t usually aggressive however managed to seek out their strategy to Victory Lane at one level throughout the common season. Nevertheless, which will change this 12 months with the introduction of a drafting observe (Atlanta) to the opening spherical, in addition to a street course. Bristol may very well be one other wildcard after the shocking tire wear that threw the spring race into chaos, as the identical compound is about to return for this September’s cut-off race. It is a spherical the place the drivers seeded close to the highest of the standings solely want to remain out of bother to make sure development.
Spherical of 12: The factors are reset to three,000 with the entire bonus factors added again, in addition to any extra bonus factors earned throughout the Spherical of 16. The format between these rounds could be very comparable with one other three races, eradicating the 4 drivers with the least quantity of factors. When this spherical ends, half of the unique playoff subject can be gone.
2024 races: Kansas Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL
What to anticipate: The mid-point of the playoffs is thought to have its fair proportion of shock exits. That is partly as a result of inclusion of a street course and a drafting observe, however this 12 months, each the Spherical of 16 and Spherical of 12 share this distinctive attribute. Because of this, 2024 may doubtless be essentially the most unpredictable playoffs but. At Talladega, producer loyalty can be every part as these not a part of the title hunt grew to become property to people who are throughout the Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota camps. The ROVAL returns as an elimination race, which often results in odd methods and drivers within the hazard of falling quick willingly giving up observe place in a determined try to garner stage factors. A.J. Allmendinger capitalized on this in 2023, short-pitting the phases and snatching a win away from the playoff drivers.
Watch: See a number of angles of Chastain’s last-lap transfer to advance at Martinsville
Spherical of 8: The factors reset to 4,000, together with bonus factors for another three-race stretch. This leads into the penultimate race of the season the place the underside 4 drivers with no win will as soon as once more be eradicated. A win by any of the remaining eight drivers over the course of this spherical robotically ensures them a shot on the title within the finale. There can be as much as not less than one driver transferring in on factors, relying on who wins these races.
2024 races: Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Martinsville Speedway
What to anticipate: This spherical is thought for its drama with the championship drawing close to. It has featured a number of bodily altercations between title combatants, notably in 2014 when an all-out brawl ensued between the groups of Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski. In 2015, Matt Kenseth was suspended after deliberately wrecking Joey Logano out of playoff rivalry in payback for a earlier incident. The record goes on, together with the now banned wall-ride maneuver that launched Ross Chastain into the 2022 Championship 4 and made him a viral sensation. This spherical is often the climax of the season, much more so than the title-decider. Ending at a brief observe, contact is widespread and tempers are anticipated to flare.
Notice: Any factors ties throughout these rounds will damaged by a driver’s highest end throughout the three races inside that particular person spherical.
Championship 4
The winner-take-all finale! The 4 remaining drivers will battle it out within the thirty sixth and remaining race of the season because the factors are reset to five,000. Through the race, there are not any stage factors awarded for the Championship 4 drivers. The format turns into very simple right here — whoever finishes highest, wins the title. A tie, which occurred within the outdated format throughout the 2011 season, is now not potential. Wherever they qualify, the 4 contenders are assured to pick their pit packing containers earlier than the remainder of the sphere.
Host observe: Phoenix Raceway
What to anticipate: Because the present format’s inception, the champion has needed to win the finale each single season — till final 12 months. Ross Chastain grew to become the primary non-playoff driver within the knockout period to spoil the celebration and seize the checkered flag within the title-decider, drawing the ire of 2023 champion Ryan Blaney as he did so.
The 4 drivers for the 2014 Dash Cup: Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Ryan Newman, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Joey Logano, Crew Penske Ford, Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet
Picture by: NASCAR Media
Phoenix has hosted the finale since 2020, identified for its wild restarts the place the complete subject followers out as they reduce the frontstretch apron in a weird, however completely authorized show. Three of the final 4 champions have all began from pole at Phoenix, so qualifying can be vital. Final 12 months, Blaney received the title from fifteenth on the grid.
And one very last thing to bear in mind concerning the present format: Something can and can occur. The dominant driver is assured nothing and underdogs are given the prospect to put in writing their names into the historical past books. It might not be the fairest strategy to crown a season champion, however it by no means lacks for pleasure.
