The common 2024 NASCAR Cup collection season could have ended at Darlington, with Tyler Reddick topped its champion, however the title is much from settled. That is all decided within the subsequent 10 races that make up the Cup playoffs.
This yr marks the tenth yr with the knockout-style format. Initially known as ‘The Chase’ in 2004 and involving 10 drivers who merely tried to assemble extra factors than the others over the course of the ultimate 10 races, the system has change into one thing fully totally different within the fashionable period. It was a decade in the past that NASCAR did a whole overhaul and launched an expanded playoff area, eliminations, and 10 races cut up into 4 distinct rounds to find out the Cup Sequence’ champion.
So, how precisely does it work? Here 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 area is made up of these with probably the most common season factors, however no wins in the course of the yr. 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 in the course of the common season are added to the entire – 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. Nonetheless, they will not be alone out on the observe. All the drivers who didn’t make the playoffs will nonetheless be competing and doing so with one purpose 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 (normally thirteenth by way of sixteenth) will probably be eradicated from title competition. Just like the common season, a win by any playoff driver – irrespective of how few factors – mechanically 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 lots of the ‘pretenders’ fall out of the playoffs, comparable to those that aren’t usually aggressive however managed to search out their method to a win at one level in the course of the common season. Nonetheless, which will change this yr with the introduction of a drafting observe (Atlanta) to the opening spherical, in addition to a highway course. Bristol could possibly be one other wildcard after the surprising tyre put on that threw the spring race into chaos, as the identical compound is about to return for this September’s cut-off race. This can be 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 in the course of the Spherical of 16. The format between these rounds may be very related: one other three races, eradicating the 4 drivers with the least quantity of factors. When this spherical ends, half of the unique playoff area will probably be gone.
2024 races: Kansas Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL
What to anticipate: The mid-point of the playoffs is understood to have its justifiable share of shock exits. That is partly because of the inclusion of a highway course and a drafting observe, however this yr, each the Spherical of 16 and Spherical of 12 share this attribute. In consequence, 2024 may doubtless be probably the most unpredictable playoffs but. At Talladega, producer loyalty will probably be all the pieces as these not a part of the title hunt change into property to those who are inside the Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota camps. The ROVAL returns as an elimination race, which normally results in odd methods and drivers at risk of falling quick willingly giving up observe place in a determined try and garner stage factors. A.J. Allmendinger capitalised 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 yet another three-race stretch. This leads into the penultimate race of the season the place the underside 4 drivers with out a win will as soon as once more be eradicated. A win by any of the remaining eight drivers over the course of this spherical mechanically ensures them a shot on the title within the finale. There will probably be as much as no 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 understood 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 competition in payback for a earlier incident. The checklist goes on, together with the now-banned wall-ride manoeuvre that launched Ross Chastain into the 2022 Championship 4 and made him a viral sensation. This spherical is normally the climax of the season, much more so than the title decider. Ending at a brief observe, contact is frequent and tempers are anticipated to flare.
Be aware: Any factors ties throughout these rounds will damaged by a driver’s highest end in the course of the three races inside that particular person spherical.
Championship 4
The winner-takes-all finale! The 4 remaining drivers will battle it out within the thirty sixth and last race of the season because the factors are reset to five,000. Throughout the race, there aren’t any stage factors awarded to 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 in the course of the 2011 season, is now not attainable. Wherever they qualify, the 4 contenders are assured to pick out their pitboxes earlier than the remainder of the sector.
Host observe: Phoenix Raceway
What to anticipate: For the reason that present format’s inception, the champion has needed to win the finale each single season – till final yr. Ross Chastain grew to become the primary non-playoff driver within the knockout period to spoil the social gathering and seize the chequered flag within the title decider, drawing the ire of 2023 champion Ryan Blaney as he did so.
Phoenix has hosted the finale since 2020, identified for its wild restarts the place your complete area followers out as they lower 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 will probably be vital, although final yr, Blaney gained the title from fifteenth on the grid.
One very last thing to recollect 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 will not be the fairest method to crown a season champion, but it surely by no means lacks pleasure.