NASCAR is a massively popular motorsport, and with the NASCAR Cup Series playoff underway, it’s essential to examine which drivers will be competing for the championship.
Who Will Make the 2024 NASCAR Playoffs?
We’ve used our research and knowledge to put together a guide to who is most likely to compete at the top of the NASCAR championship playoff.
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Kyle Larson
Larson drives for Chevrolet and is in first place in the Cup Series. He has one win and two top-five finishes this season, giving him 185 points. Kyle struggled to finish races in the 2023 season, which cost him the cup. However, he’s hoping to go one better in 2024 and walk away as the NASCAR Cup Series playoff winner. With his ability, he has an excellent chance to make 2024 his year.
Ryan Blaney
After winning the 2023 NASCAR Cup, Blaney is many people’s favorite for 2024. He drives for Ford and currently sits in eighth place in the rankings. However, he has 177 points, and a single win would likely move him to first place. If he can get into a solid groove, he will be a competitor for the championship this season. After landing one pole position this season, Blaney shows he can potentially make it up the rankings and win the cup again.
Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin is currently sitting in second place in the rankings. A win in his last race has helped to push him up, and Hamlin is in a better position than last season. Driving a Toyota, Hamlin has an excellent chance of maintaining his drive throughout the championship.
William Byron
A win and a top-five finish have helped Byron to fourth position in the current standings. He finished third in the playoffs last season, slightly below his 2023 performance. Like Larson, Byron drives a Chevrolet and pushes it to its limits. Byron has been disappointing after winning the season’s first race, but he can still pull himself back up the rankings.
Christopher Bell
Bell finished fourth last season in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff. The Toyota driver holds third place with a win and two top-five finishes this season. However, he has been inconsistent beyond these two finishes, with two places in the 30s. Bell can be aggressive when needed, so he could surge up the rankings later in the season.
Martin Truex Jr.
Truex Jr. took 11th in the NASCAR Cup in 2023, so he hopes to improve his performance. So far, his Toyota has taken him to sixth in the rankings, but he’s managed it without any wins. Three top-ten finishes and a top-five have given Truex Jr. 185 points, making him an outside competitor for the playoffs. Martin Truex Jr. will struggle to win the championship, but he’s a shoo-in to make the playoffs.
Chase Elliott
With just a single top-ten position this year, Elliott hasn’t pulled up any trees yet. He sits in ninth position in the standings, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Chase Elliott has yet to finish below 19th, and it’s just a matter of time before his placings improve and Chase picks up more points. He’s an outside pick for the overall champion but is almost guaranteed to make the playoffs.
Brad Keselowski
Sitting in 13th position in the standings, Keselowski’s placing here may raise some eyebrows. However, it’s purely due to a slow start, with two consecutive 33rd-place finishes in the season’s first two races. Brad has turned it around with a 4th and 3rd at Phoenix and Bristol, showing his quality. If he can keep this form up, the playoffs are likely for last year’s 8th place.
Chris Buescher
14th is a false position for Buescher in the standings. Two top-tens and a second-place finish show what he can do when he gets his Ford performing. Inconsistency is what will stop Chris from winning the cup, but he should be a certainty to be one of the NASCAR playoff drivers.
Tyler Reddick
Reddick is another inconsistent driver, taking his Toyota to a second, tenth, twenty-ninth, and two thirtieths this season. It’s a record that shows what he’s capable of when he performs at his best and how low he can end up without total concentration. Tyler Reddick should make the playoffs, but he’s an outside contender to be champion.
Ty Gibbs
Ty Gibbs is performing above expectations this season, with two top-ten and two top-five finishes. This puts him at seventh in the standings, and his 178 points mean a single win could see him leap into first place. He’s unlikely to maintain this over the regular season, but a playoff place is highly likely.
Ross Chastain
Chastain is overperforming in his Chevrolet, hitting two top-ten and a top-five finish. His 151 points leave him in tenth place, unlikely to challenge for the top spot, but comfortably in the playoff places. Expect to see him battling it out at the end of the regular season.
Alex Bowman
Bowman has bookended an average start to the season with two excellent performances. With 132 points, he’s sitting in twelfth, but a fourth-place finish in his last race means he has the ability to climb the standings if he can put some consistency together. Alex Bowman should be in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
Daniel Suarez
Suarez is an outsider prediction to make the bracket for 2024. Despite an average season, he took first in the second race, showing he can make something special happen. He’s unlikely to be the champion but can still battle in the playoffs.
John Hunter Nemechek
Two top-ten finishes have Nemechek in 15th place, which, if he keeps up this form, will allow him to race in the playoffs. Whether he can maintain his performance across the schedule remains to be seen, but he’s an outside pick.
Kyle Busch
Despite only hitting 122 points, he’s 10 points clear of the racer in 17th position. Four poor performances have hindered Busch, with a second-place finish giving him a playoff position. He’ll need to improve across the next stretch of races, particularly with Bubba Wallace looking to take the last playoff position behind him. Possession is 9/10ths of the law, and Busch is holding the final place.
