The NASCAR Playoffs start today at Darlington, so before we get into other things, we should probably explain how the NASCAR Playoffs work. I’m using bullet points here because that’s the vibe I’m feeling, but don’t read them in a random sequence, as bullet points give license to do. Read them in order. Please. It will make more sense that way.
- There are ten races.
- There are sixteen drivers.
- Every three races, the bottom four drivers in the standings are eliminated from the chase for the championship (but they keep racing, as do all the drivers who didn’t make the playoffs in the first place).
- Drivers who win one of the three races (across every three-race round) are automatically advanced to the next round.
- The final round is just one race: the championship.
- Drivers start with some points they’ve earned through wins and stage wins and winning the regular-season championship. But not a ton of points. No one’s out of it yet.
Make sense?
No?
Well, read it again. Or reach out directly, I guess.
I don’t know if Darlington’s an old-school track, but it’s got old-school vibes. I think there’s something called the “Darlington Stripe” that happens there because cars ride the wall a bit. Anyway, just thought I’d throw that out there before getting to why I’m really here.
What I Know About Each Playoff Driver
Kevin Harvick (starting at 57 points)
Drives the Number 4 car, a Ford, for Stewart-Haas Racing (yes, Stewart is Tony Stewart—remember him?). Won the regular season championship. Won the championship for-real back in 2014. A veteran (44 years old). The favorite, but only narrowly, because after him there’s this guy:
Denny Hamlin (47 points)
Hamlin didn’t rack up as many regular season points as Harvick, but he shared the “you can probably expect one of these two guys to win on any given day” role. Hamlin’s one of the best in the sport, but he’s never won a championship, and he’s getting old (not as old as Harvick but pretty old). Drives the 11 car, a Toyota, for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Brad Keselowski (29 points)
Ok. I could be wrong on this. But my read on Brad Keselowski is that he used to be kind of polarizing, but then Joey Logano came around and everyone said “You know, Brad Keselowski’s fine.” He drives the Number 2 car (that doesn’t mean it’s a shit car; it’s just labeled with the number two), a Ford, for Team Penske. Won the championship in 2012.
Joey Logano (22 points)
The villain! Eddie Haskell in a firesuit, but worse than Eddie Haskell. And in full color. Logano won it all in 2018. That doesn’t mean we like him. Drives the 22 car, a Ford, for Team Penske.
Chase Elliott (20 points)
Young. Handsome. The Most Popular Driver (that’s a real award I think it’s voted on by the fans). Elliott figures to have a long career ahead of him, and the hope is he can help carry the sport back to more prominence. He drives the 9, a Chevy, for Hendrick Motorsports.
Martin Truex, Jr (14 points)
Martin Truex says some profane things about other drivers on the radio, which is always fun. He was a feel-good story in 2017 when he won the championship amidst his longtime (we’re talking over a decade) girlfriend’s battle with cancer. He’s from New Jersey, and he’s a Philly fan, which explains the profanity about other drivers on the radio. Drives the 19, a Toyota, for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Ryan Blaney (13 points)
The third Penske Boy, but more allied friendship-wise with the young crop of drivers than with Logano and Keselowski, Ryan Blaney comes from a racing family in Ohio. His grandpa was a big deal on the dirt tracks. His dad was a NASCAR driver. He’s Bubba Wallace’s best friend. He likes Star Wars. He’s sponsored by Menards (and we love Menards, friends). On the rise. Drives the 12, a Ford, for Penske.
Alex Bowman (9 points)
This guy seems kind of boring. I really just don’t know a lot about him. His name’s Alex, so we all know that. He’s not that old, but he also doesn’t really seem like he’s part of the Wallace/Blaney/Elliott crew. Maybe I’m wrong. Drives the 88, a Chevy, for Hendrick Motorsports.
William Byron (7 points)
Byron, a student at Liberty University (I don’t like Jerry Falwell either, but here we are), drove his way into the field with a victory last weekend. He’s young, and he drives Jeff Gordon’s old ride, so he’s got some notoriety from that. The 24. Chevy. Hendrick Motorsports.
Austin Dillon (5 points)
Richard Childress’s grandson, Dillon’s been accused of being the product of nepotism. That may be the case, but he’s also won a Daytona 500 and made the playoffs a few times. Drives Dale Earnhardt’s old Number 3 car, a Chevy, for Richard Childress Racing.
Cole Custer (5 points)
Kind of a wildcard. Not in that he, himself, is wild. He’s just a rookie who didn’t finish that high in the standings but made the field by winning at Kentucky in a fairly wild finish. Likes beer, so that’s cool. Drives the 41, a Ford, for Stewart-Haas Racing.
Aric Almirola (5 points)
A pro’s pro. Or at least, that’s what it seems like from my rather uneducated vantage point. Of Cuban descent, Almirola’s been around a while. He’s only won two races in his career, but he’s been a solid points racer during his time with Stewart-Haas, for whom he drives the Number 10 Ford.
Clint Bowyer (4 points)
The oldest feller out there (in the playoffs, I don’t know about non-playoff qualifiers) besides Harvick (oops and Kurt Busch, forgot about Kurt Busch), Bowyer’s been around a while. He’s never won a title, but he’s kind of boisterous and gets some attention that way. Not a bad driver, either—ten career wins, which isn’t shabby. Drives the Number 14 Ford for Stewart-Haas.
Kyle Busch (3 points)
The reigning champion, and the champion back in 2015 as well, this Busch has had an enormously frustrating year. Nothing has gone right. Which is an especially good storyline because Busch is already a self-proclaimed dick and is pretty quick to be pissed off. Drives the 18, a Toyota, for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Kurt Busch (1 point)
Kyle’s older brother. Won the championship all the way back in 2004. Drives the 1, a Chevy, for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Matt DiBenedetto (0 points)
I’m pretty sure this is DiBenedetto’s first playoff appearance, and kind of a surprise because he drives for Wood Brothers Racing, not one of the powerhouse teams. I also think he’s come across as a good dude, but I have no way of knowing that for sure. 21 car. Ford.
***
Winner today moves on to the Round of 12. Two more races after today before the Round of 12, though, so bottom four don’t get eliminated yet.
