NASCAR playoffs: Here’s how each driver fares at the opening round races

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series champion will be determined at the conclusion of a 10-race playoff schedule with 16 drivers in contention.

To win the title, though, the drivers will have to survive three elimination rounds to be one of the four finalists for the championship race at Phoenix Raceway in November. Four drivers are eliminated every round. Drivers who did not make the playoffs continue to race the remainder of the season.

Drivers earned playoff points to separate them from the rest of the field by winning races, stages, or finishing in the top 10 of the regular season standings. Kyle Larson and William Byron earned 32 playoff points, the most in the field, and start the playoffs tied for the points lead. Alex Bowman, who earned two points, starts at the bottom in 16th.

To have any hopes when Phoenix rolls around, drivers will need to get through the first round. Many fans and analysts look at the four lowest drivers in regular-season points as the ones most likely to be eliminated,  but every so often, a heavy hitter goes down early on. In 2023, then-defending champion Joey Logano failed to advance from the opening round. 

Darlington, Gateway, and Bristol are the three stops in the first round. Each track provides a different challenge for drivers.

Darlington – In 15 Darlington starts, Larson has an average finish of 12.5, which is fourth among active drivers. Larson has one win, seven top fives, and nine top 10s at the track. In the NextGen era, though, Larson has a dismal 20.6 average finish, which is 25th among active drivers. Larson does have a Darlington win in that span while suffering three DNFs, including this April. Larson’s career average is eighth among drivers with at least 15 Darlington starts.

Gateway – In the three NASCAR Cup Series races at Gateway, Larson’s 8.7 average finish is fourth all-time. He has one top five and two top 10s at the track. 

Bristol – Larson has led an unthinkable 873 laps in his last two Bristol races, winning both in dominant fashion. His average finish at the track is best among active drivers in career and NextGen races. His career average finish of 12.4 is fourth all-time among drivers with at least seven starts, leaving him behind only Benny Parsons, Dale Earnhardt, and Rusty Wallace.

Darlington – Byron’s average finish of 9.1 is the best in the NextGen era. He has one win, three top fives, and five top 10s since 2022. Even a DNF in the 2024 Southern 500 couldn’t knock him off the top spot. Byron finished second to Hamlin at Darlington in April after dominating the event. Byron’s career average finish of 15.0 is 12th among active drivers.

Gateway – Byron has just one top 10 Gateway in the track’s three NASCAR Cup Series events. His 14.0 average finish ranks 11th in the field.

Bristol – Byron’s career and NextGen average finish ranks 12th at Bristol. He has two top fives and five top 10s in his career.

Darlington – Hamlin won his fifth Darlington race in April, further solidifying his statistical ownership of the track. Hamlin has the best all-time average finish at the track (7.9) among drivers with at least five starts. Hamlin has five wins, 14 top 10s, and 19 top 10s at the track. He’s never had a DNF at Darlington. In the NextGen era, Hamlin has been slightly less dominant with his average finish of 10.3, ranking third.

Gateway – Hamlin has two top fives and two top 10s in his three Gateway starts. His average finish of 12.7 is 10th all-time.

Bristol – Hamlin is just behind Kyle Larson in the NextGen era at Bristol, with an average finish of 3.4, ranking him second. Larson has two wins in five NextGen starts. In 36 career races at Bristol, Hamlin has four wins, 13 top fives, and 20 top 10s. His 13.0 average finish is 10th among drivers with at least 20 Bristol starts.

Darlington – Darlington is not one of Blaney’s better tracks. His NextGen era average of 18.0 is fittingly 18th among the field. In career races, Blaney is 22nd among active drivers with an average finish of 18.8. Blaney’s best Darlington finish came in April with a fifth-place run.

Gateway – Blaney fell one lap short of a Gateway victory when he ran out of fuel on the last lap of the 2024 race, leaving him with a 24th-place finish. He has one top five and two top 10s at the track.

Bristol – Blaney has one top five and two top 10s at Bristol in the NextGen era. His career average finish is 17.8, 16th among active drivers.

Darlington – Bell’s 9.6 average finish is second in the NextGen era. He’s 10th among active drivers with a 14.2 average finish. In 12 Darlington starts, Bell’s best finish is third in May 2022.

Gateway – Bell is fourth among active drivers with a 9.0 average finish in three Gateway starts. He has two top 10s at the track.

Bristol – Bell has the third-best average finish at Bristol in the NextGen era and in career races among active drivers. Bell has yet to win at the track on asphalt, but did win a Bristol dirt race in 2023.

Darlington – In two Darlington starts, van Gisbergen has finished 20th and 26th. His average finish is 31st among active drivers.

Gateway – The rookie van Gisbergen has never raced at Gateway. The NASCAR Xfinity Series has not raced at the track since 2010, eliminating van Gisbergen’s chance to get some time at the facility.  

Bristol – With his only Bristol start resulting in a 38th-place finish in April, van Gisbergen’s average finish is the worst among active drivers.

Darlington – Elliott’s average finish of 15.8 is 14th among active drivers. In the NextGen era, he ranks sixth with an 11.9 average finish. His best finish at the track was third in May 2023.

Gateway – Elliott has just two starts at the track, missing in 2023 because of a suspension. His two finishes at Gateway are 13th in 2024 and 21st in 2022.

Bristol – Elliott has never won at Bristol, but his 11.3 average finish is second among active drivers. In the NextGen era, Elliott’s average finish is fourth in the field. Elliott is eighth all-time at Bristol among drivers with at least 16 starts.

Darlington – Briscoe slipped into the 2024 playoffs with a win at Darlington. His average finish of 15.9 at the track is 15th among active drivers. He ranks 14th among active drivers at Darlington in the NextGen era.

Gateway – Briscoe’s best finish at Gateway was 17th in 2024. His other starts resulted in finishes of 24th and 34th. He won the pole for the inaugural Gateway race in 2022.

Bristol – Briscoe has one top five and two top 10s in six Bristol starts. Despite not having the strongest numbers, Briscoe ranks sixth among active drivers at the track in average finish.

Darlington – In the NextGen era, Wallace is seventh at Darlington with an average finish of 13.1. His career average is 20th among active drivers. Wallace’s best finish at Darlington was fifth in May 2023.

Gateway – In three Gateway starts, Wallace has zero top 10s with a best finish of 21st. 

Bristol – Wallace has one top five and two top 10s in 12 Bristol starts. His 18.8 average finish in the NextGen era is 18th among the field.

Darlington – Cindric is 19th among active drivers in career races with an average finish of 18.3 at Darlington. In NextGen era races, Cindric is 21st at Darlington with an average finish of 18.3. Cindric has never scored a top 10 at Darlington.

Gateway – Cindric stole the win from his Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney after the latter driver ran out of fuel in 2024. Cindric finished 11th and 13th in his other two Gateway starts. 

Bristol – Cindric’s best Bristol finish was 13th in September 2024. He has two finishes of 30th or worse and is 27th in the NextGen era with an average finish of 22.6.

Darlington – Chastain’s average finish of 15.3 is 13th in the NextGen era. Among active drivers in all races, Chastain ranks 17th. He has three top fives and four top 10s at the track.

Gateway – Chastain has one top 10 in his three Gateway starts, an eighth-place run in 2022. Since then, Chastain has finished 12th and 22nd. 

Bristol – Two of Chastain’s three career Bristol top 10s have come in the last two races. He ranks sixth in average finish in the NextGen era but a distant 24th in career races.

Darlington – Logano’s lone Darlington win came in May 2022. Logano is fifth among active drivers in career races and NextGen races at Darlington. Logano has one win, two top fives, and three top 10s in the NextGen era. 

Gateway – Logano’s average finish of 3.0 is the best all-time at Gateway. He won the 2022 race and finished in the top five in the next two races.

Bristol – Bristol has arguably been Logano’s worst track in the NextGen era. In five NextGen starts, Logano has three finishes of 27th or worse, two DNFs, and zero top 10s. His NextGen average at the track is 27.0, 40th in the period. Logano fared better at the track earlier in his career, with two Bristol wins to his name.

Darlington – Berry’s four Darlington starts have been mostly forgettable. His 25.0 average finish at the track ranks 35th among active drivers in career races and 37th in NextGen races. He did score a third-place run in May 2024 but finished 30th or worse in the other three races.

Gateway – Berry’s 36.0 average finish at Gateway is the worst all-time at the track. He does have just one start at the track, however. 

Bristol – Berry has scored two 12th-place finishes at Bristol, his best runs at the track. His average finish is 15th in the NextGen Era.

Darlington – Reddick is among the best active drivers at Darlington. In 12 career races, his average finish of 12.3 is third among active drivers. In the NextGen era, Reddick’s average is the fourth best in the field. Reddick ranks ninth all-time at Darlington for average finish among drivers with at least 12 starts.

Gateway – Reddick finished fourth at Gateway in 2024. In 2023, he wrecked out and finished 35th. In the first Gateway race in 2022, Reddick finished 16th.

Bristol – Reddick has yet to score a top 10 at Bristol in the NextGen era, with a best finish of 15th since 2022. He has one top five and two top 10s in his career at the track. 

Darlington – Dillon’s career average of 15.6 at Darlington is modestly 13th among active drivers. In the NextGen era, though, Dillon has struggled to a 21.0 average finish, 28th in the field. He has just one top 10 at the track since 2022.

Gateway – Dillon has one top 10 in three Gateway starts, a sixth-place run in 2024. He wrecked out in 2023 and finished 15th in 2022.

Bristol – Dillon has one top 10 in the NextGen era at Bristol. In 20 career starts, he has one top five and four top 10s.

Darlington – Darlington has not been one of Bowman’s better tracks. His average finish of 19.8 is 24th in career races. He’s fared even worse in the NextGen era, with an average finish of 22.3, ranking 32nd. He has just two top 10s at the track since 2022.

Gateway – Bowman has zero top 10s at Gateway. His best finish was 13th in 2022. He finished 26th or worse in the other two races.

Bristol – Bowman has one top five and two top 10s at Bristol in the NextGen era. His career average of 20.0 is 25th among active drivers.