
How does the NASCAR playoff system work?
The playoffs are conducted in four segments, the first three of which consist of three races apiece. The four drivers lowest in points after each three-race round bow out from championship contention, though a win in any of the three races will guarantee advancement to the next round.
How many drivers can qualify for NASCAR playofs?
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs consist of 16 drivers. Drivers automatically qualify for the playoffs with a win (as long as there are no more than 16 winners) in the first 26 races. Any playoff positions not filled with a race winner are filled based on point standings.
When does the NASCAR season start?
NASCAR will debut on the USA Network for the Cup Series on July 3 at 3 PM EST. This will be the first time it has appeared on the channel. The network will house 26 races total in 2022. Which network gets Talladega next year?
What time does the NASCAR race start?
🏁 NASCAR All-Star Open 12:00 AM - 4:00 AM UTC NASCAR Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway. Watch now on FS1. Tap for race details, viewing information and more!

How does the last race of the Nascar playoffs work?
1:293:15The NASCAR playoff format explained - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd final race of the playoffs. There's four cars with equal points all battling it out to see who'sMoreAnd final race of the playoffs. There's four cars with equal points all battling it out to see who's the champion. No playoff points are carried over for this round.
What is the NASCAR Chase format?
The NASCAR Cup Series version of the playoff system is often called the Chase for the Cup, and includes sixteen drivers that compete for the championship in the final ten races of the Cup Series. The first nine races are divided into three rounds, with four participants being eliminated after each round.
Who advances to the next round in NASCAR?
Winning a race in a round automatically advances a driver to the next round, while the remaining spots are filled based on points. So, if three different playoff drivers win a race in the Round of 16, nine spots would be filled based on points and the four lowest point-getters are eliminated.
How many cars make the Nascar playoffs?
Here in stock car country, there are 16 teams in the title fight, but like CFP and bowl season, those 16 teams share their postseason stage with a bunch of other teams that are competing for wins, but not for the championship.
What happens if NASCAR has more than 16 winners?
The drivers who have won more than once are locked in, as the 16 playoff spots are officially awarded to the regular season champion and the 15 drivers who rank next highest in the wins category.
How does the NASCAR point system work?
Races consist of three stages, with championship implications in each stage. The race winner following the final stage receives 40 points, second-place 35, third-place 34, fourth-place 33; and os on (a 35-to-2 scale). Those finishing 36th to 40th will be awarded one point.
Who got eliminated from the Nascar playoffs?
Austin Cindric and Daniel Suarez were eliminated from the playoffs along with Larson. Alex Bowman also won't advance to the third round as he missed the final two races of the second round after suffering a concussion in a crash at Texas.
What is the new Nascar schedule for 2022?
NASCAR schedule 2022DateRaceTrackJuly 17Ambetter 301New Hampshire Motor SpeedwayJuly 24M&M's Fan Appreciation 400Pocono RacewayJuly 31Verizon 200Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road CourseAug. 7FireKeepers Casino 400Michigan International Speedway26 more rows•4 days ago
Who won Talladega today 2022?
Chase ElliottChase Elliott Grabs Thrilling Victory in YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Advances in NASCAR Playoffs. TALLADEGA, Ala. (Oct. 2, 2022) – Always the unquestionable fan favorite at NASCAR's famed Talladega (Ala.)
How many NASCAR drivers advance to the playoffs?
The next round consists of races at Texas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and the Charlotte ROVAL. The top-eight drivers in points will then advance further into the playoffs.
Is Kyle Busch in the Nascar playoffs?
Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has been eliminated from the 2022 playoffs after a disappointing night at Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch, who recently announced his plans to join Richard Childress Racing in 2023, will not get the opportunity to go for a third NCS title this year.
Is Kevin Harvick out of the playoffs?
Kevin Harvick eliminated from NASCAR Cup Series playoffs in Round of 16 | NBC Sports. Advertisement: Your video will resume in .
What NASCAR drivers are in the Chase?
NASCAR playoff field 2022Chase Elliott* 2,040. ... Joey Logano. 2,025. ... Ross Chastain. 2,020. ... Kyle Larson. 2,019. ... William Byron. 2,014. ... Denny Hamlin. 2,013. ... Ryan Blaney. 2,013. ... Tyler Reddick. 2,012.More items...•
Why did NASCAR start the chase?
Reason for the Chase This playoff system was implemented primarily to make the points race more competitive late in the season, and indirectly, to increase television ratings during the NFL season, which starts around the same time as the Chase begins.
Who was eliminated from the Nascar playoffs?
Reigning champion Kyle Larson eliminated from 2022 NASCAR PlayoffsCONCORD, N.C. – Kyle Larson will not repeat as the NASCAR Cup Series champion in 2022.A 35th-place finish, five laps down, in the Round of 12 elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course on Sunday relegated the No.More items...•
How many races in a season are contended in the Chase for the Sprint Cup?
The four rounds of the new 10-race Chase will be called the Challenger Round, Contender Round, Eliminator Round and Championship Finale. After every three races, NASCAR will eliminate four drivers until crowning a champion. NASCAR will now have what boils down to an actual playoff format.
What network is the NASCAR playoffs on?
From 2004 to 2006 some races aired on TNT, with the rest airing on NBC. From 2007 to 2009 all 10 races aired on ABC, but in 2010 NASCAR and ESPN quietly moved 9 of the 10 races to ESPN. In 2015 coverage returned to NBC with some races airing on NBCSN.
Why do NASCAR playoffs happen?
The publicly stated purpose for the NASCAR playoff system was to make the NASCAR mid-season more competitive, and increase fan interest and television ratings. The timing of the start of the playoff coincides with the commencement of the college and National Football League seasons and the final month of Major League Baseball 's regular season and Major League Baseball 's Playoffs. Prior to this format, the Cup champion was sometimes determined mathematically prior to the season finale, a situation that continued to exist in the lower-tier series, the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series, until they received their own playoff formats in 2016.
What is NASCAR short track racing?
In 2001, the United Speed Alliance Racing organization, sanctioning body of the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, a short-track stock car touring series, devised a five-race system where the top teams in their Hooters ProCup North and Hooters ProCup South divisions would participate in a five-race playoff, the Four Champions , named for the four Hooters Racing staff members (including 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion and pilot Alan Kulwicki) killed in an April 1, 1993 plane crash in Blountville, Tennessee. The system organized the teams with starting points based on the team's performance in their division (division champions earn a bonus), and the teams would participate in a five-race playoff. The five races, added to the team's seeding points, would determine the winner. The 2001 version was four races, as one was canceled because of the September 11 terrorist attacks, however, NASCAR watched as the ProCup's Four Champions became a success and drivers from the series began looking at NASCAR rides. The idea was to give NASCAR, which was becoming in many areas the fourth-largest sport (after Major League Baseball, the NFL, the NBA and surpassing in some regions the NHL) attention during baseball's road to the World Series and the outset of the pro and college football, NHL and NBA seasons.
How many NASCAR drivers have won the championship?
Nine different drivers have won the NASCAR Cup Series championship since the playoff system was implemented in 2004. Jimmie Johnson has the most championships under the playoff format with seven, while Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch are the only other drivers to win multiple championships since the system was introduced.
Why was the 2001 NASCAR race cancelled?
The 2001 version was four races, as one was canceled because of the September 11 terrorist attacks , however, NASCAR watched as the ProCup's Four Champions became a success and drivers from the series began looking at NASCAR rides.
How many drivers are in the Chase for the Cup?
The NASCAR Cup Series version of the playoff system is often called the Chase for the Cup, and includes sixteen drivers that compete for the championship in the final ten races of the Cup Series. The first nine races are divided ...
How many drivers can advance to the next round of the Chase?
Under this system, any Chase driver who won a race during a playoff round is automatically guaranteed a spot in the next round. Up to three drivers thus could advance to the next round of the Chase through race wins, regardless of their actual points position after the final (third) race in that round. The remaining drivers to advance was determined by points.
What are the four rounds of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs?
The 10 playoff races are divided into four rounds, and the first three rounds each have three races with the last one being an elimination race. The final round is the season finale and the championship race.
How do NASCAR drivers advance to the next playoff round?
We start this weekend at @TooToughToTame, but how does it shake out after @phoenixraceway in November? #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/ngcJvOWkdd
What playoff drivers have won the NASCAR Cup Series championship before?
After Jimmie Johnson retired from full-time NASCAR racing at the end of the 2020 season, Kyle Busch is the lone multi-time champion still competing.
How many points does Kyle Larson have in the playoffs?
Kyle Larson entered the postseason with 52 playoff points — including a 15-point bonus for winning the regular-season title — so he’s at the top of the standings currently with 2,052 points. Kevin Harvick is the 16th-seed driver and earned just two playoff points during the regular season, so his total going into the Southern 500 is 2,002 points.
Why do drivers win and advance?
This is where the “win and advance” mentality comes in because that’s the simplest way to move forward and still race for a title. A win in one round automatically advances a driver into the next round, but that victory has no bearing on future rounds.
Can you advance in the playoffs based on points?
Beyond wins, drivers can advance based on points in the standings. So for example, at the end of the first round, playoff drivers with a win or who are in the top 12 will move on. For the second round, drivers who have a win or who are in the top eight will continue, and so on.
Do points go to stage wins in the playoffs?
In the playoffs, points are still awarded for stage and race wins and can help give drivers a boost going into the next rounds.
How many rounds are there in NASCAR?
There are four rounds in the NASCAR playoffs: the Round of 16, the Round of 12, the Round of 8 and the Championship 4. There are three races in the first three rounds, with the four lowest drivers in points being eliminated. Drivers can automatically clinch a spot in the next round by winning one of the three races each round. The Championship 4 is one winner-take-all race for the title.
Who made the NASCAR playoffs in 2021?
As always, 16 drivers qualified for the NASCAR playoffs in 2021. The group includes drivers who won a race this season (as long as they competed full time) and then the remaining highest point-getters among non-winners to fill out the full field of 16.
How many drivers will compete in the Bill France Cup?
Sixteen drivers will compete to hoist the Bill France Cup as NASCAR Cup Series champion.

Overview
The NASCAR playoffs is a championship playoff system used in NASCAR's three national series. The system was founded as 'The Chase for the Championship' on January 21, 2004, and was used exclusively in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2004 to 2015. Since 2016, NASCAR has also used the playoff system in the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series.
The NASCAR Cup Series version of the playoff system is often called the Chase for the Cup, and …
Origins of the playoffs
The publicly stated purpose for the NASCAR playoff system was to make the NASCAR mid-season more competitive, and increase fan interest and television ratings. The timing of the start of the playoff coincides with the commencement of the college and National Football League seasons and the final month of Major League Baseball's regular season and Major League Baseball's Playoffs. Prior to this format, the Cup champion was sometimes determined mathem…
Cup Series
The playoffs system was announced on January 21, 2004, as the "Chase for the Championship,” and first used during the 2004 Nextel Cup season. The format used from 2004 to 2006 was modified slightly starting with the 2007 season. A major change to the qualifying criteria was instituted in 2011, along with a major change to the points system. Even more radical changes to the qualifying crite…
Xfinity and Truck Series
On January 19, 2016, NASCAR announced the introduction of a playoff format for the Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series. Both series use the same elimination formula as the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, however, with some modifications (most notably, smaller fields, and only two rounds of elimination instead of three, due to both having seven races in their playoff formats compared to the ten in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs). In the Truck playoffs, there ar…
Comparison of Playoff Champion vs Non-Playoff Points standings
Ten different drivers have won the NASCAR Cup Series championship since the playoff system was implemented in 2004. Jimmie Johnson has the most championships under the playoff format with seven, while Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch are the only other drivers to win multiple championships since the system was introduced.
Below are the hypothetical champions based on only regular points standings after last season r…
Criticism
The NASCAR playoffs has been criticized as a "gimmick" to the sport and has been questioned over whether it is fair compared to not having the playoff at all. After failing to make the Championship 4 in 2020 despite winning 9 races and winning the regular season title (as well as winning a fourth championship if there were no playoff), Kevin Harvick remarked that winning the NASCAR championship "aren’t like winning like Petty and Earnhardt used to win them." Matt Crafton's …
See also
• 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs
• 2016 Chase for the Sprint Cup
External links
• Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Chase Grid Archived January 19, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
• (2004–06) Point system explained – NASCAR.com
• It's a little complicated, but it just might work Archived March 9, 2012, at the Wayback Machine – NASCAR.com