After 26 races, 16 drivers did what they needed to do to stand out above the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series field. Now, the NASCAR playoffs are well underway, with 10 races and four rounds separating one driver from the Bill France Cup and the right to forever be called a NASCAR Cup Series champion.
For one driver, an entire season’s worth of work to try and get to the season finale in Phoenix with a shot to win the championship has now paid off. After a late race pass on Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin won at Las Vegas to become the first driver to secure his Championship 4 spot, giving him the chance to win the Cup Series championship that has long eluded him over his 20-year career. Now, just two races remain for three other drivers to join him, and any one of them can see their championship hopes be made — or broken completely — in the next two races at Talladega and Martinsville.
NASCAR playoffs at Las Vegas results: Denny Hamlin makes the Championship 4 with his 60th Cup Series win
Steven Taranto
NASCAR playoffs rules
The rules of the NASCAR playoffs are fairly straightforward. There are three rounds of the playoffs, with each comprised of three races, in which the bottom four in the playoff standings at the end of the round are eliminated. Drivers can earn their way to the next round by winning a race, or by earning enough points to stay above the cut line.
After the Round of 16, the Round of 12, and the Round of 8 whittle the field down, the final four drivers in the playoff standings will compete in the Championship 4, a pure match race for the championship. Whoever is the highest finisher of the Championship 4 drivers in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway will win the NASCAR Cup Series championship.
NASCAR playoffs Round of 8 standings
- #11 – Denny Hamlin (ADV)
- #5 – Kyle Larson (+35)
- #20 – Christopher Bell (+20)
- #19 – Chase Briscoe (+15)
- #24 – William Byron (-15)
- #9 – Chase Elliott (-23)
- #22 – Joey Logano (-24)
- #12 – Ryan Blaney (-31)
2025 NASCAR Cup Series regular season results
(* — Denotes non-points race)
Feb. 2 — Cook Out Clash — Bowman Gray Stadium* (Winner: Chase Elliott)
Feb. 16 —Â Daytona 500Â — Daytona International Speedway (Winner: William Byron)
Feb. 23 — Ambetter Health 400 — EchoPark Speedway (Winner: Christopher Bell)
March 2 — Echopark Texas Grand Prix — Circuit of the Americas (Winner: Christopher Bell)
March 9 — Shriners Children’s 500 — Phoenix Raceway (Winner: Christopher Bell)
March 16 — Pennzoil 400 — Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Winner: Josh Berry)
March 23 — Straight Talk Wireless 400 — Homestead-Miami Speedway (Winner: Kyle Larson)
March 30 — Cook Out 400 — Martinsville Speedway (Winner: Denny Hamlin)
April 6 — Goodyear 400 — Darlington Raceway (Winner: Denny Hamlin)
April 13 — Food City 500 — Bristol Motor Speedway (Winner: Kyle Larson)
April 27 — Jack Link’s 500 — Talladega Superspeedway (Winner: Austin Cindric)
May 4 — Wurth 400 –Texas Motor Speedway (Winner: Joey Logano)
May 11 — AdventHealth 400 — Kansas Speedway (Winner: Kyle Larson)
May 18 — All-Star Race — North Wilkesboro Speedway* (Winner: Christopher Bell)
May 25 — Coca-Cola 600 — Charlotte Motor Speedway (Winner: Ross Chastain)
June 1 — Cracker Barrel 400 — Nashville Superspeedway (Winner: Ryan Blaney)
June 8 — FireKeepers Casino 400 — Michigan International Speedway (Winner: Denny Hamlin)
June 15 — Viva Mexico 250 — Autódromo Hermanos RodrÃguez (Winner: Shane van Gisbergen)
June 22 — The Great American Getaway 400 — Pocono Raceway (Winner: Chase Briscoe)
June 28 — Quaker State 400 — EchoPark Speedway (Winner: Chase Elliott)
July 6 — Grant Park 165 — Chicago Street Course (Winner: Shane van Gisbergen)
July 13 — Toyota/Save Mart 350 — Sonoma Raceway (Winner: Shane van Gisbergen)
July 20 — Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 — Dover Motor Speedway (Winner: Denny Hamlin)
July 27 — Brickyard 400 — Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Winner: Bubba Wallace)
Aug. 3 — Iowa Corn 350 — Iowa Speedway (Winner: William Byron)
Aug. 10 — Go Bowling at the Glen — Watkins Glen International (Winner: Shane van Gisbergen)
Aug. 16 — Cook Out 400 — Richmond Raceway (Winner: Austin Dillon)
Aug. 23 — Coke Zero Sugar 400 — Daytona International Speedway (Winner: Ryan Blaney)
NASCAR playoffs
Round of 16
Aug. 31 — Cook Out Southern 500 — Darlington Raceway (Winner: Chase Briscoe)
Sept. 7 — Enjoy Illinois 300 — World Wide Technology Raceway (Winner: Denny Hamlin)
Sept. 13 — Bass Pro Shops Night Race — Bristol Motor Speedway (Winner: Christopher Bell)
Round of 12
Sept. 21 — Mobil 1 301 — New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Winner: Ryan Blaney)
Sept. 28 — Hollywood Casino 400 — Kansas Speedway (Winner: Chase Elliott)
Oct. 5 — Bank of America ROVAL 400 — Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval (Winner: Shane van Gisbergen)
Round of 8
Oct. 12 — South Point 400 — Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Winner: Denny Hamlin)
Oct. 19 — YellaWood 500 — Talladega Superspeedway
Oct. 26 — Xfinity 500 — Martinsville Speedway
Championship
Nov. 2 — NASCAR Cup Series Championship — Phoenix Raceway
