It’s that awkward time of year when everyone pretends they’re ready for fall, even though the thermometer is still screaming summer. It’s late August and the air is still heavy enough to melt your flip-flops to the sidewalk, but every so often there’s a breeze—just enough to trick you into thinking you might actually need that hoodie hanging in the closet. Suddenly, people are dreaming of shorter days, crunchy leaves, and those overpriced pumpkin spice lattes that taste like someone dropped a Yankee Candle in your coffee.
For everyone in NASCAR though, autumn doesn’t mean sweaters, hayrides, or pumpkin-scented nonsense. It means the knives come out. The calendar says “cozy,” but in stock car racing this is when the elbows get sharp, the patience gets short, and the next fender scrape could end someone’s entire season.
The Playoffs are here: ten races, sixteen drivers, and one eventual champion standing in Phoenix come November. Who will it be? Well, we know this much—the 2025 Cup champ will come from the field that was set Saturday night at Daytona, a finale that was less about beach vibes and more about shoving, clawing, and surviving long enough to secure a ticket to the big dance. Inside those sixteen names, you’ll find the usual suspects, a few genuine dark horses, and the occasional poor soul who might as well pack their bags after the first round.
Here’s a look at the drivers who make up the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff field.
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Alex Bowman – 2002 points
No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Got in by: Points.
Bowman’s year looked about as exciting as watching grass grow in the desert—until recently. Somehow, in the last 11 races, he remembered how to drive and stacked up a decent streak of top-10s. But the Round of 16 is Darlington, Gateway, and Bristol—three tracks that, for Bowman, have historically been as welcoming as a tax audit. He might squeak through, but don’t bet your rent money on it.
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Austin Dillon – 2005 points
No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Got in by: Win (Richmond).
Dillon redeemed himself at Richmond after last year’s embarrassing penalty booted him out. That win was great. The rest of his season? Not so much. Five top-10s total, no top-fives outside of Richmond, and the sort of stats that make even casual fans go, “Really? He’s in?” Unless he finds another rabbit in the hat, he’ll be gone faster than you can say “Round of 12.”
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Tyler Reddick – 2006 points
No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
Got in by: Points.
Reddick has been the quiet kid in class all season—present, but not exactly acing the tests. No wins, just nine top-10s, and a whole lot of “meh.” He’s good enough to hang around, but unless he gets desperate and pulls off a win, he’ll just be cannon fodder for the real contenders.
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Josh Berry – 2006 points
No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford
Got in by: Win (Las Vegas).
Without that Vegas win, Berry would be sitting at home playing iRacing. Since then, his results have been flatter than a day-old soda. Three top-10s, a long stretch of forgettable finishes, and a playoff outlook about as sunny as a hurricane forecast. He’s got an uphill climb so steep it should come with ropes and a Sherpa.
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Joey Logano – 2007 points
No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Got in by: Win (Texas).
The two-time, and reigning, champ has been unusually tame this season. Just one win, seven top-10s, and a lot of scratching his helmet in frustration. When Logano’s on form, he’s lethal. When he’s not, he looks like he left his mojo at the gas station. If he doesn’t show up swinging at Darlington, 2025 could be a repeat of his forgettable 2023 campaign.
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Ross Chastain – 2007 points
No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Got in by: Win (Coca-Cola 600).
The Watermelon Man is back in the Playoffs, and while Charlotte was sweet, the rest of his season has been more rind than fruit. Three top-fives in 26 races won’t scare anyone. If he doesn’t light it up early, he’ll be spitting seeds on the couch before Round 2 even starts.
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Austin Cindric – 2008 points
No. 2 Team Penske Ford
Got in by: Win (Talladega).
Statistically, Cindric has the average finish of a mid-pack journeyman. He did manage to sneak a win at Gateway, which keeps him in the mix. But unless he plans to channel his inner Blaney or Logano, his playoff run is likely to be shorter than a TikTok video.
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Bubba Wallace – 2008 points
No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
Got in by: Win (Brickyard 400).
Winning the Brickyard was the biggest moment of Wallace’s career. Now comes the hard part—backing it up. His playoff stats aren’t dazzling, and Round of 16 tracks aren’t his best friends. If he can survive Darlington and Gateway, Bristol might become the all-or-nothing showdown for his season.
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Chase Briscoe – 2010 points
No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Got in by: Win (Pocono).
First year at Gibbs, and Briscoe’s already having a career season. Ten top-fives, twelve top-10s, and a steady run of form that screams “dark horse.” He’s not flashy, but he’s dangerous—especially if he sneaks into Phoenix, where he’s already a proven winner. Ignore him at your peril.
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Chase Elliott – 2013 points
No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Got in by: Win (EchoPark/Atlanta).
On paper, Elliott’s year has been solid. In reality, he’s been more “steady Eddie” than “Cup champion.” No DNFs until Richmond, but also no domination. And since he hasn’t historically shined at the first few playoff tracks, he’ll need to step it up or risk watching teammates Byron and Larson steal all the thunder.
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Shane van Gisbergen – 2022 points
No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Got in by: Four wins (Mexico City, Chicago, Sonoma, Watkins Glen).
Brilliant on road courses, baffled on ovals. SVG has four wins—but none where left turns happen 99% of the time. Unless he suddenly unlocks the NASCAR oval code, he’s not going far. His best hope is to survive until the Roval and cling on like a barnacle.
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Christopher Bell – 2023 points
No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Got in by: Win (Atlanta, COTA, Phoenix).
Bell has a knack for turning up when it matters. Two Championship 4 appearances in three years, and this season he’s got three wins spread across short tracks and road courses. He’s like a quiet assassin—polite until the final rounds, then suddenly stabbing his way into the title fight. Definitely one to watch.
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Ryan Blaney – 2026 points
No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Got in by: Wins (Nashville, Daytona).
Seven DNFs would sink most drivers. Blaney shrugged them off and now looks red hot, finishing top-10 in his last six races. He’s the 2023 champ, his form is peaking, and Penske has the title pedigree. If he keeps it clean, he’s a prime candidate for back-to-back titles.
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Denny Hamlin – 2029 points
No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Got in by: Wins (Martinsville, Darlington, Michigan, Dover).
Every year, Hamlin shows up like it’s finally his year. And every year, something happens. Still, he’s tied with SVG for most wins in 2025 and has been consistently at the sharp end. If he doesn’t implode, he could actually—finally—grab that elusive first championship. But then again, we’ve heard that before.
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William Byron – 2032 points
No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Got in by: Wins (Daytona 500, Iowa).
Byron has been as steady as a metronome all season—never lower than second in points, Regular Season Champion, and quietly getting better every year. He’s basically the honor student of the Cup garage. This might finally be the season he trades that “solid contender” badge for a big shiny trophy.
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Kyle Larson – 2032 points
No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Got in by: Wins (Homestead, Bristol, Kansas).
If Larson gets through the Round of 16, the rest of the field should just start praying. He’s lethal at Kansas, deadly at the Roval, and reliable everywhere else. With only one DNF all season, Larson looks every bit the favorite to muscle his way into the Championship 4. Whether he takes the crown depends on if anyone else dares to step up.
So you can make your bracket, bet your buddy a beer, or just cheer for chaos, but the next ten weeks will deliver it all. Sixteen drivers think they have a shot. Fifteen of them are wrong. It’s time to find out who’s right.
Greg was a writer for DriveTribe supporting Amazon's The Grand Tour and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, and a Masters degree in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek and a regular contributor to Forbes.
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