The ⁣driver ​of the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing boasts a leading⁤ total of 20 top-10 finishes and enters ‌the Round of 8 in second position. Christopher Bell has celebrated three victories this year and has secured nine top-10 finishes ‌in the ​past 11 races. ⁤Given⁢ his impressive consistency, ​he emerges as a strong contender for ⁢the ‍championship.

Las Vegas: Although Bell ​has clinched two poles at this track, his performances in Las Vegas have largely⁤ been underwhelming. Surprisingly, he​ has experienced ‌more finishes outside the‌ top‌ 20 at Las Vegas⁢ (5) than⁤ within the top 10 (4). Currently, he ⁢ranks⁢ 16th among ⁢active drivers in terms of average ⁣finishing position at the venue. Nonetheless,⁢ Bell ‌has demonstrated flashes of brilliance,​ as evidenced by his‍ second-place finish ​behind Larson in October 2023, where he trailed ⁣by just a few car‍ lengths.

Homestead-Miami: Among active drivers,‍ Bell⁤ holds the top spot for average‌ finishing⁣ position ⁣at Homestead, ranking second overall among those with a minimum ‍of ‍four starts⁢ at‌ this track. This ‍impressive statistic is partially due to the limited⁤ number​ of ⁣starts he ‍has made at Homestead;​ however, he has already achieved notable success⁣ there. In 2023, he ‌won the ⁢race that allowed him⁣ to ‍secure a spot in the championship field. His other top-10 finish occurred during⁢ his rookie campaign while driving for the underfunded‌ Levine Family Racing team.

Martinsville: The⁤ half-mile track has ⁢not ranked among Bell’s top venues; however, he did secure a victory at Martinsville in October 2022. In his nine starts at Martinsville, ​Bell has recorded only three top-ten finishes. Despite this, he has⁢ completed every race at the track, including a 35th place finish in April. ‍Among active drivers, Bell boasts ⁢the ‌10th-best​ average finishing position​ at Martinsville.

Despite being the‍ regular season champion, ⁢Tyler Reddick has had difficulty‌ finding his pace in the playoffs. ‌He has fallen‍ short of the top 10 in the past five races ⁣but⁤ managed to secure enough points to advance to the Round of 8 thanks‍ to a bold comeback⁣ at ⁢the Charlotte Roval. Even with⁤ recent struggles, Reddick‍ enters the next⁤ round ranked third ⁤in points, aiming for his ‌first win at ‍one of the upcoming ‌tracks.

Las Vegas: Although Reddick has yet to celebrate in victory ⁤lane at‌ Las Vegas, ‍his performance at the track‍ has been‍ commendable. Out of his ‌last six appearances there, he achieved five top-10 finishes, ​including ⁣a second-place run ‍behind​ Larson in March. Among active drivers, Reddick holds the eighth-best average finish at this facility.

Homestead-Miami: Similar⁤ to‌ Bell, Reddick has only competed at Homestead four ⁣times but has⁢ shown promise there. ⁢Bell has ​notched three top-five ⁢finishes in his four races, with‍ a⁤ top ⁣finish of second in 2021. Reddick’s ​sole result‌ outside the top⁣ five​ occurred due ⁤to an early crash in ‍the 2022 race, landing him 35th. Nevertheless, he ranks‍ fifth‍ in average finish among active drivers at this venue.

Martinsville: Reddick’s past performances at Martinsville have not been favorable. He⁣ has managed only two ⁣top-10 finishes out⁤ of his nine⁣ starts, with one ⁣coming in ‌April⁣ when he finished‍ seventh. In four races ⁣at‌ Martinsville, he has ended outside the top 20. His average finish of 19.3 ⁤places him⁤ a distant 17th ​among active ⁢drivers at​ this track.

William Byron initially appeared ⁢to ⁣be ⁢a strong championship‌ contender ​after winning three⁢ of the first eight races​ this⁢ season. However, a midseason⁢ slump diminished some of‌ those expectations. Fortunately, ‍his team has bounced back during the playoffs, achieving three consecutive top-five finishes. He has won at all ⁣three upcoming tracks and may secure⁣ a⁢ spot in the championship⁢ race.

Las Vegas: Byron ‍is the last driver‌ to capture a victory at Las Vegas⁢ not‍ named Kyle Larson. He boasts one win ‌and six top-10 finishes ⁢at this venue. In terms ⁣of average⁣ finish over the last ‍seven races at Las Vegas, Byron ranks as the​ fourth-best‌ driver. Additionally, he holds the best average finish (9.9) at‌ intermediate tracks ‍over the ‍past three‍ years.

Homestead-Miami: Byron clinched⁣ victory in the 2021 Homestead race after starting from ⁢the 31st position.‌ His only other​ top-five finish at this track occurred in March when he placed ⁤fourth. Despite securing a win and achieving three top-10 finishes‌ in ⁤his ⁣six starts, Byron ⁤ranks‍ 12th among active drivers regarding average ‍finish at this venue. This ‍is primarily ‌due to his disappointing finishes during his initial two‌ seasons at ‌the track.

Martinsville: Byron has celebrated two victories in his ⁢last five appearances at Martinsville. He has earned⁤ seven top-10 finishes out of 13​ starts at this circuit. ⁤However, two DNFs (Did Not‍ Finish)⁣ negatively impact his career⁢ average finish at this location, which stands ‌at 13.8, ranking him eighth among active drivers.

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The ⁤reigning series champion has yet to ‌present a strong case for​ clinching another title ⁤this​ year; however, the ⁢playoffs provide⁣ him a chance to replicate⁣ a ⁢hot​ streak akin to last year. Ryan​ Blaney has experienced four DNFs​ in the last eight⁣ races but has ‍consistently finished in the top 10 in⁣ the races he completed. At the three tracks scheduled ⁢for the next ⁢round, he ‌only ⁤has ⁢one ​victory.

Las Vegas: Blaney ⁢ranks fourth among active drivers for ‌average finish ⁤at ‌Las​ Vegas. He has⁤ achieved six‌ top-five finishes and 10 top-10⁢ finishes throughout his 16 starts. Although he ‌seldom ‌poses a serious threat to win a race ‍at Las Vegas, he consistently delivers solid performances at⁤ this track, with his best finish being third‍ place in ‌March.

Homestead-Miami: Blaney’s second-place finish in March marks one of only ​two top-10‍ finishes he has ⁤garnered‌ at Homestead. ⁢With an average finish‌ of 16.8 at this track, ​he ranks​ 16th among active drivers, making him ⁣the‍ lowest on the playoff grid. Nevertheless, he⁤ has completed every race he has participated in at Homestead, finishing all but nine laps in his⁢ nine starts.

Martinsville: Blaney holds the‍ top average finish among active drivers at Martinsville, and ranks fourth in NASCAR history among drivers​ with at least six starts ​at this‍ site. Considering Mart

Martinsville has been a venue for NASCAR ‌races since the​ 1940s, which is quite remarkable. ⁢It may ⁣come as a surprise ⁢that Blaney has only achieved one victory ​on this track, a win‍ he secured⁣ in October 2023, which provided ⁣him⁣ with significant momentum leading into ‌his championship victory the‌ following week. In his 17 starts at Martinsville, ⁢Blaney boasts nine finishes in the top five and 11 in the top 10.

Denny Hamlin has faced a major setback in his 19-year quest for his first‌ Cup Series title after losing the playoff points linked to his Spring Bristol victory due to an error by ‍Toyota Racing Development. Following the‌ penalty, ⁣he⁣ dropped out of the top five in points⁤ and ⁢hasn’t returned to Victory Lane since. While ‍his performance in the playoffs has‍ been decent, he starts this round eight points below the cutline. ⁤As the most seasoned driver in ⁢the playoff field, Hamlin possesses a strong record‍ at the next three tracks.

Las⁤ Vegas: Only one of​ Hamlin’s 54 career ​victories has been claimed at‌ Las⁣ Vegas, which⁣ he achieved‌ in ‌September 2021. Since that win, his best finish in five races⁢ at ‍the track⁣ has been fifth. ‍Among active drivers, Hamlin ranks seventh in average finish at Las Vegas. He has​ recorded two DNFs there, ⁣representing two of his‍ three finishes outside the top 20 in his ⁣25 starts​ at the venue.

Homestead-Miami: With three ‍wins and six⁢ poles at Homestead, Hamlin has demonstrated his skill on ‍this track. Five‍ of those poles ‌were earned consecutively from 2017 to 2021. His victories occurred in 2009, 2013, and 2020. Despite his notable performance, racing at Homestead has led to significant championship disappointments for ⁢Hamlin,‌ especially when the venue hosted the ⁣season‌ finale. He narrowly missed out ⁣on the​ 2010 title to Jimmie⁣ Johnson and finished third and⁤ fourth under the current format in⁣ 2014 and 2019, respectively. His only DNF there occurred in March‌ after a late-race crash.

Martinsville: Not long ago,‍ Hamlin ​was considered⁤ one of the top ⁢competitors at Martinsville. He triumphed in four ‍of his first 11 races on this track and only finished ‌outside the top 10 once during that period.⁢ Growing up‍ in Virginia, Hamlin consistently performed well at⁢ Martinsville. However, his last victory there dates back to 2015. Despite this, he has continued to perform relatively well and holds⁢ the second-best‍ average finish among ⁤active drivers ​at Martinsville.

The 2020 series ​champion has quietly amassed the second-highest points total this season. Although⁤ Chase​ Elliott has secured just one⁣ win this year,⁤ his performances⁤ have been strong.​

Elliott has shown inconsistent performance, making it challenging⁣ for him to stay ‌in the ⁢championship discussion. During the playoffs, he ⁤has only led a single lap and may need‌ to enhance his performance to secure ⁣a spot in the championship lineup. Out of‍ the tracks‍ in ⁤the ⁣upcoming round, ‌he has ⁤triumphed at‌ just one.

Las Vegas: Elliott’s history at Sin City has been less than favorable. In ‌his last eight visits to the track, he has managed only two ⁢top-10 finishes. He​ ranks 15th among active drivers in⁢ average ‍finishing position at this venue. Out of ​his 14 races at Las Vegas,‍ four ended with him placing 32nd or‍ worse.‌ His top ‍performance at ⁤this track was ⁤a second-place finish​ to Hamlin in 2021.

Homestead-Miami: In Homestead, Elliott has never ⁢completed a race ‍in worse⁢ than 15th place. ⁤Although ‌he has recorded‌ just three top-10 finishes at this track, his consistent performances place him second among active drivers‍ for‌ average‍ finishing ‍position.

Martinsville: Similar to Blaney, Elliott ⁢secured ⁣his only victory at Martinsville one week before clinching the championship. His win in 2020 at ⁢this‌ venue propelled ‌him to ⁢claim the title the following ⁢week. With 11 ‍top-10 finishes in 18 starts,⁣ he ranks fifth ​among active drivers in average finishing position at Martinsville.

After⁢ Alex Bowman’s⁣ disqualification at the Charlotte Roval race, Joey Logano found himself qualifying ​for the ⁤Round ⁢of 8. Logano achieved a narrow ⁤playoff entrance through a miracle victory at⁣ Nashville, demonstrating exceptional fuel management. He claimed⁢ victory in the first playoff race at⁢ Atlanta, but his subsequent performances have been lacking, with only one top-10 finish in the last five races. Logano has won at all three tracks in the upcoming round.

Las Vegas: Logano ​is ⁢tied‍ with⁤ Larson ​and two others for the second-most victories at Las⁣ Vegas, with three​ wins recorded in ‍2019, 2020, and 2022. His record at‍ the track includes ​just ​one DNF ‍and⁣ two​ finishes outside the top 20 in⁤ 22 starts. Logano boasts the ⁣third-best average​ finishing‌ position in⁣ the history of NASCAR at this venue, ⁤among drivers with at least ⁤four starts.

Homestead-Miami: Logano’s​ only win ‌at‌ Homestead secured him the 2018​ series ⁢championship. However, he has recorded just two top-10 finishes ⁢at this​ location since that victory. While competing in the Championship 4 field twice during the years ⁤that Homestead hosted the season finale, he⁤ witnessed other drivers claiming ​the ⁣championship titles in 2014‍ and 2016. Currently, he sits 11th among active drivers at the track.