The Championship 4 is here. And with it comes plenty of intrigue; four of the world’s most-talented stock car drivers will mount their chariots and and jostle with one another for Cup Series supremacy.
Last year, Ryan Blaney emerged out of the sludge, outpacing foes Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson and William Byron to hoist his first-career Cup Series crown.
This year’s crop of title-contending drivers is as compelling as it gets, featuring both incumbent powerhouses and budding talents, too.
MORE: Why Christopher Bell was knocked out of Championship with late penalty
With that, here’s what you need to know about the Championship 4 playoff field.
NASCAR Championship 4 drivers 2024
Joey Logano
Logano was the first Cup Series driver to punch his ticket to the Championship 4, qualifying for the Phoenix finale with a win at Las Vegas. The Team Penske driver was a surprise entry in the Round of 8, only securing a spot after Hendrick Motorsports star Alex Bowman was retroactively disqualified from the Bank of America 400 at the Roval after NASCAR deemed his car “too light” during post-race inspection.
Logano, who initially finished the Round of 12 outside the cut line, leapfrogged Bowman for the eighth and final spot in the next round of the postseason.
Logano is a two-time Cup Series champion, with both occurring in even-numbered years (2018, 2022). He has three wins on the year and is leading a Team Penske side that has captured two straight Cup Series titles (Logano in 2022, Ryan Blaney in 2023).
MORE: Cheapest tickets as NASCAR heads to Phoenix for the 2024 Cup Series Championship
Tyler Reddick
Reddick is making his first-ever Championship 4 appearance. The 23XI standout was the most consistent driver on the field during the regular season, taking home the regular season title.
The postseason was a bit more of an adventure for Reddick, who failed to pick up a race win until the third-to-last race of the playoffs. At Miami, Reddick found himself trailing Blaney and Denny Hamlin with two laps to go. With one fell swoop, he dispatched Hamlin, then Blaney to pick up one of the most electrifying wins in recent history.
Reddick has three wins this year and is a two-time Xfinity Series champion. He’s also fared solidly at intermediate tracks, collecting two top-six finishes in his last four showings at one-mile-length venues.
Ryan Blaney
Blaney captured the crown at Martinsville, earning entry into the Championship 4 in the process.
It was a challenging contest for Blaney, who appeared doomed for elimination after NASCAR controversially went from caution to green then back to caution earlier in the final stage. With NASCAR’s decision, Blaney moved from the front of the pack to chasing track position.
In the end, he found his way, slaloming beyond opposition racers, including Chase Elliott, to take home the checkered flag. The reigning Cup Series champion, Blaney looks well-equipped to repeat. He’s flashed his clutch gene more times than most in recent seasons, after all.
William Byron
Byron was the only Championship 4 driver to make it through the mire on points. He had to wait quite a long time to receive his golden ticket; initially, it appeared as if Byron had missed out after Christopher Bell veered into the wall to take Bubba Wallace’s spot in the final race standings on the final lap.
Bell was eventually docked for his finish, which NASCAR interpreted as being a safety violation. Byron, who finished the day in sixth, was awarded the final playoff spot, ensuring Hendrick made a Championship 4 for the ninth time.
Byron too has three victories on the season. One more would push him into racing immortality.
What are the rules for the NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Phoenix?
The Cup Series championship race will consist of three stages and 312 laps on the one-mile track. The objective is simple: whichever championship driver finishes highest wins the Cup Series title. Points totaled during the regular season and playoffs are not applied.
More often than not, championship racers compete for the checkered flag at Phoenix. But if another driver were to pick up the win, the overall title is given to the best finisher among Championship 4 drivers.
When is the NASCAR Cup Series championship race?
The NASCAR Cup Series championship race is set to take place on Sunday, Nov. 10, at 3 p.m. ET.
Where is the NASCAR Cup Series championship race?
The NASCAR Cup Series championship race will be run at Phoenix Raceway, the site of each of the last three championship races.
Chase Elliott nabbed the Cup Series title at Phoenix in 2020, the first year it was held at the track. Kyle Larson wore the crown in 2021, Logano was the big winner in 2022 and Blaney took home the gold in 2023.
