Written by Gabriel Tsui, Edited by Ellie Nicholls
After an unbelievable, dramatic and slightly controversial finish in Martinsville, the playoff field is officially locked in - with Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick heading to Phoenix to fight for the championship.
Here’s a look at what winning the 2024 Cup Series championship will mean for each of the playoff drivers.
Ryan Blaney
Having driven his way to the Round of 8 on points, Blaney has already proven that his success last season was not a fluke. However, his championship defence briefly came under threat as his Round of 8 performance was overshadowed by a horrendous start at Las Vegas.
This meant that Blaney could only hope to advance on a win - and that is exactly what he did.
A strong performance throughout Miami meant that Blaney came incredibly close to achieving the much-needed victory - but a last-lap overtake by Tyler Reddick meant that Blaney, forced to settle for second place, was still in a must-win situation going into Martinsville.
The No. 12 team started off in 14th, but had climbed to fifth place by the end of the first stage. Blaney further advanced to second place by the end of the second stage- finding himself within striking distance of the lead.
A combination of an amazing pit strategy and some top-class driving by the 2023 champion proved too much for the Hendrick boys to handle, as Blaney chased down the leaders like Lebron James in 2016- finally getting his redemption as he secured a return to the Championship 4.
If Ryan Blaney can win the championship this year, he will be the first driver since Jimmie Johnson’s five-peat to claim two titles back-to-back, joining a prestigious list of drivers including the aforementioned Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt who have won consecutive championships.
Blaney would also become one of just three currently active drivers to have won multiple championships, alongside Kyle Busch and Joey Logano.
William Byron
To understand the feeling of being a fan of William Byron for the past two seasons, one must imagine Sisyphus endlessly pushing a boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down again each time.
Every season, Byron carries a lot of promise heading into the playoffs, with expectations rising for the young driver to win the ultimate prize. And yet every season, he falls short, unable to conquer those standing in front of him.
This season, Byron came dangerously close to elimination in Martinsville after a risky strategy call left him extremely vulnerable at the end of the race.
Christopher Bell momentarily took the final spot in the Championship 4, but upon review, NASCAR ruled that Bell’s wall-ride manoeuvre was a safety violation. This meant that Bell was demoted to 22nd place, handing Byron a place in the Championship 4
After years of trial and error, the twenty-six-year-old driver now has a great opportunity to finally win the championship and cement his status as a superstar driver.
If Byron can claim the title, this will be Hendrick Motorsports’ 15th Cup Series championship. It would also make him the sixth-youngest driver to ever win a NASCAR Cup Series championship.
To put it simply, his legacy is at stake here. Making the final four isn’t easy - even established drivers like Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson were unsuccessful this season - and it certainly isn’t a yearly occurrence.
Being part of the Championship 4 means it is prime time for Byron to fulfil his championship hopes- a chance to show that he belongs with the greats.
Joey Logano
Ah yes- tradition is continued in 2024, with Joey Logano yet again making the final four in an even-numbered year.
On a serious note, Logano has had arguably one of the best comebacks of the season after what was a truly horrible start- finishing four of the first five races outside of the top 20, and only achieving one top-five finish in the first half of the season.
Despite this, Logano came back in the second half of the season guns blazing. Securing top-five finishes in Gateway and Pocono and claiming a victory in Nashville, Logano then struck first in the playoffs, winning the opener in Atlanta.
Then, after barely escaping elimination in the Round of 12, Logano beat out Christopher Bell for the victory in the Round of 8 opener in Las Vegas, securing his ticket to Phoenix despite not having the best performances in either Homestead or Martinsville.
Logano has won in the Round of 8 playoff opener in every even year since 2018, and he is incredibly close to being the only three-time champion on the grid. Winning this championship would further cement his legacy as a multi-year contender, as well as earning him a spot in the hall of fame.
Alongside personal glory, his victory would secure the fifth Cup Series championship for Team Penske, and an 18th Cup Series championship for Ford. It would also mark the third consecutive Team Penske/Ford championship in the Cup Series, the first since Jimmie Johnson and HMS’ five-peat.
Tyler Reddick
How iconic would it be for 23XI to win the team’s first-ever championship while in a legal dispute with NASCAR? No doubt it would be a piece of history to be remembered for the ages…
Looking back just two weeks ago, however, this would have seemed near impossible, with Reddick on the verge of elimination.
It has been far from a walk in the park for the Regular Season Champions over the past two years, with Chase Elliot and Martin Truex Jr - the Regular Season Champs of 2022 and 2023 - unable to go all the way and seal the title.
For a moment, it certainly seemed like Reddick was doomed to the same fate. Even with the added points for the strong finish, he would be in the trenches for Homestead and up against tough competition, with multiple drivers needing the win to advance.
However, a jaw-dropping last-lap move in Miami propelled the 28-year-old to the front- and, importantly, the win.
A championship would be the cherry on top of an already well-decorated trophy cabinet, with Reddick having already won two championships in the XFinity series. He would also make himself a possible option for RFK’s potential third charter next season if 23XI’s lawsuit against NASCAR goes awry.
Even if 23XI’s lawsuit is successful, Reddick’s contract expires after the 2025 season, and seats at JGR, Penske, Trackhouse, and RCR could become an option for him. A championship win would only add more zeros to the potential offers extended by the teams.
Besides the legal talk and future contracts, a championship for 23XI will be one of the greatest underdog stories of NASCAR history since Martin Truex Jr took Furniture Row to the championship in 2017.
Reddick claiming the title would also give Toyota their fourth Cup Series championship, ending a four-year-long drought for the manufacturers.
There is a lot at stake for each of these drivers, and each of them presents a strong case to win the championship. However, there can ultimately only be one champion - let’s see who can rise above the competition and claim the title.
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