By Noah Poser, Staff Writer
Following a dramatic playoff elimination race at the Roval last weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the South Point 400, a playoff fixture since 2018.
Now in the Round of 8, the stakes are high, as expected in Sin City. A win by any remaining playoff driver guarantees them a spot in the Championship 4 at Phoenix.
The remaining contenders after Joey Logano advanced by the skin of his teeth and Ross Chastain’s ill-fated attempt at Hail Melon Pt. 2:
- Denny Hamlin
- Ryan Blaney
- Kyle Larson
- William Byron
- Christopher Bell
- Chase Elliott
- Chase Briscoe
- Joey Logano
With the green flag approaching, here’s a look back at recent playoff race winners in Las Vegas and how they ultimately fared in the final standings.
2018: Brad Keselowski- Eighth
Before Las Vegas became the Round of 8 opener, it served as the playoff opener. Brad Keselowski launched his title bid with a strong performance, winning Stage 2 and holding off Larson and Martin Truex Jr. for the win.
It marked Keselowski’s third straight victory and Team Penske’s 500th overall. However, the momentum didn’t last, as he was eliminated in the Round of 8 and finished eighth in the standings.
2019: Martin Truex Jr.- Runner-up
Truex Jr. opened his playoff run with a familiar formula: a Stage 2 win followed by the race victory, edging out Kevin Harvick and Keselowski.
It was the first of three playoff wins for Truex Jr., who advanced to the Championship 4. He led early and won Stage 1 in the finale at Homestead but ultimately settled for second in both the race and the final standings.
2020: Kurt Busch- 10th
In 2020, the race moved to the Round of 12, with the winner earning a spot in the Round of 8.
In a bit of an upset, hometown favorite Kurt Busch captured his lone win of the COVID-affected season for Chip Ganassi Racing. Hamlin won Stage 1, while Elliott took Stage 2, but Busch surged late to beat Matt DiBenedetto and Hamlin in overtime.
Busch’s playoff run stalled after a 38th-place finish at Kansas. He was eliminated in the Round of 8 finished 10th in the standings.
2021: Denny Hamlin- Third
Hamlin, like Truex Jr., used a dominant Las Vegas win to punch his ticket to the Championship 4. He led the most laps and won Stage 2, finishing ahead of Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch.
He then cruised through the Round of 8 with finishes of 11th, fifth and 24th. At Phoenix, he ran behind Larson and Truex Jr. most of the day, finishing third in both the race and the final standings, two spots shy of his first title.
2022: Joey Logano- Champion
With Las Vegas now serving as the Round of 8 opener, the stakes were even higher and Logano seized the moment.
Starting fifth, Logano finished second in both stages before running down Ross Chastain with three laps to go for the win. At Phoenix, he kept the momentum rolling, winning the pole, leading the most laps, and capturing both Stage 1 and the race to claim his second championship.
2023: Kyle Larson- Runner-up
Hoping to replicate Logano’s path to the title, Larson came up one spot short in the season finale at Phoenix, finishing third behind race winner Ross Chastain and Ryan Blaney, who was crowned champion.
But a few weeks earlier in Las Vegas, Larson was almost untouchable. He led the most laps and swept the stages, holding off a late charge from Bell in the final laps to secure the win. Kyle Busch finished third at his home track.
2024: Joey Logano- Champion
Instead, it was Logano who followed the same path to the title he carved out in 2022. He fended off Bell late in the race after the Joe Gibbs Racing driver had dominated much of the day, especially following Stage 1 winner’s Tyler Reddick early exit due to a wreck. Bell won Stage 2 and led the most laps, but Logano prevailed to earn a spot in the Championship 4 — despite a season that had been underwhelming by his standards up to that point.
None of that mattered in the winner-take-all finale at Phoenix. In the desert, Logano proved his championship mettle, winning Stage 1 and holding off Blaney, his teammate and the Stage 2 winner, to capture his third championship.