NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin fight to reach Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway

Expect the unexpected as 16 of the world’s best stock car drivers strap in for a NASCAR Cup Series postseason fight intense enough to rival the blistering heat of the Arizona sun.

Fan favorite Chase Elliott and reigning champ Kyle Larson headline the field of drivers hoping to hoist the Bill France Cup and quench their thirst with champagne showers in victory lane at Phoenix Raceway following a 10-week barrage of mayhem.

USA Network will televise the opening four races of the NASCAR playoffs beginning with the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway at 3 p.m. Sunday. The final six races air on NBC, including the finale in Avondale on Nov. 6.

Since 2014, NASCAR's implemented a knockout-style playoff format that promotes consistency and team-wide execution in order to claim the title. Over the next 10 weeks, 16 drivers and teams will seek perfection and attempt to avoid being one of four eliminated at the conclusion of each three-race round, which feature some of the most iconic venues and events on the circuit.

What makes this title fight so enticing compared to year’s past is the great equalizer: NASCAR’s Next Gen car.

“This has been probably the most entertaining 26 weeks of racing that I can ever remember in the NASCAR Cup Series,” Hall of Famer and TV analyst Dale Jarrett said. “What (the Next Gen car) brought us with the way that the car is designed, is people that we didn’t really expect to see have been in victory lane, and not just in victory lane, but they’ve been there on a weekly basis battling for wins and top-five finishes.

“When you get in a situation like that, you realize that anything can happen in these playoffs.”

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Through all the unpredictability, one organization has asserted itself as the team to beat: Hendrick Motorsports. Not only does the Chevrolet powerhouse account for a series-high nine wins this season, they’re the only team to hoist the championship trophy in Phoenix since it became the site of the series finale in 2020.

It goes without saying the favorite for the 2022 title is Elliott. Aside from winning a series-best four races so far he claimed the regular-season championship, which earned him an additional 15 playoff points and the top seed entering the playoffs.

Elliott has been the model for consistency in an otherwise unpredictable season, owning the best average finish (10.5) and accounting for the most victories, top-10s (17) and laps led (719) through 26 races.

“I think, to me, the big theme this year has been inconsistency, really across the board,” Elliott said. “I’m not sure anyone has been as consistent enough as we’ve seen in year’s past. You’re going to start going back to tracks for a second time more often in these final 10 (races) than we have throughout the rest of the season, and the competition has just gotten tighter and tighter.

“From where we were in February, March and early April to where we are now is like — I can’t really put enough emphasis on just how much it has changed; how much the cars have changed, how many gains and how far the teams have come in making these cars drive better and faster.”

As for who can be deemed Elliott’s biggest threat, the competition is wide open. Seven drivers tied for second-most wins with a pair each. The most likely challenger to the driver of the No. 9 car would have to be Larson, Elliott's teammate and reigning champ.

To put it lightly, this has not been the follow-up season Larson had hoped for coming off a dominant 2021. After winning the second race of the season, it took six months for him to score his second victory, which was mired in controversy after he made contact with Elliott in the closing laps.

At any rate, all four Hendrick Motorsports teams have a shot at winning the title, including Tucson native Alex Bowman.

“I think our teams are well prepared and communicating well,” said Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman and four-time Cup Series champion. “When I look at (Elliott), the reason they’re in their position going into the playoffs is because they’ve been consistent and they can win, and that’s a great combination.

“I think you’ve seen where Larson’s been coming on stronger here recently. William Byron’s been super strong for our organization, but just hasn’t been able to get all the things to sync up at the right time in the closing segment of a race. We’ve seen what Bowman’s been able to do in the past in winning races and shining in the playoffs, so I’m curious to see how deep they go.”

Perhaps the most tantalizing storyline to follow this postseason has to be the unsuspecting success of second-year team Trackhouse Racing and Ross Chastain. Nicknamed “The Melon Man,” courtesy of his family’s background as watermelon farmers, the 29-year-old enters the playoffs with two wins and many debts to be paid.

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Success came at a price for Chastain, who developed an aggressive on-track reputation after multiple run-ins with Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Elliott among others. Although one of the fastest drivers all season, there is a growing sense the driver of the No. 1 will have a difficult time making a deep postseason run with revenge on many minds.

Elliott and his team seemingly have had a firm grasp on the Next Gen car since the get-go, but former champions such as Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Larson seem to have caught onto something when it matters most. With experience and recent success in mind, these could be the most likely candidates for the Championship 4 fight in Phoenix.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Elliott, Larson lead NASCAR field as chase to Phoenix finale begins