NASCAR Playoffs recap: Round of 8, Cup Series

Editor‘s note: With Champion‘s Week in Nashville ongoing, NASCAR.com will look back at every playoff round of the 2022 season in all three national series.

Race 1: At Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Oct. 16

Winner: Joey Logano

Key highlights: Christopher Bell became collateral damage when Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson tangled on the frontstretch, eliminating the No. 20 team from the race early while fellow playoff driver Ryan Blaney spun late. Joey Logano, meanwhile, charged past Ross Chastain in the closing laps for a critical win that propelled the No. 22 Team Penske Ford into the Championship 4 round.

Full race recap: Joey Logano wins at Vegas, clinches Championship 4 berth

At-track photos: Best pictures from Vegas

Race 2: Homestead-Miami Speedway, Oct. 23

Winner: Kyle Larson

Key highlights: Chase Briscoe found trouble early and was the lone playoff driver to crash out of the race, but a mistake leaving pit road left Ryan Blaney spinning through Turns 1 and 2 and plummeting down the running order. Kyle Larson, eliminated in the Round of 12, charged to the win fending off Ross Chastain.

Full race recap: Kyle Larson rolls to dominant victory at Homestead-Miami

At-track photos: Best pictures from Miami

Race 3: At Martinsville Speedway, Oct. 30

Winner: Christopher Bell

Key highlights: With his back against the wall once again, Bell netted the most clutch win of his career to date, catapulting his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team into the Championship 4 with another walk-off victory in the second straight round. Farther back, Ross Chastain used the outside wall in Turns 3 and 4 for an unheard-of full-throttle send to move from 10th to fifth (and then to fourth through post-race inspection) to advance into the title round with Chase Elliott.

Full race recap: Christopher Bell wins his way into Championship 4; title field set

At-track photos: Best pictures from Martinsville

Drivers eliminated: Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, William Byron