NCS: 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Preview

1. No. 24 William Byron

Heading into his sixth season in the Cup Series, William Byron is the No. 1 seed in the point standings heading into Darlington this weekend. 2023 has been a breakout year for Byron with five wins, nine top fives, three poles and 877 laps led throughout the 2023 season. For Byron, this marks his fifth consecutive season where he has made the playoffs (’23, ’22, ’21, ’20, ’19).

2. No. 19 Martin Truex Jr.

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series regular season Champion Martin Truex Jr. heads into Darlington this weekend as the No. 2 seed in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs with 2,036 points. 2023 marks the second time Truex has won the regular season championship (2017, 2023). In 2017, Truex would go onto win the Cup Series championship for the first time in his career at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. In 2023, Truex has accumulated three wins, nine top fives and 832 laps led. Truex has won 10 playoff races in his career and has made the Championship 4 in five of his last seven seasons (’21, ’19, ’18, ’17, ’15).

3. No. 11 Denny Hamlin

Heading into his seventeenth season in the Cup Series playoffs, Hamlin is seeded third in points with two wins, nine top fives, 389 laps led and 2,025 points. Hamlin is tied with Kevin Harvick for the most playoff appearances at 17 each. Hamlin has posted 11 Cup Series playoff wins and has made the Championship 4 Round 4 times in his career (’21, ’20, ’19, ’14). Hamlin completed the 2022 season in fifth after being eliminated in the Round of 8. Hamlin finished runner-up in the playoffs in 2010.

4. No. 17 Chris Buescher

Chris Buescher heads to Darlington as the No. 4 seed in the playoffs with 2,021 points. In 26 starts this season, Buescher has acclaimed three wins to his resume, six top fives, 231 laps led with 2,021 points. For Buescher, the 2023 season marks the second time in his career that he has made the playoffs (2016, 2023). Buescher heads to Darlington playoff bound for the first time since the 2016 season. Buescher has failed to make the playoffs the last six seasons. Buescher is one of only five rookies in the playoff era in NASCAR to make the playoffs in their rookie season (2004-present). The other five were Denny Hamlin (2006), Chase Elliott (2016), Cole Custer (2020) and Austin Cindric (2022).

5. No. 8 Kyle Busch

Two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch heads to Darlington seeded fifth in the points standings with 2,019 points. Busch, who won the Championship in 2015 and 2019 is only one of two active drivers with multiple Cup Series titles. Busch has eight playoff wins and has made the Championship 4 five times in his career (’19, ’18, ’17, ’16, ’15). The 2023 season marks the 16th time that Busch has made the Cup Series playoffs. Busch finished the 2022 season 13th in points after being eliminated in the Round of 16. For the first time in his career, Busch heads to the Cup Series playoffs with a different team and manufacturer with RCR and Chevrolet.

6. No. 5 Kyle Larson

2021 Cup Series Champion Kyle Larson heads to Darlington as the No. 6 seed in the point standings with 2,017 points. In his playoff career, Larson has won seven times and has made the Championship 4 once in his career (2021). In that same year, Larson would win the series championship. Last season, Larson finished the year seventh in points after being eliminated from the playoffs in the Round of 12. In 2023, Larson has won two wins to his name as well as 10 top fives and 624 laps led.

7. No. 20 Christopher Bell

Christopher Bell heads to Darlington this weekend with one win this season, six top fives and 259 laps led. Bell is currently No. 7 in the point standings with 2,014 points. Last season, Bell finished a career best of third in the 2022 Cup Series playoffs. The 2023 season marks the third straight year where Bell has made the playoffs (’23, ’22, ’21). In his Cup Series playoff career, Bell has won two times in the playoffs and has made the Championship 4 once in his career of which came in 2022.

8. No. 1 Ross Chastain

Ross Chastain heads to Darlington as the No. 8 seed in the point standings with 2,011 points. The 2023 season marks the second time in his career that Chastain has made the playoffs (’23, ’22). In 2022, Chastain made the Championship 4 with his last corner video game like pass at Martinsville the perplexed him into the Championship 4. In 2022, Chastain finished the season runner-up in point standings.

9. No. 6 Brad Keselowski

Brad Keselowski heads to Darlington as the No. 9 seed in the point standings with 2,010 points. In 2023, Keselowski has six top fives, eleven top tens and 259 laps led. In his Cup Series career, Keselowski has won in the playoffs seven times and won the Cup Series championship in 2012. The 2023 season marks Keselowski’s eleventh playoff appearance and his first playoff appearance since 2021. Last year, Keselowski failed to make the playoffs and would finish 24th in the point standings at years end.

10. No. 45 Tyler Reddick

Tyler Reddick heads to Darlington as the No. 10 seed in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings with 2,009 points. Reddick finished a career-best of 13th in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. In 2023, Reddick has one win to his record along with seven top fives and 312 laps led. The 2023 Cup Series season marks the third time that Reddick has competed in the Cup Series playoffs (’23, ’22, ’21). Last year, Reddick completed the season 14th in standings after being eliminated from the Round of 16.

11. No. 22 Joey Logano

In 2023, Joey Logano has one win, eight top fives and 260 laps led. Logano heads to Darlington as the 11th seed in the point standings with 2,008 points. Logano is one of two multiple cup series champions in the playoffs this season. Logano won the 2018 and 2022 Cup Series championship. For Logano, the 2023 season marks the 10th time that Logano has competed in the playoffs. Last year, Logano made the Championship 4 for the fifth time in his career and went onto win the Cup series championship at Phoenix Raceway.

12. No. 12 Ryan Blaney

Ryan Blaney heads to Darlington Raceway as the No. 12 seed in point standings with 2,008 points. In 2023, Blaney has one win, four top fives and 348 laps led. In his Cup Series playoff career, Blaney has posted two wins to his record (Charlotte Roval 2018/Talladega 2019). The 2023 season marks Blaney’s seventh time that he has competed in the playoffs. Last year, Blaney competed the playoffs ninth after being eliminated in the Round of 8.

13. No. 34 Michael McDowell

Michael McDowell heads to Darlington as the No. 13 seed in the point standings with 2,007 points. In 2021, McDowell finished a career best of 16th in the Cup Series playoffs. In 2023, McDowell has one win, two top fives and 92 laps led. Last year, Logano failed to make the playoffs and would ultimately finish 23rd in the championship standings.

14. No. 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. heads to Darlington as the No. 14 seed in the 2023 playoff standings with 2,005 points. In 2023, Stenhouse Jr. has one win, two top fives and 25 laps led. Stenhouse finished a career best of 13th in the 2021 playoff standings. For Stenhouse, the 2023 season marks the second time in his career that he has competed in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs (’17, ’23).

15. No. 4 Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick heads to Darlington as the No. 15 seed in the point standings with 2,004 points. In 2023, Harvick has six top fives, twelve top tens and 122 laps led. In his playoff career in the Cup Series, Harvick has won sixteen times and made the championship 4 round five times (’19, ’18, ’17, ’15, ’14). In 2014, Harvick went onto win the Cup Series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Last year, Harvick finished the season 15th in the point standings after being eliminated in the Round of 16.

16. No. 23 Bubba Wallace

Bubba Wallace heads to Darlington as the No. 16 seed in the 2023 Cup Series playoffs with 2,000 points. In 2023, Bubba Wallace has four top fives, six top tens and 159 laps led. For Wallace, the 2023 season marks the first time in his career that he has made the Cup Series playoffs. In 26 starts this season, Wallace has an average start of 14.5 and an average finish of 16.8

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs kick off this Sunday at Darlington Raceway at 6:00 p.m. Eastern on USA Network