NASCAR playoff field set: 16 drivers will race for 2025 championship
- William Byron and Kyle Larson are the top seeds entering the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
- The 10-race playoffs begin at Darlington Raceway on Aug. 31.
- The final four drivers will compete for the 2025 championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 2.
The NASCAR Cup Series playoff field has emerged, and the stage is set for a 10-race chase to the championship.
Following 26 regular-season races, 16 drivers advanced to the playoffs, and now they get set to race against each other with one goal in mind: raising the championship trophy at the season finale at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 4.
William Byron, the 2025 regular-season champion, and Kyle Larson, the 2021 Cup Series champion, enter the playoffs as the top seeds. They will be joined by two other Hendrick Motorsports teammates: Chase Elliott, the 2020 series champion, and Alex Bowman, the last driver to make the 2025 playoff field.
Team Penske returns three drivers to the 2025 postseason, including three-time and reigning champion Joey Logano, 2023 champion Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric. Joe Gibbs Racing, which is seeking its first championship since 2019, also advanced three drivers to the playoffs: Denny Hamlin, whose four wins in 2025 tied for the most this season, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe.
Trackhouse Racing put road course ace Shane van Gisbergen, a four-time winner in 2025, into the playoffs as a rookie, along with veteran Ross Chastain, the 2022 Cup Series runner-up. Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick will represent 23XI Racing, the team co-owned by Hamlin and Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, in the playoffs, while Josh Berry of Wood Brothers Racing, and Austin Dillon of Richard Childress Racing also hope to make a charge.
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin with a primetime race at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, Aug. 31. Here’s all the information you need to get ready for the postseason:
NASCAR Cup Series playoff drivers
Here are the 16 drivers that are competing in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs (in order of ranking entering playoffs):
Kyle Larson
- Age: 33
- Team: Hendrick Motorsports
- Car: No. 5 Chevrolet
William Byron
- Age: 27
- Team: Hendrick Motorsports
- Car: No. 24 Chevrolet
Denny Hamlin
- Age: 44
- Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
- Car: No. 11 Toyotqa
Ryan Blaney
- Age: 31
- Team: Team Penske
- Car: No. 12 Ford
Christopher Bell
- Age: 30
- Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
- Car: No. 20 Toyota
Shane van Gisbergen
- Age: 36
- Team: Trackhouse Racing
- Car: No. 88 Chervolet
Chase Elliott
- Age: 29
- Team: Hendrick Motorsports
- Car: No. 9 Chevrolet
Chase Briscoe
- Age: 30
- Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
- Car: 19 Toyota
Bubba Wallace
- Age: 31
- Team: 23XI Racing
- Car: No. 23 Toyota
Austin Cindric
- Age: 26
- Team: Team Penske
- Car: No. 2 Ford
Ross Chastain
- Age: 32
- Team: Trackhouse Racing
- Car: No. 1 Chevrolet
Joey Logano
- Age: 35
- Team: Team Penske
- Car: No. 22 Ford
Josh Berry
- Age: 34
- Team: Wood Brothers Racing
- Car: No. 21 Ford
Tyler Reddick
- Age: 29
- Team: 23XI Racing
- Car: No. 45 Toyota
Austin Dillon
- Age: 35
- Team: Richard Childress Racing
- Car: No. 3 Chevrolet
Alex Bowman
- Age: 32
- Team: Hendrick Motorsports
- Car: No. 48 Chevrolet
NASCAR driver playoffs standings
Here are the reset points entering first race of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs at Darlington Raceway (Number of wins in parentheses):
- Kyle Larson (3) ….. 2032
- William Byron (2) ….. 2032
- Denny Hamlin (4) ….. 2029
- Ryan Blaney (2) ….. 2026
- Christopher Bell (3) ….. 2023
- Shane van Gisbergen (4) ….. 2022
- Chase Elliott (1) ….. 2013
- Chase Briscoe (1) ….. 2010
- Bubba Wallace (1) ….. 2008
- Austin Cindric (1) ….. 2008
- Ross Chastain (1) ….. 2007
- Joey Logano (1) ….. 2007
- Josh Berry (1) ….. 2006
- Tyler Reddick (0) ….. 2006
- Austin Dillon (1) ….. 2005
- Alex Bowman (0) ….. 2002
NASCAR playoff races: Dates, tracks, how to watch
Here are the 10 races that make up the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, with dates, times, TV channel, streaming options, location and 2024 winner:
Race No. 1 at Darlington Raceway
- Race: Cook Out Southern 500
- Date: Sunday, Aug. 31
- Time: 6 p.m. ET
- TV channel: USA Network
- Streaming: Peacock, HBO Max and Fubo (free trial)
- Location: Darlington, South Carolina
- 2024 winner: Chase Briscoe
Race No. 2 at World Wide Technology Raceway
- Race: Enjoy Illinois 300
- Date: Sunday, Sept. 7
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- TV channel: USA Network
- Streaming: Peacock, HBO Max and Fubo (free trial)
- Location: Madison, Illinois
- 2024 winner: Austin Cindric
Race No. 3 at Bristol Motor Speedway
- Race: Bass Pro Shops Night Race
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 13
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV channel: USA Network
- Streaming: Peacock, HBO Max and Fubo (free trial)
- Location: Bristol, Tennessee
- 2024 winner: Kyle Larson
Note: Three drivers eliminated from playoff contention after Bristol Night race.
Race No. 4 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
- Race: TBA playoff race
- Date: Sunday, Sept. 21
- Time: 2 p.m. ET
- TV channel: USA Network
- Streaming: Peacock, HBO Max and Fubo (free trial)
- Location: Loudon, New Hampshire
- 2024 winner: Christopher Bell
Race No. 5 at Kansas Speedway
- Race: Hollywood Casino 400
- Date: Sunday, Sept. 28
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- TV channel: USA Network
- Streaming: Peacock, HBO Max and Fubo (free trial)
- Location: Kansas City, Kansas
- 2024 winner: Ross Chastain
Race No. 6 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
This race will be run on the Roval: part road course, part oval circuit
- Race: Bank of America ROVAL 400
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 5
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- TV channel: USA Network
- Streaming: Peacock, HBO Max and Fubo (free trial)
- Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
- 2024 winner: Kyle Larson
Note: Three drivers eliminated from playoff contention after Roval race.
Race No. 7 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
- Race: South Point 400
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 12
- Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
- TV channel: USA Network
- Streaming: Peacock, HBO Max and Fubo (free trial)
- Location: Las Vegas
- 2024 winner: Joey Logano
Race No. 8 at Talladega Superspeedway
- Race: YellaWood 500
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 19
- Time: 2 p.m. ET
- TV channel: NBC
- Streaming: Peacock, HBO Max and Fubo (free trial)
- Location: Talladega, Alabama
- 2024 winner: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Race No. 9 at Martinsville Speedway
- Race: Xfinity 500
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 26
- Time: 2 p.m. ET
- TV channel: NBC
- Streaming: Peacock, HBO Max and Fubo (free trial)
- Location: Martinsville, Virginia
- 2024 winner: Ryan Blaney
Note: Three drivers eliminated from playoff contention after Martinsville race.
Race No. 10 at Phoenix Raceway
Final four drivers will race for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship
- Race: NASCAR Championship Race
- Date: Sunday, Nov. 2
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- TV channel: NBC
- Streaming: Peacock, HBO Max and Fubo (free trial)
- Location: Avondale, Arizona
- 2024 winner: Joey Logano
