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