NASCAR is heading to Atlanta this weekend and so, in addition to visiting one of the most exciting tracks on the schedule, they will also be starting the Cup Series playoffs. And thus, time to break down how I feel the playoffs will shake out. If I’m right in 10 weeks, you’ll never hear the end of it. If I’m wrong, we’ll never speak of this again.
Out After the Round of 16
- Harrison Burton
- Austin Cindric
- Daniel Suarez
- Martin Truex, Jr.
Out After the Round of 12
- Chase Briscoe
- Ty Gibbs
- Alex Bowman
- Chase Elliott
Out After the Round of 8
- Brad Keselowski
- Tyler Reddick
- Joey Logano
- Denny Hamlin
Championship 4
- Kyle Larson
- Christopher Bell
- William Byron
- Ryan Blaney
2024 NASCAR Cup Series Champion: William Byron
Yeah, I picked Byron at the start of the season and I’m sticking with him! Honestly, there were about six guys I could have seen eliminated after the first round (including Chase Briscoe and Alex Bowman. I flipped Keselowski and Elliott and Logano and Larson from my first draft of this list. With Elliott in the final 8, I would have said any one of them could have made the Final Four. With Chase out and Brad in, it just doesn’t feel that way. (And yes, that raises the question of why demote Chase to being out after the Round of 12. Gut instinct. I just see Brad making one last charge/Chase not performing well but the Round of 8 is as far as he goes.) I had Hamlin in the FInal Four, almost replaced him with Reddick but went with Blaney instead. Larson is who probably will win but decided to stay with Byron.
johnmilner.ca 