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NASCAR Round of 12 playoff drivers
1. Kyle Larson
Playoff points: 59, 6 wins
Car: No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Elimination history: Eliminated successful Round of 8 successful 2019; Eliminated successful Round of 12 successful 2017, 2018; Eliminated successful Round of 16 successful 2016; Was not playoff eligible successful 2020.
Favorable track: Darlington with 4 apical fives and an mean decorativeness of 6.0 successful 7 starts. He finished 2nd successful Round 1 of the playoffs.
Strengths: Larson has been the champion performer connected 1.5-mile tracks this season, with 3 of those tracks being portion of the playoffs. He has 2 wins connected them, including a triumph astatine Las Vegas successful the spring.
Weaknesses: Five of the last six tracks connected the docket are among immoderate of his worst based connected mean finish.
2021 playoff results: Darlington, second; Richmond, sixth; Bristol, first.
LVMS races: 10
Best LVMS finish: First
Average LVMS finish: 9.8
VegasInsider.com LVMS odds: 7-2
2. Martin Truex Jr.
Playoff points: 29, 4 wins
Car: No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Elimination history: Won title successful 2017; Reached Championship 4 successful 2015, 2018, 2019; Eliminated successful Round of 8 successful 2020; Eliminated successful Round of 12 successful 2016; Did not marque playoffs successful 2014.
Favorable track: Las Vegas with 2 wins and an mean of 10.7 successful 19 starts. He besides won successful Richmond successful the 2nd contention successful this year’s Round of 16.
Strengths: All 3 of Truex’s pre-playoff wins (Darlington, Martinsville, Phoenix) this play person travel astatine tracks that are portion of the playoffs – demonstrating his team’s accent connected prioritizing the 750-horsepower package.*
Weaknesses: The outpouring and summertime agelong saw Truex person 2 three-race stretches of finishes extracurricular the apical 10 – thing helium tin sick spend to person hap again heavy successful the playoffs.
2021 playoff results: Darlington, fourth; Richmond, first; Bristol, seventh.
LVMS races: 19
Best LVMS finish: First (twice)
Average LVMS finish: 10.7
VegasInsider.com LVMS odds: 9-1
3. Denny Hamlin
Playoff points: 24, 1 win
Car: No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Elimination history: Reached Championship 4 successful 2014, 2019, 2020; Eliminated successful Round of 8 successful 2016, 2017; Eliminated successful Round of 12 successful 2015; Eliminated successful Round of 16 successful 2018.
Favorable track: Darlington with 3 wins and an mean decorativeness of 7.4 successful 18 starts. He won again determination successful the playoff opener.
Strengths: The Round of 16. Going in, Hamlin had 8 wins astatine those tracks – Darlington (3), Richmond (3) and Bristol (2) – and helium added a 4th astatine Darlington.The Round of 8, wherever helium has 11 wins, besides sets up well.
Weaknesses: While helium has tally good this year, his laps pb trailed disconnected considerably since the outpouring until the playoffs began. Hamlin has reduced his pit-road mistakes, but inactive is prone to a speeding punishment astatine the incorrect time.
2021 playoff results: Darlington, first; Richmond, second; Bristol ninth.
LVMS races: 19
Best LVMS finish: 3
Average LVMS finish: 12.9
VegasInsider.com LVMS odds: 7-1
4. Ryan Blaney
Playoff points: 24, 3 wins
Car: No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Elimination history: Eliminated successful Round of 8 successful 2017, 2019; Eliminated successful Round of 12 successful 2018; Eliminated successful Round of 16 successful 2020; Did not marque playoffs successful 2016.
Favorable track: Charlotte Roval with a triumph and an mean decorativeness of 4.7 successful 3 starts.
Strengths: The Round of 12 sets up good for Blaney arsenic helium has 3 wins combined astatine Talladega and the Charlotte Roval, portion Las Vegas is his champion 1.5-mile way connected the schedule.
Weaknesses: He mightiness person already bypassed it. The Round of 16 loomed ample for Blaney due to the fact that it knocked him retired of the 2020 playoffs.
2021 playoff results: Darlington, 22nd; Richmond, 10th; Bristol, fourth.
LVMS races: 10
Best LVMS finish: 5
Average LVMS finish: 9.2
VegasInsider.com LVMS odds: 14-1
5. Kyle Busch
Playoff points: 22, 2 wins
Car: No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Elimination history: Won championships successful 2015 and 2019; Reached Championship 4 successful 2016, 2017, 2018; Eliminated successful Round of 12 successful 2014, 2020.
Favorable track: Richmond with six wins and an mean decorativeness of 6.8 successful 31 starts. He finished ninth determination successful the 2nd contention successful the Round of 16.
Strengths: Based connected past history, astir apt the circular of Round of 16 wherever the two-time champion from Las Vegas had 15 Cup wins astatine Darlington (1), Richmond (6) and Bristol (8).
Weaknesses: Busch has struggled with the 750-horsepower bundle this play connected ovals. He had the 19th-best mean decorativeness successful those 8 races. The Round of 12 tracks are besides immoderate of his worst based connected mean finish.
2021 playoff results: Darlington, 35th, Richmond, ninth; Bristol, 21st.
LVMS races: 20
Best LVMS finish: 1
Average LVMS finish: 11.9
VegasInsider.com LVMS odds: 6-1
6. Chase Elliott
Playoff points: 21, 2 wins
Car: No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Elimination history: Won title successful 2020; Eliminated successful Round of 8 successful 2017, 2018, 2019; Eliminated successful Round of 12 successful 2016.
Favorable track: Charlotte Roval with 2 wins and an mean decorativeness of 2.7 successful 3 starts.
Strengths: Elliott’s road-course occurrence is good documented — 7 of his 13 Cup wins person travel connected specified tracks. He has won the past 2 races astatine the Charlotte Roval, truthful that gives him an borderline connected that chaotic paper to adjacent retired the Round of 12.
Weaknesses: The lead-off tracks successful some the Round of 16 (Darlington) and the Round of 12 (Las Vegas) person not been affable to Elliott.
2021 playoff results: Darlington, 31st; Richmond, fourth; Bristol, 25th.
LVMS races: 9
Best LVMS finish: 3
Average LVMS finish: 20.6
VegasInsider.com LVMS odds: 8-1
7. Alex Bowman
Playoff points: 15, 3 wins
Car: No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Elimination history: Eliminated successful Round of 8 successful 2020; Eliminated successful Round of 12 successful 2018, 2019; Did not marque playoffs successful 2014, 2015. Was not playoff eligible successful 2016, 2017.
Favorable track: Charlotte Roval with 2 apical fives and an mean decorativeness of 4.7 successful 3 starts.
Strengths: Bowman’s No. 48 pit unit led by unit main Greg Ives was 1 of the champion successful the regular play with the fifth-best mean four-tire halt clip of 13.924 seconds.
Weaknesses: Bowman has 2 wins with the 750-horsepower bundle connected ovals, but the wide results with it person been a mixed bag, particularly astatine playoff tracks.
2021 playoff results: Darlington, 26th; Richmond, 12th; Bristol, fifth.
LVMS races: 9
Best LVMS finish: 5
Average LVMS finish: 19.7
VegasInsider.com LVMS odds: 18-1
8. William Byron
Playoff points: 14, 1 win
No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Elimination history: Eliminated successful Round of 12 successful 2019; Eliminated successful Round of 16 successful 2020; Did not marque playoffs successful 2018.
Favorable track: Kansas with 4 consecutive apical 10s and an mean decorativeness of 8.0 successful that stretch.
Strengths: Byron’s biggest spot during overmuch of the 2021 play was consistency. He has the third-best mean decorativeness connected some ovals with the 750-horsepower bundle and 1.5-mile tracks.
Weaknesses: Though roadworthy courses were thought to beryllium thing of a spot for Byron coming into 2021, his mean decorativeness of 25.2 connected those tracks is the worst among the playoff field.
2021 playoff results: Darlington, 34th; Richmond, 19th; Bristol, third.
LVMS races: 7
Best LVMS finish: 7
Average LVMS finish: 20.3
VegasInsider.com LVMS odds: 12-1
9. Joey Logano
Playoff points: 13, 1 win
Car: No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Elimination history: Won title successful 2018; Reached Championship 4 successful 2014, 2016, 2020; Eliminated successful Round of 8 successful 2015, 2019; Did not marque playoffs successful 2017.
Favorable track: Las Vegas with 2 wins and an mean decorativeness of 8.4 successful 16 starts.
Strengths: Logano has the champion mean decorativeness (5.5) successful oval races with the 750-horsepower package. The Round of 12 besides should suit Logano — successful summation to his Las Vegas speed, helium has 3 wins astatine Talladega and has ne'er finished extracurricular the apical 10 astatine the Charlotte Roval.
Weaknesses: Logan’s 17.0 regular-season mean decorativeness connected the 1.5-mile tracks whitethorn not play a large relation until the Round of 8, but his struggles with the 550-horsepower package** volition request to beryllium solved by then.
2021 playoff results: Darlington, eighth; Richmond, fifth; Bristol, 11th.
LVMS races: 16
Best LVMS finish: 1 (twice)
Average LVMS finish: 8.8
VegasInsider.com LVMS odds: 11-1
10. Brad Keselowski
Playoff points: 8, 1 win
Car: No. 2 Team Penske Ford
Elimination history: Reached Championship 4 successful 2017, 2020; Eliminated successful Round of 8 successful 2014, 2015; Eliminated successful Round of 12 successful 2016, 2018, 2019.
Favorable track: Las Vegas with 3 wins and an mean decorativeness of 10.8 successful 16 starts.
Strengths: The Round of 12. Las Vegas is his champion playoff way by mean decorativeness and Talladega by fig of victories
Weaknesses: Keselowski is successful his past play with Team Penske, truthful information could beryllium a factor. He had an uneven regular play and lone the ninth-best mean decorativeness connected 1.5-mile tracks.
2021 playoff results: Darlington, seventh; Richmond, 13th; Bristol, sixth.
LVMS races: 16
Best LVMS finish: 1 (three times)
Average LVMS finish: 10.8
VegasInsider.com LVMS odds: 15-1
11. Christopher Bell
Playoff points: 5, 1 win
Car: No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Elimination history: First playoff quality successful the Cup Series; Did not marque playoffs successful 2019.
Favorable track: Richmond with 1 apical 5 and an mean decorativeness of 9.5 successful 2 starts. He finished 4th determination successful the 2nd contention of this year’s Round of 16.
Strengths: Bell had the eighth-best mean decorativeness with the 750-horsepower bundle during the regular play and apical 10s astatine 3 of the 750 tracks that are some regular play and playoff stops.
Weaknesses: Only Kurt Busch and Aric Almirola had worse mean finishes than Bell’s 17th spot connected the 1.5-mile tracks during the regular season.
2021 playoff results: Darlington, 20th; Richmond, third; Bristol, 29th.
LVMS races: 3
Best LVMS finish: 7
Average LVMS finish: 21.3
VegasInsider.com LVMS odds: 20-1
12. Kevin Harvick
Playoff points: 2, 0 wins
No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Elimination history: Won title successful 2014; Reached Championship 4 successful 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019; Eliminated successful Round of 8 successful 2016, 2020.
Favorable track: Phoenix with 9 wins and an mean decorativeness of 8.8 successful 37 starts.
Strengths: The Round of 16 wherever Harvick had the fifth-best mean decorativeness connected the 750-horsepower ovals this season. He finished 5th astatine Darlington and eighth astatine Richmond to ascent from 16th successful points arsenic the playoffs’ past qualifier.
Weaknesses: Harvick’s 109 laps led during the regular play (with nary connected 1.5-mile tracks) and his six apical fives are connected gait to beryllium his lowest performances successful those categories since 2013.
2021 playoff results: Darlington, fifth; Richmond, eighth; Bristol, second.
LVMS races: 24
Best LVMS finish: 1 (twice)
Average LVMS finish: 14
VegasInsider.com LVMS odds: 10-1
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* NASCAR 750 horsepower bundle tracks: Circuit of the Americas, Road America, Indianapolis, Daytona roadworthy course, Charlotte Roval, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, Bristol, Dover, New Hampshire, Martinsville, Phoenix, Richmond, Darlington, Nashville.
** NASCAR 550 horsepower tracks: Atlanta, Auto Club, Charlotte oval, Homestead-Miami, Kansas, Las Vegas, Michigan, Pocono Raceway, Texas.
As superspeedways, Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway person their ain packages.
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