It is not as though there has been zero criticism of the NASCAR Cup playoffs after their introduction in the late 2010s.
But there is also no doubt that they have brought added excitement and intrigue to the middle and end of the season. There is more to race for now – for more of the drivers – and the new format gives an extra edge to the proceedings.
We are now getting closer to another dramatic NASCAR finale, with half of the Playoffs series to go. We now have a good idea of who will be competing for the chance to be declared the best driver in the world in that NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at the famous Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.
There is sure to be a few more twists and turns to come in the next few races. But, as we wait to see how this season will end, we thought now would be a good time to take a look back at some of the most memorable champions and races of the elimination era.
Jimmie Johnson, 2016
Widely considered one of the greatest-ever NASCAR drivers, Jimmie Johnson won five championships in a row in the late 2000s but had only won one more before the 2016 season. After a commanding regular season, Johnson then won a race in both the round of 12 and the round of 8 before the grand finale at Homestead.
Johnson started near the tail of the field but benefited from a number of crashes, including a collision between Joey Logano and Carl Edwards. That turned the race into a battle between Johnson and Kyle Busch, with the former able to take full control in the closing moments. That handed Johnson a seventh championship title, tying with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most ever.
Chase Elliott, 2020
Jimmie Johnson plays an important part in our next memorable NASCAR moment – but it was not because he had won yet another championship, but more that he was recognizing that there was a new driver in town. This was the first year that the Phoenix Raceway, scene of this season’s finale, was used for the championship race.
In a year affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Chase Elliott took a while to get going but timed his run for the title to perfection. By the time of the finale, Elliott initially won pole but was dropped to the back after failing a pre-race inspection. He soon raced back into contention, however and led most of the laps by the end. The embrace from Johnson at the finish signaled to the fans that a passing of the torch had occurred.
Kyle Busch, 2015
Most NASCAR pundits wrote Kyle Busch off after he suffered a leg break in the opening race of the season at the Daytona Xfinity Series. That injury would see Busch miss almost a third of the season – 11 races in all – but it did not stop him roaring back up the leaderboard, and ultimately claiming his first championship.
It was towards the end of the regular season that Busch proved that he was still a danger to the success of other drivers, winning five races in six at one point. Although he failed to win one in the playoffs series, Busch started the final in third and ran ahead of most of the other title contenders. The championship was decided after he led from the front after a restart.
Kyle Larson, 2021
Kyle Larson had missed most of the 2020 NASCAR season after receiving a suspension for inappropriate behavior. Towards the end of the year, it was announced that he had signed for the Hendricks Motorsports team. He began the 2021 campaign with a 10th-place finish but registered his first win three weeks later and then went on to dominate much of the season.
Larson would finish the season with ten wins, including four in the playoffs. He would start the championship race in pole but dueled with Martin Truex Jr. throughout. In fact, he may not have even claimed his first title if it were not for an incredible pit stop with 30 laps to go that enabled Larson to leapfrog the competition and drive to the checkered flag.
Joey Logano, 2018
It was Martin Truex Jr. who had missed out three years earlier too, when Joey Logano won his first title in 2018. He had also previously suffered the disappointment of just missing out when he came up just short after a run-in with Carl Edwards. Although he would only win four races all season, Logano was able to finally win the first of his three championships to date.
This was the first year that Team Penske had stamped its authority on NASCAR, a domination that has carried on to the present day. The Championship 4 of Logano, Truex Jr., Harvick, and Busch dominated the finale, but it was Logano who led for 80 laps before pulling away towards the end to record a famous victory.
NASCAR Cup Series 2025
We are almost at the point of discovering the identity of our 2025 NASCAR Cup Series champion, but, as you can see, anything can happen in the playoffs. Joey Logano went into the season as reigning champion and it has been the first year ever that we have enjoyed a points-paying race outside of the US since 1958, with the Viva Mexico 250 back in June.
Ryan Blaney has emerged as the new favorite to win the championship, after winning the last race of the regular season as well as the most recent at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. There are still enough races to go that there are a number of drivers who could claim to have a realistic chance of glory. No doubt 2025 will provide us with yet another epic, memorable finale.
