The final day of the NASCAR season is here and it’s championship Sunday.
Ryan Blaney defends his Cup Series title, while teammate Joey Logano wants to join rarefied air with a third. William Byron has another chance after coming up short last year. And Tyler Reddick could make one of the most recognizable sports figures in the world — Michael Jordan — a champion in a new sport.
There are 312 laps to settle it. Martin Truex Jr. starts from the pole in his final full-time NASCAR start driving a paint scheme from when he made his first Cup Series start in 2004.
The green flag is after 3pm ET. Here is a final look at the four championship contenders.
Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Wins: 3
Poles: 1
Laps led: 555
Top-10 finishes: 17
Top-five finishes: 11
Championships: 1 (2023)
Regular season average finish: 15.8
Postseason average finish: 15
TEAM 411: Although these are the defending champions, there is one member of the crew who was not on the No. 12 car last year. Ben Gitlin, who is Blaney’s interior mechanic, has not won a championship and a triumph Sunday would be his first.
AT A GLANCE: The reigning and defending series champion surged late in the summer to pick up two wins and solidify his postseason spot. The first two rounds went well, with Blaney in no real danger of being eliminated. But the third round started rough, with a DNF in Las Vegas and being put in a must-win situation in the elimination race. Ironically, crew chief Jonathan Hassler said before Martinsville that the No. 12 crew knows it can succeed even when backed against a wall, and the 2023 championship run experience helped calm the nerves. And now, here they are, trying to do it again and looking calm and comfortable in the process.
Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Wins: 3
Poles: 3
Laps led: 307
Top-10 finishes: 12
Top-five finishes: 6
Championships: 2 (2018, 2022)
Regular season average finish: 18.34
Postseason average finish: 15.33
TEAM 411: Logano’s crew has largely stayed the same over the years, and he often mentions their racing – and championship – experience. However, there is one crew member, Joe Dilly, the front tire changer, who has not previously won a championship.
AT A GLANCE: Far from the strongest team in the regular season, Logano and crew chief Paul Wolfe blew minds by prevailing in a five-overtime event at Nashville to earn their postseason spot. Without that victory, Logano is likely not in the postseason or at Phoenix with a shot at a third championship. You almost have to laugh at how Logano’s season has played out: a five-overtime win, wrecked by Austin Dillon from the lead at Richmond, opens the playoffs with a win, advances to the Round of 8 through a disqualification, then wins the first race to advance to Phoenix. Logano did laugh after winning Las Vegas, which became a montage that went viral on social media. He might be doing that again Sunday night as everyone else again shakes their head in disbelief.
Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
Wins: 3
Poles: 3
Laps Lled: 597
Top-10 finishes: 20
Top-five finishes: 12
Championships: 0
Regular season average finish: 11.15
Postseason average finish: 19.88
TEAM 411: Reddick, crew chief Billy Scott and a number of other team members on the No. 45 are looking for their first Cup Series championship. But three crew members have experienced that before: Brian Dheel, the gasman; Julian Pena, the race engineer; and David Bryant, the chief mechanic.
AT A GLANCE: It was a slow start to the regular season but Reddick and his team were impressive through the late summer to win the regular season title. It might have been a surprise to some who were not paying attention as the focus was primarily on the Hendrick Motorsports drivers and Denny Hamlin. But those additional playoff points were invaluable to Reddick and his team. Why? Because the postseason has been littered with messy races and results. In nine races, Reddick has two top-10 finishes, and one of those was the victory in Miami that gave him a shot at Phoenix, where he needs another drive of a lifetime.
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Wins: 3
Poles: 1
Laps led: 338
Top-10 finishes: 20
Top-five finishes: 12
Championships: 0
Regular season average finish: 14.57
Postseason average finish: 9.33
TEAM 411: Byron, crew chief Rudy Fugle and other team members are looking for their first Cup Series championship. But two individuals have done it already: Ryan Patton, the tire carrier, has celebrated two championships and Jeff Cordero, the front tire changer, has done so once.
AT A GLANCE: Byron won three of the first eight races and looked like he was picking up where he left off in 2023. And while the regular season was solid for the No. 24 crew, they still went through another silent summer. Byron hasn’t won since April, although he’s hardly been out of the picture. Of the four remaining drivers, Byron has the best average finish from the last nine races in the postseason and has done everything but win. Byron and Fugle put together a strong car early at Phoenix last year but faded when it mattered most. Sunday is a chance to take that experience and turn it into a championship.
