AVONDALE, Ariz. – The NASCAR Cup Series ends today with a champion crowned.
Kyle Larson is seeking his second Cup title, while Denny Hamlin, William Byron and Chase Briscoe are seeking their first championships.
NBC and Peacock will cover the race, starting with an extended green countdown show at 2 p.m.
Here’s what to watch for in today’s race:
Who will win the championship?
Denny Hamlin won the inaugural round-robin event, giving his team an extra two weeks to prepare for this race over the other teams. Three of the final four champions were drivers who won the opening round-robin match and gave their team extra time to prepare. Also, Hamlin starts on the pole.
Chase Briscoe, who starts 12th, has two wins, five top-fives and seven top-10s in qualifying. His win at Talladega in the middle race of the quarter-finals gave his team an extra week to prepare for this race.
The championship contenders occupied the top three spots in the starting lineup with Denny Hamlin, William Byron and Kyle Larson.
Kyle Larson, who starts third, won three of the first 12 races of the season, and his results took a dip in the summer and he has bounced back. Although he is winless in the last 23 races — his longest streak since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 — Larson has three top-five finishes in the last four races.
William Byron, the regular-season champion, will start alongside Hamlin on the front row. He had to win at Martinsville to reach the fourth championship and he did. The two-time Daytona 500 winner has a chance to open the season with a win in this race and end it with a victory today.
Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, William Byron and Kyle Larson will compete for the title at one mile in Avondale, Arizona.
Who can avoid mistakes?
Slow pit stops. Setup error. Wrong decision on the right track. Any one of these could result in losing the tournament
Pit road often plays a major role in this race as the track position is high. Restarts will be key, particularly in terms of how cars can get a five-space lead into the turn — the Trucks led by seven on a late restart this weekend — before needing to get in line for the first turn.
“Everyone is trying to predict where each other is going to go,” Hamlin said of the restart in Phoenix. “Sometimes you see us merging in the hallways together.”
Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, William Byron and Chase Briscoe had some fun in their joint media session Saturday in Phoenix.
Will the champion win the race?
Only once since this championship race format debuted in 2014 has the champion not also won a season finale.
Could it happen again today?
William Byron, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe have had their ups and downs this season, but one of them will take home the Cup title on Sunday on NBC and Peacock.
Team Penske does not have a car in the championship race but has been strong on tracks similar to Phoenix. Had the Penske driver reached Championship 4, he would likely have been viewed as the favorite.
Ross Chastain is the only non-championship driver to win a season finale since the current qualifying format debuted in 2014. He won the 2023 Phoenix race. Ryan Blaney won the championship and finished second in that race.
Tyler Reddick provided an update Saturday in Phoenix on his son, Rocky.
“It’s possible to beat these guys and win the race,” said Joey Logano, who crashed out of title contention last weekend at Martinsville. “It’s going to be bittersweet, I can tell you that much.
“I think this will be the most disappointing victory ever.”
