Two races will determine the final three spots in the NASCAR Cup Series championship race.
Miami will be the site of this week’s race, which is the second round of 8, as the top four remaining drivers compete on November 5 in Phoenix, with Kyle Larson already clinching one of those spots with a win the week last in Las Vegas.
This week, however, it’s not necessarily a win-win situation in the 4EVER 400 presented by Mobil 1 at the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Two drivers – William Byron and Martin Truex Jr. – could score points if Larson wins again. Byron and Truex, who are second and third in points, respectively, could advance to the Final Four if Larson wins and they finish 56 points above the third winless driver, who happens to be Denny Hamlin.
Everyone else in the final eight – Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney and Chris Buescher – would need to win on Sunday to clinch.
Larson has already taken the checkered flag once in Miami, cruising to victory last year. Hamlin has the most wins of any active driver in Sunday’s field with three. Byron and Truex also scored victories at the 1.5-mile track in South Florida.
Paris FrontPage takes a look at the drivers to watch in the NASCAR Cup Series 4EVER 400 playoff race at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday afternoon (2:30 p.m.; NBC).
(All ratings below are provided by PariMGM and are subject to change)
Pick to win: Denny Hamlin (+700)
Currently, Hamlin sits just inside the cut line in terms of Final Four points. A victory on Sunday would allow him to secure his place for the fifth time in his career.
And if anyone can do it, it’s the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
In 18 career starts at Miami, Hamlin has three wins, five top-5s and 12 top-10s for an average of 9.8. He led 397 laps there, which is second-best among playoff drivers.
Top 3 pick: William Byron (+200)
The best driver in the series this year, Byron, who has six wins in 2023, has the best chance of advancing to the Final Four – whether by points or by a victory.
The driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has never qualified for the championship round.
Byron earned his first career victory at South Florida in 2021. In five starts there, he has only one other top 10 finish. Byron was also on pole last year.
Top 5 Pick: Kevin Harvick (+250)
Running in his final Cup season, Kevin Harvick is still winless in 2023.
With just three races remaining in his Hall of Fame career, Harvick can still prove he has some magic left with a strong performance in South Florida.
And the 1.5-mile track was good for Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. He earned a career victory in 2014, while accumulating 12 top-5s and 19 top-10s in 22 career races.
Yes, he finished in the top 10 in 86.4% of his starts in Miami.
His average is 7.3 and he has led 414 career laps.
Harvick has never missed a lap out of a possible 5,878 during his Cup career.
Favorites to win the 4EVER 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway
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Mike Szvetitz is the general manager and chief content officer of FrontPageBets.com. Szvetitz is a veteran reporter and editor for 23 years, including 17 years as a sports editor in Florida, Alabama and Virginia, covering everything from prep to professional. His column “View From The Lazy Boy” has won several state and national awards. He can be reached at [email protected].
