THE NASCAR Cup Series the playoffs continue with the first race of the round of 16 Sunday at Las Vegas.
A hot summer continued into the fall with recent 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports lawsuit against NASCAR regarding new charter agreements and revenue sharing, Disqualification of Alex Bowman in Charlotte and a confusing Cup Series title photo.
Kyle Larson is up to six wins this season, but is he destined for Championship 4 and a second Cup title? What surprised our writers about the first six playoff races?
Our latest NASCAR roundtable begins below:
NASCAR Playoff Picks, Roundtable: Chases, Disqualifications and Championship 4 Predictions
Before we get to the playoff issues, the 23XI/Front Row Motorsports v. NASCAR lawsuit is in its legal infancy. What are your first thoughts? Could this significantly change the sport?
Mike Organ, journalist: Both teams face an uphill battle since the charters are contractually binding and have expiration dates that can be revoked by NASCAR. At the same time, I’m sure the teams are confident in their ability to win in court, because there’s so much at stake if they don’t. I look forward to NASCAR’s response.
Nick Gray, trend reporter: NASCAR is in a tough spot, as I don’t know how they can resolve this litigation and appease FRM and 23XI while having a material impact on the deals they already have with the other racing teams in 2025. At some point Given that, the value of suing Michael Jordan’s racing team won’t be worth the money or PR problems, but it might not happen until winter.
Tom Kreager, Tennesse athletic director: I think this will end up being much ado about nothing. Both racing teams would eventually cave and sign. NASCAR created this sport. I think ultimately it will be determined that they are the ones taking the lead and the race teams will have to comply.
What has surprised you so far in the NASCAR playoffs?
Organ: Initially I was surprised to see half the field advance to the round of 16 to be Hendrick cars. Then Alex Bowman was disqualified during post-race inspection in Charlotte. I was also surprised that Chase Briscoe failed to advance, but he had too many problems to overcome in Charlotte.
Gray: Bowman’s DQ was shocking, as we’ll see in the next question. But I’m very surprised that playoff drivers other than Kyle Larson aren’t winning playoff races. I expect that to change in Las Vegas, but I also thought the same thing during the last round in Kansas.
Kreäger: Denny Hamlin has been non-existent. So far, he has absolutely not played a role in the playoffs and playoff races.
What is your reaction to Alex Bowman’s disqualification last week and his exit from the playoffs?
Organ: This certainly changed the playoff picture for the remaining rounds, as Bowman would have been a force. The fact that Bowman’s team did not appeal shows that this was simply a stupid oversight that should not have been made at this critical time of the season.
Gray: I was stunned. In 2024, a NASCAR race car being underweight after the race, given all the scrutiny? I feel bad for Bowman, who would have had a better than fair chance of qualifying for Championship 4 given the schedule. But that opens the door for Joey Logano, who performs better when necessary even though his season has been uneven at best.
Kreäger: Hendrick Motorsports didn’t appeal, so I’m going to assume they knew they were caught, intentionally or not.
Each of us chose Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin to compete in Championship 4 before the playoffs began. Have you changed your mind?
Organ: We’ve certainly maintained interest in our choices and I like the direction each of the four drivers are taking down the stretch. Tyler Reddick, who is currently third in playoff points, could put a damper on our picks, but I don’t think we need to worry about Chase Elliott.
Gray: Tyler Reddick and William Byron are the ones to watch in this round. Larson, Blaney and Bell seem to be running well enough to advance, although you never know. But Hamlin and the No. 11 JGR team are vulnerable. Hamlin can’t just count on a good run at Martinsville to push him to Phoenix. From now on, I will replace Hamlin with Byron.
Kreäger: I picked Christopher Bell to win the championship. I still wouldn’t be surprised if Kyle Larson won the title. I am completely shocked by what Denny Hamlin has done over the last few weeks. If he doesn’t have a good performance this week, I just don’t see him making it to Championship 4. I think it’s an important race.
This article was originally published on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Playoff Picks, Roundtable: Trials, DQs and Predictions for Championship 4
