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NASCAR concluded its 2024 Cup Series regular season at Darlington Raceway, where Tyler Reddick was crowned the regular season champion. Meanwhile, Chase Briscoe secured his playoff spot by winning the Southern 500. The series now heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the playoff opener.
Having replaced Daytona as the regular season finale, the 1.366-mile oval in Darlington hosted a thrilling finale. The fight for the final playoff spots and the regular season title went down to the wire as Kyle Larson lost to Reddick by a single point, while Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain, and Chris Buescher failed to advance into the post-season.
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The 2024 NASCAR playoffs kick off with a return to Atlanta Motor Speedway, which saw an action-packed race earlier in the season. Playoff drivers will aim to navigate through the chaos this weekend while maximizing their points haul.
As the 2024 NASCAR season heads into its final stretch, here are the top five drivers in the power rankings.
Top 5 drivers in the NASCAR Power Rankings
#5 Chase Elliott
Chase Elliott held on to a top-five spot in the rankings despite a disappointing performance in the regular season finale. Elliott was inconspicuous throughout the race and finished 11th, missing out on the regular season title fight.
The 2020 NASCAR Cup champion's form has been lukewarm in recent weeks, and he enters the playoffs as the seventh seed, with 14 bonus points. He has one victory at Atlanta and finished 15th in the race earlier this season.
#4 Denny Hamlin
The 3x Southern 500 winner, Denny Hamlin, couldn't make a charge to clinch his fourth crown jewel victory at Darlington, finishing seventh at the checkered flag. He enters the playoffs as the sixth seed, with 15 bonus points.
Hamlin enters the playoffs aiming for his maiden Cup Series title and will look to start his playoff campaign well at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a venue where he has registered just a single top-10 finish in the last six starts.
#3 Christopher Bell
Christopher Bell made a late charge in the Southern 500 to fetch a third-place result. With three victories and 10 stage wins, Bell enters the playoffs as the second seed, with 32 bonus points.
Having made two consecutive NASCAR Cup Series final four appearances, the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing driver will be aiming for a hattrick this season. At Atlanta, Bell has two top-10 results in the past seven races.
#2 Kyle Larson
Despite putting together a dominant outing in the Southern 500, Kyle Larson could neither win the race nor clinch the regular season title. Backed by four wins and 10 stage wins, he enters the playoffs as the #1 seed, with 40 bonus points.
The 2021 NASCAR Cup champion is one of the favorites to reach the final four; however, the superspeedways, including the playoff opener at Atlanta, will be a major obstacle for the #5 Hendrick Motorsports driver.
#1 Tyler Reddick
Tyler Reddick won the regular season championship at Darlington, enduring a challenging race that was further worsened by his illness. He enters the playoffs as the #3 seed, with 28 playoff points.
The 23XI Racing driver doesn't have an impressive record at Atlanta, with an average finish of 21.6 in his last seven starts at the track. Reddick needs a decent finish at Atlanta, as he has a better shot at winning the following race at Watkins Glen.
