NASCAR Power Rankings: Who's safe and who should worry heading into the 2024 Homestead playoff race

Two-time NASCAR champion Joey Logano shook up the playoff picture with a pivotal victory in the Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Logano’s win secured his spot in the championship decider, leaving three spots up for grabs as the series heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell dominated the South Point 400 at Las Vegas, but came up short of the win. Bell now sits 42 points above the playoff cutline. Kyle Larson had an eventful race, finishing with a 35-point advantage, while his teammate William Byron holds a 27-point cushion above the cutline.

Four playoff drivers find themselves with a significant deficit to Byron, with Denny Hamlin sitting 27 adrift of the Hendrick Motorsports driver. Tyler Reddick (-30), Ryan Blaney (-47), and Chase Elliott (-53) were all involved in a crash, jeopardizing their championship hopes.

As NASCAR returns to Homestead Miami Speedway, let us take a look at the playoff drivers expected to fare well and those under threat of elimination.

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NASCAR Playoff Drivers: Safe vs under threat heading to Homestead

Christopher Bell (+42)

In Picture: Christopher Bell (Source: Getty)

Christopher Bell is the defending champion of the Homestead race and has a 10.0 average finish position in his four starts at the 1.5-mile oval. Bell should be stress free with the 42-point advantage and has a high chance of advancing to the season finale for the third consecutive year.

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Kyle Larson (+35)

In Picture: Kyle Larson (Source: Getty)

Kyle Larson will be the driver to beat at Homestead-Miami, given his dominant performances at the track, and his ability to rip the fence. Larson has one victory and five top-fives in his 10 starts at the track. He is in a relatively safe position points-wise, but the #5 Hendrick Motorsports team should be careful not to step on their shoes and ruin their campaign.

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William Byron (+27)

In Picture: William Byron (Source: Imagn)

William Byron has shown remarkable consistency in the past four rounds, finishing inside the top four in each race. Byron has one victory in his six starts at the track and is also in a relatively safe position points-wise. The #24 HMS driver needs to outscore Bell and Larson, in case drivers below the cutline manage to win races over the next two weekends.

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Denny Hamlin (-27)

In Picture: Denny Hamlin (Source: Imagn)

Denny Hamlin's playoff form has been a mystery, further worsened by pit road woes. Hamlin has three victories at Homestead, but a seventh-place-best finish in the last three races. Although the NASCAR veteran is not in a must-win situation, he needs a strong point haul in Homestead and is expected to contend for victory at Martinsville.

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Tyler Reddick (-30)

In Picture: Tyler Reddick (Source: Getty)

Tyler Reddick showed race-winning speed at Las Vegas and is a favorite to win the race at Homestead, given his ability to rip the fence like Larson. The 2x NASCAR Xfinity champion needs a win at Homestead, as his results at Martinsville are very poor relative to the playoff field.

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Ryan Blaney (-47)

In Picture: Ryan Blaney (Source: Getty)

The reigning NASCAR champion, Ryan Blaney, is in must-win territory as he is 47 points below the cutline. He finished second at Homestead last year, but the rest of his performances at the track are highly inconsistent. Blaney has a better shot at winning in Martinsville.

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Chase Elliott (-53)

In Picture: Chase Elliott (Source: Imagn)

NASCAR's most popular driver is very much in the elimination threat and must-win territory. He has two top-five finishes in 8 starts at Homestead. Elliott needs to clinch his second victory of the season in the next two rounds, as outscoring the highly competitive playoff field isn't likely. Elliott also has a better shot at winning in Martinsville.