Believe it or not the 2021 Nascar Cup Series “Regular Season” is over. That means that we’re entering the Playoffs (for the last time its not the Chase anymore!) with 16 drivers having a theoretical shot at winning the Championship. Here’s a look at the Playoff lineup and odds (provided by our own in-house prognosticator Uncle Max) at winning it all
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1. Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) 52 Playoff Points. PROS: Regular season champion. Chevy’s have been strong all season long. No longer has to deal with the crushing weight of expectations from running a Kyle Petty throwback. CONS: Past Playoff performance has been poor. All four Hendrick teams made the Playoffs this year (resources stretched thin?). Could be another dumb joke away from another suspension. ODDS: 4:1
2. Ryan Blaney (Team Penske) 24 Playoff Points. PROS: Has come on strong as of late. Penske has shown willingness to support their top driver in a Playoff run. Ability to drown out Matt DiBenedetto’s whining. CONS: Will be tough to keep up the pace. Competing with two experienced teammates. Bright neon yellow cars don’t inspire confidence. ODDS: 8:1
3. Martin Truex Jr. (Joe Gibbs Racing) 24 Playoff Points. PROS: Championship experience. Can win on almost any type of track. Anywhere he races is his home. CONS: Toyotas haven’t been super-strong this year. Will have three teammates to contend with. The last time a 19 car competed for a championship it didn’t end well. ODDS: 6:1
4. Kyle Busch (JGR) 22 Playoff Points PROS: Only multiple-time champion in the Playoff field. Has shown a Tony Stewart-like ability to “flip the switch”. No more pressure of winning 100 Xfinity Series races. CONS: Has been far from dominant. Could let one bad run spoil it. Has shown a Tony Stewart-like ability to “flip out”. ODDS: 6:1
5. Chase Elliott (HMS) 21 Playoff Points PROS: Defending champion. Comes in with four-straight top-tens. In the event of a dead-heat tie will win the fan applause tie-breaker competition. CONS: Bowman, Byron, and Larson all competing as well. Denny Hamlin wants to punt him in the wall. Unknown if he still has the N-N-N-Napa Know How to win it all again. ODDS: 5:1
6. Alex Bowman (HMS) 15 Playoff Points PROS: Having best season to date. Strong Chevy’s. Really really cool nickname. CONS: Has yet to show he can truly “dominate”. No top-fives since Atlanta. Lack of rotating sponsorship may be disconcerting. ODDS: 12:1
7. Denny Hamlin (JGR) 15 Playoff Points PROS: Regular season runner-up. Best active driver not to win a championship (yet). More consistent than a robotic Mark Martin this year. CONS: Can he “close the deal”? Teammates all made the Playoffs. The whole “no wins thing”, probably. ODDS: 5:1
8. William Byron (HMS) 14 Playoff Points PROS: Has the strongest manufacturer this year. Runner-up finish two weeks ago. Racing the #24 is never a bad thing. CONS: Finished 37th last week. Only win came at Homestead months ago. STILL no nickname. ODDS: 50:1
9. Joey Logano (Penske) 13 Playoff Points PROS: Former champion. Has shown he can win stages. Best Pennzoil-sponsored driver ever. CONS: Four straight sub-20th place finishes. Been “good, not great” all year long. Denny Hamlin seen practicing his punting skills. ODDS: 20:1
10. Brad Keselowski (Penske) 8 Playoff Points PROS: Former champion. All focus on 2021. Wants that giant glass of beer again. CONS: IS all focus on 2021? Three sub-20th place finishes in past four races. Constant phone calls from Jack Roush. ODDS: 20:1
11. Kurt Busch (Ganassi) 8 Playoff Points PROS: Has been super-consistent since Olympic break. Former champion. No, seriously—he won the championship in 2004. CONS: Team (and driver) in a state of change for next year. Ganassi has never contended for a championship in Nascar. Unsolicited advice from Jimmie Johnson. ODDS: 50:1
12. Christopher Bell (JGR) 5 Playoff Points PROS: With a strong team. Has shown he can rise to the occasion at a race. “C.Bell” just sounds cool. CONS: Very little experience. Not coming into the Playoffs strong. Is a JGR driver not named “Busch”, “Hamlin”, or “Truex Jr.”. ODDS: 100:1
13. Michael McDowell (Front Row Motorsports) 5 Playoff Points PROS: Nothing to lose (free to gamble). Total team focus is on him. Stranger things have happened. CONS: Team is mid-level at best. Team might leave Cup after this year. Team. ODDS: 10,000:1
14. Aric Almirola (Stewart Haas Racing) 5 Playoff Points PROS: Five straight top-20 finishes. Could “sneak through” with consistency. Everybody loves bacon. CONS: SHR has been dreadful so far this year. Never truly contended for a championship before. “Lady Luck” could be a vegetarian. ODDS: 200:1
15. Tyler Reddick (Richard Childress Racing) 3 Playoff Points PROS: RCR has shown improvement over the past two years. Full focus will be on him. Maybe black and yellow CATs are lucky. CONS: Very little experience. RCR is still not an “elite” organization. Fans may confuse him with JJ Reddick and boo him. ODDS: 500:1
16. Kevin Harvick (SHR) 2 Playoff Points PROS: Past champion. Knows how to win when the pressure is on. Is Kevin freakin Harvick. CONS: No wins this year. SHR having issues. Its Kevin freakin Harvick and he’s seeded last. ODDS: 100:1