The feel-good stories and underdogs are gone — eliminated through the first two rounds. Even Alex Bowman, who went from being the fourth driver at HMS to one of the strongest playoff drivers, has now been eliminated after an unfortunate DQ. Half of the eight remaining title contenders are former Cup champions. In fact, every champ from the last four seasons is still in the fight, and all four Championship 4 drivers from last year remain as well. There are no weak links, which should make for a thrilling and dramatic Round of 8 as four of them will see their title hopes shatter into pieces while the other four move on to Phoenix.

Sitting atop the standings is Kyle Larson, the clear championship favorite. He has more wins, more top-fives, and more laps led than anyone else this season. There’s really not more to say about him beyond the fact that he is ‘the guy’ until one of the other prove otherwise, but there’s plenty that could.

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro

Photo by: Rusty Jarrett / NKP / Motorsport Images

For example, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott. NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver and the 2020 series champion only has one win this year, but he leads the entire pack in best average finish (11.7). He has been nothing if not consistent, ever-present in the front-half of the field and likely to make some noise in the races ahead. After a dismal 2023 where a broken leg derailed his entire year, he has carefully made his way through the mayhem and unpredictability of this year’s championship without ever truly feeling the pressure of being eliminated. He even entered the Round of 12 cut-off race on the bubble, but he was never really part of that tense storyline as he quickly scored a mountain of stage points. 

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet Camaro

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The only two-time Cup champion in the Round of 8 is a bit of surprise, considering the fact that he was out at the checkered flag last weekend. Bowman’s disqualification nearly three hours later paved the way for his playoff re-entry. Joey Logano, who won the title in 2018 and 2022, is one of just two drivers to win multiple titles under this volatile playoff format. Team Penske is also looking for its third straight Cup title in the Next Gen era, but despite Logano’s resume, he has actually underperformed compared to recent seasons. Despite this, he has shown the ability to step it up when the moment demands it, and that’s nothing new for Logano. Likely the most aggressive driver still in the title fight, he has won at all four tracks that end the 2024 season.

Joey Logano, Team Penske, Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang

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Then there’s his Penske teammate and reigning champion Ryan Blaney. Despite scoring just one point at Watkins Glen in the Round of 16 and crashing out heavily at Talladega to finish a season-worst of 39th, he remains in contention. Like Logano, he knows how to step it up when the pressure is on. In every other playoff race, he’s scored anywhere between 33 and 53 points per race. No driver has ever won back-to-back championships in this knockout format, but the the feisty driver of the No. 12 just might.

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, Discount Tire Ford Mustang

Photo by: John Harrelson / NKP / Motorsport Images

So, half of the remaining title combatants have already won championships, including the last four from 2020 – 2023. They are here for a reason, but the challengers who have yet to hoist the Bill France Cup are just as competitive.

For example, there’s Denny Hamlin, despite a somewhat rocky playoff run so far. He’s also got a lot going on right now with a contentious lawsuit against NASCAR involving the team he co-owns, but as a driver, he is the most successful to ever race that has yet to win a Cup title. Three Daytona 500 victories, 54 Cup wins, and five consecutive seasons finishing fifth or higher in the final standings. He has never missed the playoffs since this format was introduced in 2014, and he is perhaps the hungriest driver here. We’ve seen him wall his good friend Larson for wins, we’ve seen him get into physical altercations with Logano (more than once), and he thrives off of fans’ shower of boos every time he wins. This is the exact sort of driver you want going into this round, which is more a battlefield than a stock car race. He will do whatever it takes to smash through that glass ceiling and become a champion.

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, FedEx One Rate Toyota Camry

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And what about the third Hendrick driver to advance? William Byron started the year by winning three of the first eight races, including the Daytona 500. However, we haven’t seen him in Victory Lane since April. But the driver of the No. 24 appears to be finding his footing just in time for the final stretch. He scored three straight podium finishes in the Round of 12, scoring so many points that he didn’t even need to win in order to lock himself into this round early. It would be foolish to count him out.

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro

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Tyler Reddick is perhaps the most interesting driver on this list. 23XI Racing has never made it beyond the Round of 8, and neither has Reddick. Of course, there’s also that lawsuit hanging over them. Reddick drove like a champion at Roval, using fresh tires to cut through the field in closing laps, erasing the double-digit points deficit and narrowly escaping elimination. Some might be quick to disregard him but we should remember that this driver won the regular season championship. He has heavily relied on those bonus points through what has been a rough playoffs, but this is a driver who just showed the world that he can extract everything and then some out of the car when his back is against the wall. After that late charge at the Roval, he’s already proven to be championship material.

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, Monster Energy Toyota Camry Justin Haley, Spire Motorsports, Mattress Warehouse Chevrolet Camaro Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro Joey Logano, Team Penske, Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang

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So that’s it for thi — wait, aren’t we missing someone? Oh right … Christopher Bell! As he himself will tell you, everyone always overlooks the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. And there is really no good reason for it. He is quiet and makes little noise on the track, but he is always a contender. Bell is the only driver to have made the Championship 4 in both years of the Next Gen era. He has also finished seventh or higher in seven of the last eight races — the only result worse than that was 14th. He is consistent, ever-present and a very legitimate title threat. Before the playoffs, this writer picked him to win it all for all the reasons we just covered. He is NASCAR’s ‘silent assassin.’ People always wonder where Bell came from when the big prize is in sight, but he’s always been right there, but nobody — including his rivals — seem to realize that until it’s too late.

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, DEWALT Toyota Camry

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McLaren’s Oscar Piastri says if any team has been using a device to alter its front bib height under parc ferme conditions then it is a clear breach of Formula 1 rules, as focus centres on Red Bull.

The build-up to the United States Grand Prix has been dominated by intrigue over a part that Red Bull has admitted to having on its car that can adjust the clearance of its T-tray.

While the component itself is not illegal, as all teams have way of adjusting their front bib height, suspicions have emerged that Red Bull could have used it under parc ferme conditions – which would be illegal.

This has been denied by the team, and the FIA has also made clear that it has no evidence of any competitors having employed such a system outside of the regulations.

But speaking ahead of what is an ultra-close fight between McLaren and Red Bull for the F1 titles, Piastri has emphasised his belief that such an exploit would not be a case of a squad exploring a grey area of the rules.

“We’re obviously pushing the boundaries of the technical regulations,” he said. “Everyone is, and that’s what makes F1, F1.

“But from what I’ve heard and been told, something like this is not pushing the boundaries: it’s clearly breaking them.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

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“I haven’t heard which car it’s on, or if it’s on any car, and obviously there’s the reports of it. But if it is something that’s being used, it’s clearly not been pushing the boundaries. It’s been out of the grey area and into a black area.”

Piastri said that questions would have to be asked about McLaren’s rival if there was a noticeable swing in its performance compared to recent races, just as the Woking-based team was put under the spotlight recently over its mini-DRS rear wing.

“If there’s a big difference in performance, then clearly there’ll be some questions,” he said. “If it’s not…well, you don’t know.

“Our mini-DRS was legal. Even though we’ve had to make some changes, it’s not revolutionary for the car. We’ll see if it makes any impact.”

Lando Norris did not think that the FIA clampdown on policing the matter would trigger a dramatic drop in Red Bull’s pace, but he reckoned it could make a difference.

“It’s one thing having it on your car, it’s another thing on how much you exploit it and use it, which we have no idea on,” he said.

“If it has been helping them, if they’ve been utilising it in the way people think they have, then maybe it will shift in our direction.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

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“But, when you talk about things like that, they’re not going to have got several pole positions or wins just because of such a device.

“I don’t think it really will change anything in the scheme of things, but when we look at maybe certain qualifyings and we look at the gap in certain races this year, when it’s been split by hundreds of a second in qualifying or even thousandths, then you might say, ‘okay, well, maybe this has helped in that direction or this direction’.”

He added: “I think it’s good that the FIA are doing such a thing. There’s a difference between black and white stuff like this and there’s a difference between Formula 1 and pushing the boundaries and creating new things, and innovating within the space that you’re allowed to innovate.

“I think that’s what we as McLaren have done a very good job in, but we’re sure not to go any further than that.”

All of the ingredients are there to take the IndyCar Series to new heights with the Grand Prix of Arlington in March 2026. And the scuttlebutt amongst several drivers in the paddock at the moment is how this event could rival Formula 1’s Miami Grand Prix. 

The hype from last week’s announcement lingers as the new event features a collaborative effort between Penske Entertainment, the Dallas Cowboys, and REV Entertainment, the official events partner of the Texas Rangers, which is set to bring North America’s premier open-wheel championship back to Texas after a two-year absence. 

A.J. Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci stated the buzz generated from the Arlington announcement has been incomparable. 

“Even Milwaukee [returning to The Milwaukee Mile] was a big announcement, but it’s got nothing on this,” Ferrucci told Motorsport.com. 

“I think Texas really craved an open wheel race. Texas Motor Speedway was not it for us and it hasn’t been a great racing venue, I think, for the last decade or so with the fan draw. To come back with a bang, essentially to be racing around one of America’s premier sports facilities in the country, the way that they’re doing it is pretty sick. There’s nothing like this on our calendar and the only other thing that I can think of that’s anything candle-wise here would be Indy. It’s going to be beautiful.”

And the circuit, which was designed by IndyCar’s longtime street track architect Tony Cotman, has the 26-year-old’s attention. The layout features a .9-mile straightaway that’s likely to see speeds reach near or exceeding 200 mph before being challenged with an enticing braking before a hard-braking point of a right-hander in Turn 10. Among the other notables is the double-sided pit lane, similar to what is currently used for the Detroit street race.

Cars leave Detroit’s Dual Pit Lane for Sunday Warmup

Photo by: Art Fleischmann

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For his part, Ferrucci compared it to Belle Isle, which IndyCar ran at prior from 1992-2001, 2007-08, 2012-19, and 2021-22 before a switch to Downtown Detroit.

“Honestly, just to see such a wide street course for passing opportunities and racing,” Ferrucci said. 

“It looks a lot like Belle Isle and that was our best street course race. And to see the pit lanes of Detroit, I think dual pit lanes are some of the coolest features we have in the city. Some people sit there and be like, ‘Oh, it’s a little gimmicky” and I think it’s incredible. To see the science that goes behind it from a timing side of things and then to have the pit lane and to have suites overlooking pit lane for all that action, is just phenomenal. 

“I think it’s one of the best things that we can offer, so I’m super excited to have a proper street course, and I don’t think we’ve had… for 27 cars, this is going to be phenomenal.” 

The Connecticut native-turned-Dallas resident also believes the upcoming Grand Prix of Arlington, a 14-turn, 2.73-mile street circuit that will weave around the Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium and the Rangers’ Globe Life Field (similar to what F1’s Miami GP has in wrapping around the home of the Miami Dolphins), helps close the gap to the level IndyCar as a series, is striving to be. Additionally, he thinks it could push other events to make improvements.

“Looking at what they’re gonna do with the Rangers and the Cowboys, I think that everything that Mr. Penske’s done for the series, introducing new events like this one is kind of a wake up call potentially to other events,” Ferrucci said. 

“You know, ‘Hey, this is going to become a staple without a doubt.’ It’s going to be our first Formula 1- style street course and I think that’s something to strive for. We’re slowly bringing on better venues, more fans, working in better sports markets, working with bigger teams, bringing on more eyeballs, and more young fans to IndyCar. This is a hell of a kickoff, in my opinion, to really turning the page to a new chapter for the series.”

Rally Chile stewards have dismissed an FIA petition to re-examine an allocated time that helped Yohan Rossel to WRC2 victory following a hearing at the Central European Rally.   

Event stewards originally deemed that WRC2 championship leader Oliver Solberg had hindered Rossel during a fog-affected stage 11 (Lota 2) last month and subsequently knocked 40s from the latter’s stage time. 

Solberg was leading the class in the test when he suffered a puncture which cost the Swede 1m30s to change a wheel. Solberg rejoined the stage ahead of Rossel, who felt he had been held up by the Skoda driver while passing through the stage affected by thick fog.

Solberg could have sealed the WRC2 title had he won in Chile, but ultimately finished the rally in fourth, while Rossel took the victory to boost his own title aspirations. 

Solberg’s Toksport team subsequently lodged a protest asking the stewards to re-evaluate a notional time awarded to Rossel, which was deemed inadmissible “because, under the FIA International Sporting Code, it is not permissible for the Stewards to review/re-hear their decisions through a protest.”

However, last week the case was re-opened following a petition led by FIA road sport director Andrew Wheatley that claimed to have new video information that wasn’t available at the time of the original hearing.

Yohan Rossel, Florian Barral, DG Sport Competition Citroen C3 Rally2

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

Following a hearing on Wednesday, the stewards have communicated that the petition has been dismissed and Rossel’s notional time will stand, meaning he will keep the victory. 

“The FIA’s petition for the Stewards to re-examine the time allocated for Car No 21 on SS11 (Lota 2) is dismissed,” read the stewards’ report in part.

“Stewards’ Decision No. 5 remains in place, unaltered.

“The Stewards have considered this case extensively and thoroughly. In light of all the circumstances, the Stewards conclude that the reasonable safety measures taken by Car No. 21 (Rossel) justified correcting their time lost on SS11 by 40 seconds.

“The Stewards therefore stand by Stewards’ Decision No. 5 and choose not to change it. Considering any other notional time for Car No. 21 would involve conjecture and subjective facts to be assumed, especially now after the rally has ended.” 

A victory for Rossel in the WRC2 class at this weekend’s Central European Rally will end Solberg’s title hopes. However, Sami Pajari can still beat Rossel to the title if he finishes third or better at Rally Japan next month.

Red Bull has admitted that a device to alter its front bib height does exist but insists it cannot be used while the car is assembled.

Speculation about a team exploiting a way of lifting and lowering the height of its T-tray erupted on the eve of the United States Grand Prix when the FIA revealed that it was imposing a clampdown on the matter.

The governing body said that following concerns expressed by teams about potential exploitation by a rival of parc ferme rules to adjust its ride height between qualifying and the race, new procedures were being introduced from the Austin weekend.

One way that this could be done would be through the fitting of seals on devices that can be adjusted to alter the ride height of the front bib to ensure they cannot be moved.

As teams gathered in Austin for this weekend’s F1 race, it became clear that the focus of the matter revolved around the Red Bull team.

Sources suggest that competitors had been alerted at the Singapore Grand Prix to speculation about the Milton Keynes-based squad having a way to adjust its front bib height through a change of settings on a component in an area accessible from the cockpit.

This was found through Red Bull having to publish design details of that element on FIA servers as part of the regulations revolving around open-source parts.

It has been suggested that this device had a range of settings that could be adjusted by a mechanic to help alter the height of the ride height.

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20, in the pits during FP3

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Performing this action would be allowed throughout practice, so the component itself is not outside the regulations, but it would be illegal if changes were made under parc ferme conditions that begin from qualifying and last until the race.

It is understood that discussions took place between teams concerned about the matter and the FIA over the Marina Bay circuit weekend.

Following those talks, it is understood that the governing body held talks with Red Bull before the race there to ensure that it was not doing anything untoward.

Speaking this week, the FIA said that there was no evidence that Red Bull had actually adjusted the device while the car was under parc ferme conditions.

However, from now on, monitoring of this aspect of the car would be ramped up to ensure it was an area where no one could work outside the regulations.

Red Bull has denied doing anything untoward and insists that the device that has emerged as central to this matter cannot be altered once the car is assembled.

A senior team representative said: “Yes it exists although it is inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to run.

“In the numerous correspondence we have with the FIA, this part came up and we have agreed a plan going forward.”

The controversy over the ride height adjustment comes ahead of what will be an intense battle between Red Bull and McLaren for the F1 title.

Both teams are keeping a close watch over what their rival is up to, with McLaren having recently been on the receiving end of a probe about the flexibility of its rear wing.

With the way it which its upper element helped rotate back to open up the slot gap earning it the ‘mini-DRS’ tag, it agreed to make modifications following discussions with the FIA.

Yuki Tsunoda says Liam Lawson’s arrival at RB in place of Daniel Ricciardo will add “a bit more spice” to the intra-team battle, as both look to impress Red Bull for a future Formula 1 drive.

Lawson was announced as Ricciardo’s replacement following the Singapore Grand Prix for the rest of the season, although had been linked over the summer to Sergio Perez‘s Red Bull seat before the primary team publicly backed the Mexican driver.

The suggestions that Lawson would leapfrog Tsunoda in the Red Bull pecking order came when the Kiwi was given time in the 2024 RB20, as the team considered life after Perez earlier this year.

Tsunoda had previously suggested that it would be “weird” if Lawson got the nod at Red Bull ahead of him, and now reckons that his return to RB – having raced as Ricciardo’s substitute at AlphaTauri last year – will raise the stakes between them.

The Japanese driver says that his priority is to beat Lawson but crucially ensure the team secures sixth in the championship.

“I’m sure it will increase the kind of mentality of trying to not get beaten, but I guess that’s natural,” Tsunoda said.

“Maybe slightly a bit more spice on top of it than usual, but I think it was similar to last year as well. I know that those things are just floating around anyway.

Yuki Tsunoda, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team

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“But at least on my side, I just focus on what I have to do, and obviously Liam will do a good job as well.

“I’ll make sure I’ll be ahead of him, and hopefully we can achieve P6 in the team championship. That’s the main goals.”

Tsunoda added that although Lawson will intensify the team-mate battle at RB, he already felt that he was in a shootout with Ricciardo to impress given the tentative future of Perez at Red Bull.

He reiterated that the best way to put himself in the shop window was to complete the job of securing sixth in the constructors’ standings, and that opportunities would naturally present themselves afterwards.

“I thought it’s kind of like this situation already with Daniel,” Tsunoda added. “Those sort of things, it’s always floating around anyway. To be honest, I got used to it and there’s no point to talk about it.

“I just have to keep proving myself as a result and how I work throughout the race weekends; keep focusing on what I have to do and those opportunities, it’s up to them and we’ll see how it goes.

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20, Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

“You have to be ahead all the time and that will be what depends on the next year’s contract and everything.

“But it’s always for me, it’s part of the whole season and we built already until this point, including Daniel, that P6 right now in the teams’ championship.

“If we weren’t able to achieve those things, I would get very frustrated at the end of the season.”