A championship chase with high stakes
Denny Hamlin entered the NASCAR Chase as the clear favorite, holding a 25‑point lead after a seventh‑place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway secured the top seed for the title run.
His No. 11 Toyota team, once plagued by inconsistency, has transformed into a unit with minimal weaknesses, particularly excelling on high‑speed superspeedways.
Contrasting strengths on the track
While Penske’s drivers have dominated shorter ovals, including recent wins on tracks under a mile, they have managed only four top‑10 finishes in five races on 1.5‑mile venues, a gap that team president Michael Nelson openly acknowledges.
Hamlin notes that his team’s strengths lie at venues like Martinsville and Phoenix, but the real test will be performance on the mile‑and‑a‑half tracks that make up six of the ten Chase circuits.
The Daytona wildcard
Adding uncertainty, NASCAR’s new regulations for the 2.5‑mile Daytona oval eliminate practice sessions, meaning drivers must adapt instantly to a new ruleset just days before the finale.
The battle for the final two Chase spots is already shaping up, with Bubba Wallace a virtual lock and the remaining places likely to be decided among Austin Cindric, Shane van Gisbergen and Zane Preece.
A driver on the rise
Josh Berry’s streak of top‑10 finishes marks the longest run by a Wood Brothers Racing driver since 1994, underscoring his desperation to secure a full‑time Cup Series seat for 2027.