Denny Hamlin secured the top seed in the NASCAR Chase after a seventh‑place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, entering the playoffs with a 25‑point advantage over his rivals and cementing his status as the early favorite.
His Joe Gibbs Racing organization has been particularly potent this season, collecting four victories at Las Vegas, Nashville Superspeedway, Michigan International Speedway and Pocono Raceway, underscoring its strength on a variety of track types.
Team Penske, despite Ryan Blaney’s recent surge with four wins in the last six races — including three on tracks a mile or shorter — has struggled on the longer 1.5‑mile ovals, managing only four top‑10 finishes on those circuits throughout the year.
The Chase Landscape
The playoff schedule features six high‑speed superspeedways of at least 1.366 miles, among them Las Vegas, Kansas, Charlotte and Homestead‑Miami, where Hamlin’s Toyota program has historically excelled, giving him a tactical edge.
Adding to the unpredictability, NASCAR’s new aerodynamic package for Daytona International Speedway will debut without any practice sessions, forcing teams to adapt on the fly and introducing fresh variables for the finale.
The Final Playoff Battle
Bubba Wallace appears all but locked into the final stage of the playoffs, leaving the remaining two positions to be contested among Austin Cindric, Shane van Gisbergen and Ryan Preece, a battle that promises late‑season drama.
Meanwhile, Josh Berry has posted the longest top‑10 streak by a Wood Brothers Racing driver since 1994, racing with urgency as he seeks a Cup Series seat for 2027, a goal that could be impacted by Richard Childress Racing’s recent lineup announcements.