And then there were eight.
After the NASCAR Cup Series trimmed a starting group of championship chasers from 16 to a dozen, the field was slashed to eight last weekend at the Charlotte Roval — three Toyotas, three Chevrolets and a pair of Fords.
Half of the remaining drivers have distinguished themselves by lifting the championship trophy and will look to advance for another title shot with a win Sunday in the Round of 8-opening South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Team Penske’s Joey Logano is the reigning series champ and has claimed the hardware three times, also winning in 2018 and 2022. Teammate Ryan Blaney (2023) plus Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson (2001) and Chase Elliott (2020) also own titles.
That leaves four drivers seeking their first trophies: Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe along with Hendrick’s William Byron.
It’s a strong group who has built a reputation of being at the top of their games on multiple occasions and dominating at times.
In last year’s 267-lapper at Vegas, Bell earned the pole and led a race-high 155 circuits, but Logano’s No. 22 took the point and paced the final six times around to propel him toward another championship.
The last time there seven months ago, Josh Berry posted his first career win. The Nashville-area native became the fourth consecutive driver to notch his first Cup victory while driving the legendary No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford.
Also of significance that March day was a streak that came to an end: Bell’s season-long run of three straight wins.
That effort went poorly when Bell started at the rear of the field for an unapproved throttle body change and was also penalized for getting pit service outside of his box during the race. Being at the back turned out to be too much of a burden to bear.
“Just going to the back and to the front and to the back and to the front, we just didn’t get a handle on the balance,” said Bell, who broke a 24-race winless streak in points events by being first in last month’s Bristol night race. “Because it changes so much from being back there.”
Byron finished fourth in March, the highest finisher of the eight contenders, and teammate Larson led a race-best 61 laps. Winless since early May, Larson came home ninth after losing ground during pit service.
Opening the Round of 8 at another 1.5-mile track is fine work on the schedule-maker’s part.
Because of the car’s handling and a newer tire that allows for more wear, the best racing has occurred at layouts in Kansas, Texas, Atlanta, Charlotte and Las Vegas.
Hamlin dominated at the similarly-shaped Kansas, has led nine of the past 10 Vegas races and won there in 2021. Blaney has been hot, leading laps in 10 of the past 11 races, and defending race winner Logano has been victorious four times in the Nevada desert.
Byron has five consecutive top-10s at Vegas and won two years ago, while teammate Elliott won the most recent 1.5-mile race at Kansas.
