A familiar cast headlining NASCAR's playoffs

Joe Gibbs. Rick Hendrick. Roger Penske.

It was always going to come down to this in the NASCAR Cup Series postseason. Sunday, NASCAR finalized its Round of 8 contenders, and when the smoke cleared from the frontstretch after a chaotic finish with three different drivers crossing the finish line backward, the same old players emerged. Those are the players who have been there every season.

Say hello to the sport’s newest version of the Big Three. 

Unfamiliar with that phrase? It came about a few years ago when Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and Kevin Harvick were tearing through the Cup Series. They combined to win 20 of 36 races in 2018, but ultimately, the championship went to Joey Logano. He was the “me” in the “Big Three and Me” conversation started leading into the championship weekend.

Logano, however, is now a part of the Big Three. In fact, he’s the boogeyman of the group. 

The three-time series champion continues to survive and advance with his No. 22 team. The competition isn’t happy to see it. NASCAR fans are really unhappy to see it.

To some, Logano is the face of everything that is wrong with NASCAR’s playoff format. Logano has polarized fans for much of his career, but those who dislike him really piled on when he won the 2024 championship after an average regular season.

On Sunday afternoon, the fans at the Charlotte Roval immediately started booing when Logano appeared on the track’s TV screen and his voice was heard over the loudspeakers. NBC Sports was interviewing Logano, who had advanced over Ross Chastain, and the track was sharing the audio. Logano loves the playoff format, and he embraces agitating the race fans.

“Is that me?” Logano asked when hearing the crowd. “Is that who they’re booing at? Oh, well.” 

And then he turned to the camera with a big smile. 

“Hey, we’re still in,” Logano said. “We’re still alive, baby. We’re still going. I’m so excited.”

Logano is one of four former series champions in the Round of 8. However, he is the only multi-time champion still in contention, and a fourth title would elevate Logano into even more elite company, alongside Jeff Gordon, with only Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jimmie Johnson ahead of him.

Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and Ryan Blaney are seeking their second titles. William Byron, Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin, and Christopher Bell are looking for their first. Briscoe is the only driver of the final eight who has never before advanced into the title race.

Gibbs, Hendrick, and Penske have won 23 of 32 races. Gibbs leads the way with 11 victories among its three drivers. Hendrick has won seven races, and Penske has won five. 

In the final standings of the regular season, the top six drivers are among those who have now made the Round of 8: Byron, Blaney, Larson, Elliott, Bell, and Hamlin. Briscoe finished eighth. Logano was 11th. Of those who were in between, Alex Bowman, at ninth, was eliminated in the first round. Chris Buescher, in 10th, did not make the postseason, and Bubba Wallace, in 11th, was eliminated Sunday.

The saying goes that the cream always rises to the top, and auto racing is no different. Gibbs, Hendrick, and Penske are the leaders of their respective manufacturer groups, and those drivers are the ones who dominate each season. The Cup Series title is going to go to one of those three, as it has in the last seven years straight and in nine of the last 10 years.

In the five years that the championship has been at Phoenix Raceway, it has ended with either a Hendrick or Penske driver celebrating. Gibbs has not won a title since the championship race moved from Homestead-Miami Speedway, which means he is in the longest drought of the three (2019).

It was always going to come down to this, even if there were some twists and turns getting here.