NASCAR Playoff Field Set: Seeds and Key Stats for all 16 Drivers Who Qualified

Chris Buescher’s (perhaps) surprising victory in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in Daytona Beach on Saturday night moved Bubba Wallace in the upcoming 16-driver, 10-race Cup Series championship Playoff. That four-round elimination series begins next weekend at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway and ends with the 2023 championship race on No. 5 near Phoenix.

Thirteen regular-season winners and two winless drivers based on points were locked in when the 160-lap, 400-miler began. Buescher was among the 13 winners, so he didn’t need to win again to qualify. But Wallace was 16th in points, the highest-rated winless driver on the grid. He needed to win his way into the Playoffs or hope one of the 15 already in the field won again, thus elevating him via points.

Buescher’s victory came over Roush-Fenway-Keselowski Racing teammate Brad Keselowski, Stewart-Haas driver Aric Almirola, Hendrick Motorsports star Chase Elliott, and Team Penske driver Joey Logano. Much of the pre-race attention was on Elliott (the sport’s most popular driver), 12th-finishing Wallace of 23XI Racing, rookie Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing, and Alex Bowman of Hendrick.

Wallace ran well at times before sliding back in the final laps. Likewise, Elliott ran among the top-five much of the night, but was no match for the three Fords that finished ahead of him. Gibbs ran near the front until crashing near the end of the second stage, and Bowman was a solid top-10 runner, but that was never going to be enough.

Stewart-Haas driver Ryan Preece was involved in the night’s most disturbing crash (maybe the year’s). He was near the front when he slid across two lanes of traffic and flipped and tumbled and rolled countless times along the backstretch. (Estimates range from six to 10; the accident seemed to last forever). He climbed from the car and was taken to the track’s infield care center, then transported to nearby Halifax Medical Center for observation.

The full 16-driver field:

William Bryon, 2,036 Points

Seed and Playoff Points: No. 1 with 2,036

Team: Hendrick Motorsports

Owner: Rick Hendrick

Driver: William Byron

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle

Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro

Regular-season Record: 26 starts, 5 victories, 9 top-5s, and 13 top-10s

How Qualified: Won at first Las Vegas, first Phoenix, first Darlington, second Atlanta, and Watkins Glen

Comment: If things keep going like this, he’ll never need that degree he’s pursuing as an on-line student at Liberty University

Martin Truex Jr., 2,036 Points

Seed and Playoff Points: No. 2 with 2,036

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

Owner: Joe Gibbs

Driver: Martin Truex Jr.

Crew Chief: James Small

Car: No. 19 Toyota Camry

How Qualified: Won at Dover, Sonoma, and Loudon

Regular Season Record: 26 starts, 3 victories, 9 top-5s, 15 top-10s

Comment: Until recently, the ’23 regular-season champ hinted he might retire after this season. He now says he’ll be back with JGR.

Denny Hamlin, 2,025 Points

Seed and Playoff Points: No. 3 with 2,025

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

Owner: Joe Gibbs

Driver: Denny Hamlin

Crew Chief: Chris Gabehart

Car: No. 11 Toyota Camry

How Qualified: Won at Kansas City and Pocono

Regular Season Record: 26 starts, 2 victories, 9 top-5s, 12 top-10s

Comment: Viewed by some as the best driver never to have won a championship while others say Mark Martin or Junior Johnson.

Chris Buescher, 2,021 Points

Seed and Playoff Points: No. 4 with 2,021

Team: RFK Racing

Owners: Jack Roush, John Henry, Brad Keselowski

Driver: Chris Buescher

Crew Chief: Scott Graves

Car: No. 17 Ford Mustang

How Qualified: Won at second Richmond, Michigan, and second Daytona.

Regular Season Record: 26 starts, 3 victories, 6 top-5s, 12 top-10s

Comment: After struggling to go 2-for-279 early in his career, he’s now won three of the last five races, including at Daytona Beach.

Kyle Busch, 2,019 Points

Seed and Playoff Points: No. 5 with 2,019

Team: Richard Childress Racing

Owner: Richard Childress

Driver: Kyle Busch

Crew Chief: Randall Burnett

Car: No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro

How Qualified: Won at Fontana, Talladega, and St. Louis

Regular Season Record: 26 starts, 3 victories, 8 top-5s, 14 top-10s

Comment: Two-time champion has been inconsistent lately, but remains one of the best drivers at the 10 Playoff tracks.

Kyle Larson, 2,017 Points

Seed and Playoff Points: No. 6 with 2,017

Team: Hendrick Motorsports

Owner: Rick Hendrick

Driver: Kyle Larson

Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels

Car: No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro

How Qualified: Won at first Richmond and first Martinsville

Regular Season Record: 26 starts, 2 victories, 10 top-5s, 12 top-10s

Comment: Team won early and often, but seems to lost its mojo recently and hasn’t been getting the finishes its maybe deserves.

Christopher Bell, 2014 Points

Seed and Playoff Points: No. 7 with 2,014

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

Owner: Joe Gibbs

Driver: Christopher Bell

Crew Chief: Adam Stevens

Car: No. 20 Toyota Camry

How Qualified: Won on Bristol dirt

Regular Season Record: 26 starts, 1 victory, 6 top-5s, 13 top-10s

Comment: Other than winning at Bristol early in the season, this multi-talented driver hasn’t been very impressive.

Ross Chastain, 2,011 Points

Seed and Playoff Points: No. 8 with 2,011

Team: Trackhouse Racing

Owner: Justin Marks

Driver: Ross Chastain

Crew Chief: Phil Surgen

Car: No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro

How Qualified: Won at Nashville

Regular Season Record: 26 starts, 1 victory, 6 top-5s, 9 top-10s

Comment: His last-lap, wall-hugging, ballsy move at Martinsville Speedway last year remains one of NASCAR’s greatest moments.

Brad Keselowski, 2,010 Points

Seed and Playoff Points: No. 9 with 2,010

Team: RFK Racing

Owners: Jack Roush, John Henry, and Brad Keselowski

Driver: Brad Keselowski

Crew Chief: Matt McCall

Car: No. 6 Ford Mustang

How Qualified: On points

Regular Season Record: 26 starts, 0 victories, 6 top-5s, 11 top-10s

Comment: It was obvious at Daytona Beach that Kez has made a difference since joining Roush-Fenway Racing as owner/driver.

Tyler Reddick, 2,009

Seed and Playoff Points: No. 10 with 2,009

Team: 23XI Racing

Owners: Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan

Driver: Tyler Reddick

Crew Chief: Billy Scott

Car: No. 45 Toyota Camry

How Qualified: Won at Austin

Regular Season Record: 26 starts, 1 victory, 7 top-5s, 11 top-10s

Comment: Terrific road racer needs to improve a bit on the nine oval tracks that make up the 10-race Playoff series.

Joey Logano, 2,008

Seed and Playoff Points: No. 11 with 2,008

Team: Team Penske

Owner: Roger Penske

Driver: Joey Logano

Crew Chief: Paul Wolfe

Car: No 22 Ford Mustang

How Qualified: Won at first Atlanta

Regular Season Record: 26 starts, 1 victory, 8 top-5s, 13 top-10s

Comment: Two-time (and defending) Cup champion hopes to give the Captain his fourth NASCAR owner’s title.

Ryan Blaney, 2008 Points

Seed and Playoff Points: No. 12 with 2,008

Team: Team Penske

Owners: Roger Penske

Driver: Ryan Blaney

Crew Chief: Johanthan Hassler

Car: No. 12 Ford Mustang

How Qualified: Won at first Charlotte

Regular Season Record: 26 starts, 1 victory, 4 top-5s, 12 top-10s

Comment: For a group with so many resources and early-season promise, this team has been surprisingly mediocre.

Michael McDowell, 2,007 Points

Seed and Playoff Points: No. 13 with 2,007

Team: Front Row Motorsports

Owner: Bob Jenkins

Driver: Michael McDowell

Crew Chief: Travis Peterson

Car: No. 34 Ford Mustang

How Qualified: Won on Indianapolis road course

Regular Season Record: 26 starts, 1 victory, 2 top-5s, 6 top-10s

Comment: You’re doing just fine if your resume lists a Daytona 500 victory and another at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 2,005 Points

Seed and Playoff Points: No. 14 with 2,005

Team: JTG Daugherty Racing

Owners: Jody and Tad Geschickter, and Brad Daugherty

Driver: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Crew Chief: Mike Kelley

Car: No. 47 Ford Mustang

How Qualified: Won at first Daytona Beach

Regular Season Record: 26 starts, 1 victory, 2 top-5s, 7 top-10s

Comment: Stenhouse’s three career victories have come on “plate” tracks, including Talladega, where the tour returns Oct. 1.

Kevin Harvick, 2,004 points

Seed and Playoff Points: No. 15 with 2,004

Team: Stewart-Haas Racing

Owners: Tony Stewart and Gene Haas

Driver: Kevin Harvick

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Car: No. 4 Ford Mustang

How Qualified: On points

Regular Season Record: 26 starts, 0 victories, 6 top-5s, 12 top-10s

Comment: It’s been a disappointing season as the future Hall of Famer slogs toward retirement after Phoenix.

Bubba Wallace, 2,000 Points

Seed and Playoff Points: No. 16 with 2,000

Team: 23XI Racing

Owners: Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan

Driver: Bubba Wallace

Crew Chief: Robert “Bootie” Barker

Car: No. 23 Toyota Camry

How Qualified: On points

Regular Season Record: 26 starts, 0 victories, 4 top-5s, 6 top-10s

Comment: Had to balance risk vs. reward during Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, where he kept the Playoff spot.