NASCAR StatWatch: Who’re the favorites and lengthy photographs heading into the playoffs?

After 26 races, we welcome you to the playoffs that, for the primary time, don’t function Jimmie Johnson.

It has been a tough couple of years, however when you could have seven championships in your résumé you possibly can take a pair physique photographs and it will not damage your status. Have a look at the late careers for drivers like Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip, after which take into consideration if that has tarnished their legacies in any respect.

We all know that is the primary time Johnson has missed the playoffs, and though Kevin Harvick put collectively one of the spectacular Indianapolis runs in NASCAR’s historical past on the observe, we’ll use this house this week to preview the playoffs.

The 10-week, 10-race run to a championship begins Sunday night time in Las Vegas.

Not the place to be for Kyle Busch

You would possibly assume Kyle Busch is within the catbird seat for the playoffs, holding a 15-point lead over second-place Denny Hamlin after his 4 regular-season wins plus the regular-season factors championship. Ordinarily, you would not need to be in every other place however the factors lead, however in playoff historical past, that hasn’t been an excellent indicator of a championship.

2 Associated

Within the first 15 years of the playoffs, solely three champions have led the factors at the beginning of the playoffs, no matter format. Martin Truex Jr. was the final to do it in 2017. Earlier than that, you must return to the early days of the postseason — Johnson in ’07 and Tony Stewart in ’05.

That is the fifth time Busch has entered the playoffs because the No. 1 seed. Final 12 months, Busch obtained to the Championship four however completed final at Homestead, though it was nonetheless a powerful fourth-place end.

He additionally did it in 2016 (completed third in factors after reaching the Championship four), ’11 (completed 12th after getting suspended for a race) and ’08 (10th).

The 12 months Busch gained his solely championship (2015), he was injured early within the season and entered the playoffs ranked 25th in factors however because the No. 2 seed.

Lastly Hamlin’s time

Proper behind Busch within the playoff standings is Hamlin, Busch’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate. He is come near a championship earlier than, ending second to Johnson in 2010.

He stands as one of the completed drivers in collection historical past to by no means win a championship. Let’s break it down by the numbers:

35 wins: His wins rank him third in Cup Collection historical past amongst drivers with out a title, behind Junior Johnson (50) and Mark Martin (40).

4 top-five factors finishes: Solely 5 drivers have had extra top-five finishes with out profitable a championship: Martin, James Hylton, Carl Edwards, Harry Gant and Ricky Rudd.

14th full season: Solely two drivers gained their first title of their 14th season or later — Bobby Allison (18th season in 1983) and Harvick (14th in 2014).

High-four level leaders (from left) Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr, pose with the Monster Power NASCAR Cup Collection trophy to begin the playoffs. Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Pictures

Operating the Gibbs gauntlet

The 2019 season has belonged to Joe Gibbs Racing, so let’s maintain operating by means of their record of drivers. Subsequent up is Truex Jr., a four-time winner already this season who gained the ’17 championship and completed second in factors final season.

We have not seen a driver go from runner-up to champion in back-to-back seasons since Stewart did it, additionally in a Gibbs automotive, in 2001 and ’02.

Earlier than that, it was one other Gibbs driver, Bobby Labonte, who completed second in factors in 1999 after which gained the championship in 2000.

Since 1990, solely two different drivers have finished it: Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt.

His wreck at Indianapolis apart, Jones enters the playoffs on a reasonably scorching run. He gained at Darlington and has completed fourth or higher in 5 of the final eight races.

Nonetheless, he solely has two profession wins, placing him as considered one of seven drivers on this 12 months’s playoffs with 5 or fewer profession wins. Here is the record:

Courting again to 1950, solely three drivers have gained a championship with 5 or fewer wins on their resume: Benny Parsons (two in ’73), Terry Labonte (4 in ’84) and Alan Kulwicki (5 in ’92).

When Earnhardt gained his first championship in 1980, he had solely six wins on his resume.

If the 23-year-old Jones or any of the opposite younger weapons can seize a championship this 12 months, they’d put their identify among the many youngest collection champions in Cup historical past.

At present, that mark is held by Invoice Rexford who was 23 years, 229 days outdated on the ultimate day of the 1950 season. The one different driver to win a Cup title at age 25 or youthful was Gordon, who was 24 years outdated for his 1995 title. Solely Rexford, Gordon, Kurt Busch and Petty have gained titles at 27 or youthful.

On the different finish of the spectrum

Johnson might need missed the playoffs, however fellow 43-year-old Harvick seems to be among the many championship favorites following his Brickyard win.

If Harvick can seize his second championship, he’ll change into simply the fourth driver in Cup Collection historical past to win a championship at 43 or older, becoming a member of Earnhardt (43 in 1994), Allison (45 in ’83) and Lee Petty (44 in ’58, 45 in ’59).

An extended-shot champion?

On the finish of the 2017 season it will’ve been a daring prediction to take Joey Logano to win the 2018 championship. In spite of everything, he completed 17th in factors and missed the playoffs.

Truex Jr. completed 11th in 2016.

Going again to the beginning of the trendy period (1972), solely three different drivers went from outdoors of the highest 10 in factors to a championship the following 12 months: Kurt Busch (11th in 2003), Earnhardt (12th in 1992) and Kulwicki (13th in ’91).

With the playoff system in place, there is no scarcity of drivers within the combine this 12 months who have been outdoors the highest 10 final 12 months, together with Hamlin (11th place), Clint Bowyer (12th), Jones (15th), Bowman (16th), Ryan Newman (17th) or Byron (23rd).