2020 NASCAR Cup Series Championship to be Determined at Phoenix Sunday

2020 Season Finale 500 at Phoenix Raceway
(Logo courtesy of NASCARmedia.com)

The Championship Four will put it all on the line in the winner takes all Season Finale 500 at Phoenix Raceway.

Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin have all earned the chance to race for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Championship in the final race of the season.

These four drivers all won races in the regular season to become a part of the 16 driver NASCAR Playoffs field. They all advanced through the first three rounds of the NASCAR post-season. They all have won at least one race in the playoffs along their path to the final race. They all have the chance to win the title for what has likely been the most unconventional season in NASCAR history.

Below is the 2020 NASCAR Playoff Standings heading to the final race of the playoffs and the season.

2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Standings heading to Phoenix Raceway for Season Finale 500
2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Standings heading to Phoenix Raceway for Season Finale 500 (Photo credit: Buck Stevens/B104)

While the rest of the teams will be on the track this weekend with the championship contenders, these four have the most to win or lose. Let’s look at their stats for the season.

Joey Logano

  • 1 playoff win
  • 2 regular season wins
  • 11 top 5s
  • 20 top 10s
  • led 814 laps
  • average finish of 12.1

Chase Elliott

  • 2 playoff wins
  • 2 regular season wins
  • 14 top 5s
  • 21 top 10s
  • led 1,094 laps
  • average finish of 12

Brad Keselowski

  • 1 playoff win
  • 3 regular season wins
  • 12 top 5s
  • 23 top 10s
  • led 936 laps
  • average finish of 10.3

Denny Hamlin

  • 1 playoff win
  • 6 regular season wins
  • 17 top 5s
  • 20 top 10s
  • led 1,083 laps
  • average finish of 9.5

Now let’s look at the data for the track and race this weekend.

Phoenix Raceway Data
Track Size: 1-mile
Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 9 degrees
Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 11 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 3 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees

Season Finale 500 Data
Season Race #: 36 of 36 (11-08-20)
Playoff Race #: 10 of 10
Race Length: 312 laps / 500 Kilometers
Stage 1 Length: 75 laps
Stage 2 Length: 115 laps
Final Stage Length: 122 laps

Here are the top active drivers at Phoenix Raceway in NASCAR’s top division.

Top 10 Phoenix Driver Ratings
Kevin Harvick ………………………… 111.2
Chase Elliott ………………………… 105.3
Kyle Busch ……………………………. 104.9
Jimmie Johnson …………………….. 104.4
Denny Hamlin ………………………… 97.7
Kurt Busch ………………………………. 94.6
Brad Keselowski …………………….. 93.8
Joey Logano …………………………… 91.4
Matt Kenseth ……………………………. 89.1
Martin Truex Jr. ………………………… 88.6
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (31 total) among active drivers at Phoenix Raceway.
Note: Drivers names in red part of Championship Four.

These are the active drivers that have won at least one Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway.

Active Drivers with Win(s) at Phoenix Raceway
Kevin Harvick – 9 Wins (All-Time Leader)
Jimmie Johnson – 4 Wins
Kyle Busch – 3 Wins
Ryan Newman – 2 Wins
Denny Hamlin – 2 Wins
Joey Logano – 2 Wins
Kurt Busch – 1 Win
Note: Drivers names in red part of Championship Four.

Since the advent of this playoff format the winner of the final race of the year/playoffs has been the winner of the championship.

Until last weekend’s race, Kevin Harvick was considered by many to be the front-runner for the championship. He was the regular season champion. He has won a series high nine races in 2020. However, he had a disaster of a race last weekend while others performed well. That eliminated him from championship contention. Kevin is the all-time best driver at Phoenix Raceway. He could make a statement by winning this race instead of the driver that wins the championship winning it.

If that happens it may dampen the champion’s final race a little, but I don’t imagine by much. It will still come down to whichever driver in the Championship Four that crosses the finish line before the other three will become the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion.

We will find out which driver that will be starting at 1 PM Central Time (2 PM Eastern Time) Sunday, November 8th in the Season Finale 500 at Phoenix Raceway.

By: Buck Stevens