Who will become the first driver to clinch a spot in the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs?
Sunday's race at Darlington kicks off the 10-race NASCAR playoffs and Martin Truex Jr. opens as both the favorite to win the 2023 Cup Series title and to win the first race of the postseason. Truex is +500 to win Sunday nightThe top eight favorites are all playoff drivers and 14 of the top 15 favorites are all in the postseason. Only Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Michael McDowell can be considered true long shots to win Sunday night among the 16 playoff drivers.
If you need a refresher on the NASCAR playoffs, here’s how it works. The field is whittled down from 16 to four over three three-race rounds. A win automatically advances a driver to the next round and the remaining spots are filled out by the points standings. Bonus points carry over from round to round — a driver with an excellent first two rounds can add to his starting tally for the third round.
Of course, it’s entirely possible that a non-playoff driver could win Sunday night. Erik Jones won a season ago at Darlington as the first three races of the playoffs were won by drivers who didn’t qualify for the postseason. And with Chase Elliott at +1300 to win on Sunday, don’t be surprised if he’s the driver who plays spoiler.
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