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Editor’s note: This year’s playoff field will be spotlighted in USA Network’s new unscripted series “Race for the Championship” airing this fall. The first episode is Thursday, Sept. 1, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Watch the trailer here.
The 16-driver field for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is set after Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
MORE: Race results | Best Daytona photos
Fourteen drivers had clinched postseason berths heading into Daytona by virtue of wins, leaving two spots up for grabs.
The below drivers will compete for the NASCAR Cup Series championship over the 10-race playoffs:
Note: The below is the unofficial seeding. This will be updated with the new points standings later tonight.
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kyle Busch, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Daniel Suárez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
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• All postseason drivers will see their point totals reset to 2,000, with their playoff point totals then added in ahead of the three-race Round of 16 that includes Darlington Raceway, Kansas Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway. Any playoff-eligible driver who wins a Round of 16 race is automatically locked into the next round. Following the Bristol race, the drivers with the four lowest point totals (who haven’t won in that round) will be eliminated.
• To start the Round of 12, all postseason drivers will see their point totals reset to 3,000, with their playoff point totals then added in ahead of the three-race round that includes Texas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. Any playoff-eligible driver who wins a Round of 12 race is automatically locked into the next round. Following the Charlotte race, the drivers with the four lowest point totals (who haven’t won in that round) will be eliminated.
• To start the Round of 8, all postseason drivers will see their point totals reset to 4,000, with their playoff point totals then added in ahead of the three-race round that includes Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Martinsville Speedway. Any playoff-eligible driver that wins a Round of 8 race is automatically locked into the Championship 4. Following the Martinsville race, the drivers with the four lowest point totals (who haven’t won in that round) will be eliminated.
• The Championship 4 will see their point totals reset to 5,000, only playoff points will not be added in and these drivers will not be awarded stage points in the final race on Nov. 6 at Phoenix. The title winner will be the highest finishing driver among the four Championship-eligible drivers. Since this format was adopted in 2014, the championship winner has also won the final race.