The Championship 4 is set for the Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series and a champion will be crowned in each series this weekend at Phoenix Raceway.<\/p>\n
The Cup season comes to a close Sunday on NBC and Peacock. An expanded Countdown to Green begins at 2 p.m. ET. followed by race coverage.<\/p>\n
The Xfinity title race will be at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday on the CW Network. The Craftsman Truck Series championship race will be at 7:30 p.m. ET Friday on FS1.<\/p>\n
Here is a look at the four drivers racing for a championship in Cup, Xfinity and Trucks.<\/p>\n
NASCAR CUP SERIES Denny Hamlin <\/p>\n
Age: 44<\/p>\n
Hometown: Chesterfield, Virginia<\/p>\n
Cup championships: 0<\/p>\n
Best points finish: 2nd (2010)<\/p>\n
Crew chief: Chris Gayle<\/p>\n
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing<\/p>\n
2025 wins: 6 (Martinsville I, Darlington I, Michigan, Dover, Gateway, Las Vegas II)<\/p>\n
2025 top-five finishes: 14<\/p>\n
2025 top-10 finishes: 17<\/p>\n
Championship 4 appearances: Fifth (2014, \u201919, \u201920, \u201921, 25)<\/p>\n
Outlook: Is this the year Denny Hamlin, who will turn 45 shortly after the season, claims his first Cup championship? Could it come in a year when 23XI Racing, a team co-owned by Hamlin and Michael Jordan is in a lawsuit against NASCAR that is headed for trial Dec. 1? Hamlin\u2019s runner-up finish at Phoenix in the spring was the best result among the four championship contenders. He and his team have had two extra weeks to prepare for this race after winning the Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas. Three times in the last four years the winner of the Round of 8 opener has taken advantage of that extra time to win the Cup championship.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Highlights: NASCAR Cup playoff race at Las Vegas<\/p>\n Watch highlights from the NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the first race of the Round of 8.<\/p>\n Chase Briscoe <\/p>\n Age: 30<\/p>\n Hometown: Mitchell, IN<\/p>\n Cup championships: 0<\/p>\n Best points finish: 9th (2022)<\/p>\n Crew chief: James Small<\/p>\n Team: Joe Gibbs Racing<\/p>\n 2025 wins: 3 (Pocono, Southern 500, Talladega II)<\/p>\n 2025 top-five finishes: 15<\/p>\n 2025 top-10 finishes: 19<\/p>\n Championship 4 appearances: First<\/p>\n Outlook: Makes title race in his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing, taking over the No. 19 ride from Martin Truex Jr., who retired from full-time racing after last season. Briscoe has been fast all season, scoring a seres-high seven poles. He scored two wins, five top-five finishes and seven top-10 results in the playoffs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Highlights: NASCAR Cup playoff race at Talladega<\/p>\n Relive the chaos from Talladega Superspeedway as the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 continues with the YellaWood 500.<\/p>\n William Byron<\/p>\n Age: 27<\/p>\n Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina<\/p>\n Cup championships: 0<\/p>\n Best points finish: 3rd (2023, \u201824)<\/p>\n Crew chief: Rudy Fugle<\/p>\n Team: Hendrick Motorsports<\/p>\n 2025 wins: 3 (Daytona 500, Iowa, Martinsville II)<\/p>\n 2025 top-five finishes: 11<\/p>\n 2025 top-10 finishes: 16<\/p>\n Championship 4 appearances: 3rd (2023, \u201924, \u201925)<\/p>\n Outlook: Byron won the regular season and makes his third consecutive Championship 4 appearance after his dominating Martinsville victory last weekend. Byron has won the past two Daytona 500s. He has led a series-high 1,278 laps this season. He finished sixth at Phoenix in the spring, leading 83 laps. He looks to give the No. 24 car at Hendrick Motorsports its first Cup title since Jeff Gordon won his fourth and final crown in 2001.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Byron delivers from post position at Martinsville<\/p>\n The NASCAR on NBC crew recaps the action from Martinsville Speedway, where William Byron and three other drivers punched their ticket to the Championship 4.<\/p>\n Kyle Larson<\/p>\n Age: 33<\/p>\n Hometown: Elk Grove, California<\/p>\n Cup championships: 1 (2021)<\/p>\n Best points finish: 1st (2021)<\/p>\n Crew chief: Cliff Daniels<\/p>\n Team: Hendrick Motorsports<\/p>\n 2025 wins: 3 (Homestead, Bristol I, Kansas I)<\/p>\n 2025 top-five finishes: 14<\/p>\n 2025 top-10 finishes: 21<\/p>\n Championship 4 appearances: 3 (2021, \u201923, 25)<\/p>\n Outlook: Larson is the only former champion left. He won three of the first 12 races of the season, had a dip in performance in the summer and has scored five top-10 finishes in the past six races, including a pair of runner-up results.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Highlight: NASCAR Cup playoff race at Martinsville<\/p>\n Relive the chaos from Martinsville Speedway as the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 concludes with the Xfinity 500.<\/p>\n XFINITY SERIESConnor Zilisch<\/p>\n Age: 19<\/p>\n Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina<\/p>\n Xfinity championships: 0<\/p>\n Best points finish: Rookie season<\/p>\n Crew chief: Mardy Lindley<\/p>\n Team: JR Motorsports<\/p>\n 2025 wins: 10 (Circuit of the Americas, Pocono, Sonoma, Dover, Indianapolis, Watkins Glen, Daytona II, Portland, Gateway, Charlotte Roval)<\/p>\n 2025 Top-five finishes: 19<\/p>\n 2025 Top-10 finishes: 22<\/p>\n Championship 4 appearances: 1 (2025)<\/p>\n Justin Allgaier<\/p>\n Age: 39<\/p>\n Hometown: Riverton, Illinois<\/p>\n Xfinity championships: 1 (2024)<\/p>\n Best points finish: 1st (2024)<\/p>\n Crew chief: Jim Pohlman<\/p>\n Team: JR Motorsports<\/p>\n 2025 wins: 3 (Las Vegas, Homestead, Nashville)<\/p>\n 2025 Top-five finishes: 14<\/p>\n 2025 Top-10 finishes: 19<\/p>\n Championship 4 appearances: 8 (2016, \u201917, \u201919, \u201920, \u201922, \u201923, \u201924, \u201925)<\/p>\n