Overview

• Denny Hamlin, entering the postseason with four wins and seeded third, called the playoffs “another chance to roll the dice” and criticized the system’s randomness while vowing to stay focused despite 23XI’s antitrust case heading to trial in December.
• Christopher Bell urged counting more races toward the title, saying a longer deciding stretch would restore legitimacy to modern champions.
• Team owner Rick Hendrick said he prefers the previous points method over the current elimination setup, underscoring owner-level dissatisfaction.
• Defending champion Joey Logano outlined a week-to-week approach and cautioned rivals not to overlook him, even as some previews place him in the Round of 16 danger zone.
• Pre-playoff analyses list Kyle Larson, William Byron and Hamlin as near locks to advance, and broadcaster Parker Kligerman predicted Hamlin in the Championship 4 as the Round of 16 opens Sunday at Darlington.