NASCAR insiders name drivers who could win championship out of final 12

The Round of 12 is set for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs following Bristol, and NASCAR insiders Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi evaluated the new field of championship contenders after the weekend that was.

On the latest episode of The Teardown, Gluck and Bianchi separated the contenders from the pretenders for the Round of 12, trying to figure out which drivers have a shot at winning the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series title, and who’s simply along for the ride at the moment.

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“So, there’s 12 guys left, and we’ve talked about it at times, there’s six, maybe seven guys that can win the championship,” Gluck explained. “Who’s left that you think, ‘Yes, this guy can absolutely do it.’ So, Christopher Bell, we agree, that’s still my championship pick. Obviously, Kyle Larson. Can Alex Bowman win the title? I say no. Can Chase Elliott win the title? … We don’t feel great about it, but he could be up there, but we need more.

“Austin Cindric, we say no. But heck of a round. He finished fifth in points this round, and he could make it past this round too. Ran great on road courses, super speedways, but yeah, to go to the Final Four and win it? Ryan Blaney, obviously can win it. Tyler Reddick, only finished seventh in points this round. William Byron. … Here’s my concern with Byron. They just haven’t been getting finishes.”

As Gluck was going through each contender, it’s evident Bianchi was in agreement with most of his assertions, as well as believing Reddick and Byron can have a much better Round of 12 than their last couple of weeks would indicate. Additionally, Bianchi also pointed out Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin as two veterans who could make it to the Championship Four in Phoenix.

Logano started off the seasons slow, but he’s really come along in 2024, and that was marked by his victory in Atlanta to begin the Round of 16. Meanwhile, Hamlin’s season has followed an opposite path, as he started off guns blazing, but he’s since been wildly inconsistent on the track.

Moving forward, it’ll be fascinating to see if Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi are correct in their predictions for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, or if a surprise contender emerges from the pack. Regardless, the road to Phoenix is bound to be filled with all sorts of drama over the next couple of weeks.