NASCAR playoff rankings: Is Kyle Larson the clear championship favorite?

The second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will be filled with unpredictability.

Kansas Speedway has been one of the most dicey of the 1.5-mile tracks, Talladega is possibly the most unpredictable racing of any track and the Charlotte road course configuration has had some tweaks that has teams wondering how they will handle a couple of the new turns.

For the 12 drivers who advanced to the second round, it will be a nerve-wracking affair. They already have survived one round and now it's on to the next.

NASCAR's version of the playoffs — where those outside the playoffs still compete each week as well — runs over the final 10 races of the season. The first three rounds consist of three races, and the four winless drivers in the round lowest in points are eliminated, setting up four drivers who are eligible for the title in the season finale at Phoenix with the driver who finishes the best (they don't get stage points) crowned the champion.

In each round, the advancing drivers' point totals are reset (2000 in the first round, 3000 in the quarterfinal round, 4000 in the semifinal round, 5000 for the championship) with the playoff points they earned during the season added to their total except for the championship race.

The tracks:

Here's my playoff rankings based on best shot to win the title to the worst shot. Last week's rankings went 1-to-16 but with the field now whittled to 12, it is just those 12 drivers. 

1. Christopher Bell (Last Week: 1)
Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota
Position: 2nd, +24 on the playoff cutoff
May 2024 Kansas Finish: 6th

Bell is coming off a solid opening round of the playoffs and now this will be the tough round for him. Neither Kansas nor Talladega are great tracks for him, but he does have