NASCAR viewer’s guide for Las Vegas Motor Speedway

It’s down to four races and eight drivers.

The Cup playoffs will continue Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as the Round of 8 opens.

After the wild finish to last Sunday’s race at the Charlotte Roval, eight drivers remain in the hunt for the Cup championship. In order of their point standing, they are Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe.

The list has Hendrick Motorsports with two spots, Team Penske with two, Joe Gibbs Racing with two and Stewart-Haas Racing and Trackhouse Racing with one each.

Bell made the round with a comeback victory last Sunday at Charlotte, and Briscoe squeezed into the last spot with a late-race rally.

Of the eight drivers remaining in the championship chase, only two — Chase Elliott and Joey Logano — own Cup titles, Elliott winning in 2020 and Logano in 2018.

Kyle Larson, the defending champion, was eliminated from playoff contention last Sunday at Charlotte.

Three active champions — Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. — failed to qualify for the playoffs, Busch losing his shot because of injury. Former champs Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick departed in the Round of 16.

Welcome, youngsters

By average age, this season’s Round of 8 driver list is the youngest — at 30.1 years old — in playoff history.

At 24, William Byron is the youngster championship contender. The oldest, at 41, is Denny Hamlin. Other than Hamlin and Logano (32), the field is made up of 20-somethings.

Byron, Bell, Briscoe and Chastain are making their first appearances in the Round of 8. Logano has been in the Round of 8 eight times and is the leader in that category.

Is there a favorite in the Round of 8?

The numbers