Moving on from the Round of 12 isn’t any small feat, however not one of the drivers nonetheless alive within the championship hunt are a straightforward out.

Twelve Cup drivers will enter this spherical, which begins Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, post-race on Peacock). Four drivers shall be eradicated after three races.

The Round of 12 is the biggest wild card of the playoffs. It has an intermediate monitor, a superspeedway recognized for crashes and a highway course the place solely two drivers in final yr’s playoff completed inside the highest 10.

This distinctive setup implies that it’s virtually not possible to foretell which 4 drivers shall be eradicated. Here are the explanation why every of the remaining 12 playoff drivers can transfer on to the Round of 8:

William Byron

Standings: 1st

Points above ninth: 25

• Tied for probably the most factors (36) amongst playoff drivers
• Has superspeedway, intermediate and highway course wins in Cup
• Pit crew has the very best four-tire cease common time at 11.011 seconds

Martin Truex Jr.

Standings: 2nd

Points above ninth: 25

• Tied for probably the most factors (36) amongst playoff drivers
• Has 5 wins on highway programs and 12 wins on 1.5-mile tracks in his Cup profession
• Toyota has pace at each intermediate monitor

Denny Hamlin

Standings: third

Points above ninth: 21

• Has the third-most factors (32) amongst playoff drivers
• Has led laps previously 9 races whereas scoring two wins and three runner-ups
• Has three wins at Texas Motor Speedway and two at Talladega Superspeedway

Kyle Larson

Standings: 4th

Points above ninth: 12

• Posted the second-best all-time common end (2.33) within the first three playoff races
• Won at each Texas Motor Speedway and the Roval in the course of the 2021 playoffs
• Has the second-best common end on 1.5-mile tracks (9.45) in Next Gen period

Chris Buescher

Standings: fifth

Points above ninth: 10

• Has three wins and 6 top-10 finishes previously eight races
• Finished third at Talladega Superspeedway earlier this season
• Has two straight top-six finishes on the Charlotte Roval

Kyle Busch

Standings: sixth

Points above ninth: 8

• Has 4 wins at Texas Motor Speedway
• Won at Talladega Superspeedway earlier this season
• The No. 8 automotive received at Texas Motor Speedway final season

Christopher Bell

Standings: seventh

Points above ninth: 5

• Won the Roval race final season
• Speed translated to 3 straight pole wins to start out the playoffs
• Ranked ninth-best on restarts within the Cup Series

Tyler Reddick

Standings: eighth

Points above ninth: 3

• Won at Texas Motor Speedway final season
• Has three highway course wins, together with COTA this season
• One of two drivers and not using a important concern throughout first spherical of the playoffs