GFT Facts and Stats Friday: NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk 400 at Homestead Miami Speedway
25 October 2024
By Bob Francis, Managing Editor
Go Full Throttle Racing News
HOMESTEAD, FL — Homestead-Miami Speedway sets the stage for this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs’ second race of the Round of 8, the Straight Talk Wireless 400, this Sunday, October 27 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).
Last weekend in Las Vegas, Team Penske’s Joey Logano and the №22 Ford team persevered, holding-off Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell, while managing their fuel milage to become the first driver and team to earn a spot in the Championship 4 Round, leaving just three positions still up for grabs heading into Sunday at Miami.
Logano entered the Round of 8 race at Las Vegas last weekend ranked eighth in the Playoff standings, and with his win, he leap-frogs the field to the top of the leaderboard earning the first spot in the Championship 4 Round and becomes the NASCAR Cup Series leader in Championship 4 Round appearances with six (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024).
NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 400
Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday, October 27
The Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
The Purse: $7,997,594
TV: NBC, 2 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 400.5 miles (267 laps)
— Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 80)
— Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 165)
— Final Stage (Ends on Lap 267)
homesteadmiamispeedway.com)
Track Facts
Track Length: 1.5 Miles
Race Length: 400 Miles (267 laps)
Grandstand Seating Capacity: 47,000
First Race: Nov. 14, 1999 — Pennzoil 400
Banking in Corners: 18–20 degrees (variable)
Banking on Straights: 4 degrees
Frontstretch: 1,760 feet
Backstretch: 1,760 feet
Qualifying & Race Records
Qualifying: Brad Keselowski, Ford, 181.238 mph (29.795 secs.); Nov. 14, 2014 (Round 1 of 3)
Race: Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 142.245 mph (2:48:56); Nov. 18, 2012
Track Records
Most Wins: 3 — Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin
Most Poles: 3 — Denny Hamlin
Most Top Fives: 12 — Kevin Harvick
Most Top 10s: 19 — Kevin Harvick
DRIVER RATINGS — 8 Playoff Driver Ratings for Homestead
HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY-SPECIFIC STATISTICS
(Playoff Round of 8 Driver stats below are from 2005 — Present)
1 — Christopher Bell (No. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.2
2024 Rundown
· Three wins, 14 top fives, 22 top 10s, three poles
· Led 999 laps
· Average Finish of 12.7
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· One win, one top five, two top 10s
· Average Finish of 10.000, second-best
· Average Running Position of 14.306, 13th-best
· Driver Rating of 82.7, 13th-best
· 623 Laps in the Top 15 (58.3%), 14th-most
2 — Kyle Larson (№5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.8
2024 Rundown
· Seven wins, 14 top fives, 17 top 10s, five poles
· Led 1,677 laps
· Average Finish of 13.1
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· One win, five top fives, five top 10s
· Average Finish of 13.000, eighth-best
· Average Running Position of 7.985, series-best
· Driver Rating of 112.6, series-best
· 2,193 Laps in the Top 15 (82.1%), second-most
3 — William Byron (№24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.5
2024 Rundown
· Three wins, 13 top fives, 19 top 10s, one pole
· Led 287 laps
· Average Finish of 13.4
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· One win, two top fives, three top 10s, one pole
· Average Finish of 14.833, 12th-best
· Average Running Position of 10.391, third-best
· Driver Rating of 99.9, third-best
· 1,177 Laps in the Top 15 (73.5%), fifth-most
4 — Joey Logano (№22 Team Penske Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 85.0
2024 Rundown
· Three wins, six top fives, 12 top 10s, three poles
· Led 307 laps
· Average Finish of 17.2
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· One win, four top fives, seven top 10s, one pole
· Average Finish of 14.533, 11th-best
· Average Running Position of 12.727, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 90.0, 10th-best
· 2,659 Laps in the Top 15 (66.4%), 12th-most
5 — Denny Hamlin (№11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 91.3
2024 Rundown
· Three wins, ten top fives, 16 top 10s, four poles
· Led 922 laps
· Average Finish of 14.6
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· Three wins, five top fives, 12 top 10s, three poles
· Average Finish of 10.895, fourth-best
· Average Running Position of 11.021, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 98.1, fourth-best
· 3,785 Laps in the Top 15 (74.6%), fourth-most
6 — Tyler Reddick (№45 23XI Racing Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.4
2024 Rundown
· Two wins, 11 top fives, 19 top 10s, two poles
· Led 506 laps
· Average Finish of 13.1
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· Three top fives, three top 10s
· Average Finish of 11.000, fifth-best
· Average Running Position of 11.442, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 96.3, sixth-best
· 756 Laps in the Top 15 (70.8%), 10th-most
7 — Ryan Blaney (№12 Team Penske Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 87.2
2024 Rundown
· Two wins, nine top fives, 16 top 10s, one pole
· Led 476 laps
· Average Finish of 16.3
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· Two top fives, two top 10s
· Average Finish of 16.778, 17th-best
· Average Running Position of 14.505, 14th-best
· Driver Rating of 84.6, 12th-best
· 1,550 Laps in the Top 15 (64.5%), 13th-most
8 — Chase Elliott (№9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.8
2024 Rundown
· One win, ten top fives, 17 top 10s
· Led 214 laps
· Average Finish of 12.1
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· Two top fives, three top 10s
· Average Finish of 10.375, third-best
· Average Running Position of 10.986, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 90.7, ninth-best
1,625 Laps in the Top 15 (76.0%), third-most
2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Standings Outlook
Following Las Vegas Motor Speedway — October 20, 2024 — Round of 8 — Race №7 of 10
Spinning the tires in Logano’s wake is Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell in second in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings outlook, up +42 points of the Championship 4 Round cut line. Hendrick Motorsports’ teammates Kyle Larson (in third, up +35 points) and William Byron (in fourth, up +27 points) round out the top four above the Championship 4 Round cutoff, in third and fourth, respectively.
Mired in the points below the Championship 4 Round cut line are Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin in fifth, -27 points back from Bryon. Regular Season Champion and 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick is in sixth, -30 points back from Byron in fourth. Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney, the defending series champion, is seventh, -47 points back from the Championship 4 Round cutoff and Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott is eighth, back -53 points.
Though not impossible, the drivers below the cutline after Las Vegas have a mountain of points to climb to move on. Only one driver in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs since the introduction of the elimination-style format in 2014, has pointed into the Championship 4 Round from 20 or more points below the cutline after the first race of the Round of 8, and that was Martin Truex Jr. (-22 points in 2021). All four drivers below the cutline after Las Vegas this season are at least 27 points back.
Interestingly, in each of the past five seasons, at least one driver from below the cutline after the first Round of 8 race has made the Championship 4 Round. Three eventual Cup champions won their way into the Championship 4 Round from below the cutline after the first Round of 8 race (Ryan Blaney in 2023, Chase Elliott in 2020, and Kevin Harvick in 2014).
Eighth race in the Playoffs has been the key to a title for some
Homestead-Miami Speedway (2022–2024) is the fourth different track to host the eighth-race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs; joining Phoenix Raceway (one race: 2004), Texas Motor Speedway (16 races: 2005–2020), and Kansas Speedway (one race: 2021).
A total of 10 different drivers have won the eighth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson with five victories — all at Texas Motor Speedway: 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015.
Kyle Larson leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in victories in the eighth race of the Playoffs with two postseason wins (Kansas in 2021 and Homestead-Miami in 2022).
This season three of the eight active NASCAR Cup Series Playoff drivers are previous winners in the eighth race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs — Denny Hamlin (Texas, 2010), Kyle Larson (Kansas, 2021 and Homestead-Miami, 2022) and Christopher Bell (Homestead-Miami, 2023).
Joey Logano looks to become only active fulltime three-time Cup champion
It’s an exclusive list with just nine names on it all-time, and currently, none of the active fulltime drivers have earned a spot on the prestigious list of champions that have earned three or more NASCAR Cup Series titles. But now that Team Penske’s Joey Logano has earned a spot in the Championship 4 Round this season, he has a big opportunity to change that.
“There’s a lot of pride in making it to the Championship Four,” said Logano, who has secured his series leading sixth Championship 4 Round berth. “It’s tough, right? A long year, you got to get through a lot of different scenarios, a lot of curve balls that are thrown your way. It’s hard, right? Making it is something to be proud of, there’s no doubt. … But it’s all about maximizing the opportunity that’s ahead of us. As proud as I am that we’ve made it, I also feel like the job’s far from being over.”
If Logano (2018, 2022) were to win the title this season and score his third championship, he would become the 10th different driver with three or more championships in the NASCAR Cup Series all-time (1949–2024), and would tie NASCAR Hall of Famers and three-time champions Tony Stewart (2002, 2005, 2011), Darrell Waltrip (1981, 1982, 1985), Cale Yarborough (1976, 1977, 1978), David Pearson (1966, 1968, 1969) and Lee Petty (1954, 1958, 1959) in titles.
This weekend, seven of the 17 NASCAR Cup Series race winners at Homestead-Miami Speedway are active, and five of the seven are current Playoff drivers (Hamlin, Bell, Byron, Larson and Logano).
Final Four: A look at the Playoffs’ best to make the Championship 4 Round
This season just one driver has secured their spot in the Championship 4 Round of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (Joey Logano), but let’s take a look at who has previously earned a spot throughout the years in the prestigious and exclusive round that grants the postseason contenders that one shot at the title.
Since inception of the elimination-style format of the Playoffs in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2014, just 16 different drivers have earned a spot in the Championship 4 Round, with nine of the 16 securing multiple appearances in the final round.
Team Penske’s Joey Logano leads all Cup drivers with six Championship 4 Round appearances (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024), having locked up this year’s spot with his win at Las Vegas last weekend.Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin with four Championship 4 appearances (2021, ’20, ’19, ’14) has the opportunity to earn his fifth appearance and tie Martin Truex Jr. (2021, ’19, ’18, ’17, ‘15), Kyle Busch (2019, ’18, ’17, ’16, ’15) and Kevin Harvick (2019, ’18, ’17, ’15, ’14) for the second-most appearances all-time.
The record for the youngest driver to earn a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 Round is held by Joey Logano, who earned his first appearance in the Championship Four in 2014 at the age of 24 years, 5 months and 23 days.
The second youngest to make the Championship Four was Chase Elliott in 2020 at the age of 24 years, 11 months and 11 days.
The record for the oldest driver to earn a spot in the Championship 4 Round is held by NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, who earned his spot at the age of 44 years, 3 months and 18 days.
This season, only one of the eight drivers vying for a spot in the Championship 4 Round is looking to make his first appearance in the final round — Tyler Reddick. And coincidentally, Reddick’s crew chief Billy Scott is the only crew chief in the Round of 8 to have not earned a spot in the Championship 4 Round before in his career.
Of the seven crew chiefs in this season’s Round of 8 with previous Championship 4 Round experience, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Adam Stevens has earned the most appearances in the final round with seven, followed by Hendrick Motorsport’s Alan Gustafson with four, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chris Gabehart and Team Penske’s Paul Wolfe each have three, Hendrick Motorsport’s Cliff Daniels with two, and Team Penske’s Jonathan Hassler and Hendrick Motorsport’s Rudy Fugle each have one appearance.
Also in total, seven organizations have qualified for the Championship 4 Round in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2014–2023. Joe Gibbs Racing leads the NASCAR Cup Series in number of appearances they have earned in the Championship 4 Round with 14.
Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports are tied for the most NASCAR Cup Series drivers to earn a spot in the Championship 4 Round with five drivers each.
UPDATE GFT AI DRIVER RANKINGS
GFT BOX SCORES after Las Vegas
DRIVER: Kyle Larson leads with 6 wins so far in 2024
MANUFACTURER: Chevrolet with 15 wins so far in 2024
TEAM: Hendrick Motorsports with 11 wins
GFT AI Race Prediction Model Picks for Homestead-Miami
(Will be updated after Practice and Qualifying)
**NOTE** Be sure to follow us on X (aka Twitter) to see the updated GFT NASCAR Fantasy Live picks AFTER our AI models ingest the Practice and Qualifying data. For a Sunday race, this usually happens overnight Saturday and is published Sunday morning at least 2 hours before the green flag.
