NASCAR Round of 8 playoff history, from Kevin Harvick to Ryan Blaney. Kyle Busch too
As NASCAR's Cup Series playoffs move into Race 33 and the start of the three-week Round of 8, the current playoff format has a 10-year history to revisit.
One of the past 10 champs has retired, another has mostly retired, and yet another is on his wait out the door in a month.
From Jeff Gordon to Dale Earnhardt Jr. and others, you will find plenty of racers here who have left the cockpit and moved on with their lives.
GREAT AMERICAN READ: Celebrate a fast-paced history of the Daytona 500 with new book; foreword by Richard Petty
2014
Round of 12 survivors: Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman.
Round of 8 winners: Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Martinsville, Jimmie Johnson at Texas, Kevin Harvick at Phoenix.
Eventual champ: Kevin Harvick.
We close out 2014 with "The Closer."
California's @KevinHarvick got his first @NASCAR championship, winning at @HomesteadMiami in the first year with the #Championship4 format. pic.twitter.com/2pMYJvChcz— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) December 22, 2019
2015
Round of 12 survivors: Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon.
Round of 8 winners: Jeff Gordon at Martinsville, Jimmie Johnson at Texas, Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Phoenix.
Eventual champ: Kyle Busch.
2016
Round of 12 survivors: Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch.
Round of 8 winners: Jimmie Johnson at Martinsville, Carl Edwards at Texas, Joey Logano at Phoenix.
Eventual champ: Jimmie Johnson.
"MAKE ROOM, RICHARD PETTY AND DALE EARNHARDT!"
At @HomesteadMiami in 2016, we got to see @JimmieJohnson win his record-tying seventh @NASCAR championship. #Championship4 // #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/usTqYLfmdm— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) November 13, 2019
2017
Round of 12 survivors: Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott.
Round of 8 winners: Kyle Busch at Martinsville, Kevin Harvick at Texas, Matt Kenseth at Phoenix.
Eventual champ: Martin Truex Jr.
2018
Round of 12 survivors: Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Chase Elliott, Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, Aric Almirola.
Round of 8 winners: Joey Logano at Martinsville, Kevin Harvick at Texas, Kyle Busch at Phoenix.
Eventual champ: Joey Logano.
2019
Round of 12 survivors: Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney.
Round of 8 winners: Martin Truex Jr. at Martinsville, Kevin Harvick at Texas, Denny Hamlin at Phoenix.
Eventual champ: Kyle Busch.
it’s mind boggling to me that since his 2019 championship, kyle busch has only won this many races that i don’t even need to make a thread for it pic.twitter.com/nixSAThiYz
— DNG (@dngnascar) September 23, 2022
2020
Round of 12 survivors: Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch.
Round of 8 winners: Joey Logano at Kansas, Kyle Busch at Texas, Chase Elliott at Martinsville.
Eventual champ: Chase Elliott.
2021
Round of 12 survivors: Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski.
Round of 8 winners: Kyle Larson at Texas, Kyle Larson at Kansas, Alex Bowman at Martinsville.
Eventual champ: Kyle Larson.
Kyle Larson wins 2021 NASCAR championship and race at Phoenix. https://t.co/HrjtmKzh9B pic.twitter.com/iPPK6Aj9Hc
— Road & Track (@RoadandTrack) November 8, 2021
2022
Round of 12 survivors: Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe.
Round of 8 winners: Joey Logano at Las Vegas, Kyle Larson at Homestead, Christopher Bell at Martinsville.
Eventual champ: Joey Logano.
2023
Round of 12 survivors: William Byron, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Chris Buescher, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney.
Round of 8 winners: Kyle Larson at Las Vegas, Christopher Bell at Homestead, Ryan Blaney at Martinsville.
Eventual champ: Ryan Blaney.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR Playoffs, Round of 8: Revisit past decade of champs, contenders