DRIVER CAPSULES

No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing DRIVER: Kyle Busch

HOMETOWN: Las Vegas NOTEWORTHY: The early leader of the Joe Gibbs Racing juggernauts this season, Busch quickly won four Cup races and is among the favorites to win the championship this year. No. 22 Ford, Team Penske DRIVER: Joey Logano HOMETOWN: Middletown, Conn. NOTEWORTHY: Logano was the upset winner of the Cup title last year with a victory in the season finale against three drivers favored heavily over the Team Penske star. No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing DRIVER: Denny Hamlin HOMETOWN: Chesterfield, Va. NOTEWORTHY: Hamlin won the Daytona 500 to open the season, then added another three wins to heat up before the playoffs. No. 4 Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing DRIVER: Kevin Harvick HOMETOWN: Bakersfield, Calif. NOTEWORTHY: Harvick had a slow start to the season until a pair of summer victories locked him into the playoffs and showed there’s been little drop-off in his program. No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing DRIVER: Martin Truex Jr. HOMETOWN: Mayetta, N.J. NOTEWORTHY: Truex moved this season to Joe Gibbs Racing and won four of eight races in the middle of the season to cement JGR as the strongest team in NASCAR. No. 2 Ford, Penske Racing No. 2 Ford, Penske Racing DRIVER: Brad Keselowski HOMETOWN: Rochester Hills, Mich. NOTEWORTHY: Although Keselowski has three wins this season, he’s lacked the consistency of many of the other contenders. No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports DRIVER: Alex Bowman HOMETOWN: Tucson, Ariz. NOTEWORTHY: Bowman earned his first career Cup victory at Chicago this summer to qualify for the playoffs for the first time. No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports DRIVER: Chase Elliott HOMETOWN: Dawsonville, Ga. NOTEWORTHY: Elliott has shown versatility by winning on a superspeedway and a road course, but the son of Hall of Famer Bill Elliott and NASCAR’s most popular driver has not shown yet he’s ready to contend for the title.

No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing DRIVER: Kyle Larson HOMETOWN: Elk Grove, Calif.

NOTEWORTHY: Larson gives Ganassi both his cars in the playoffs, but he’s been all over the map in performance this year and doesn’t have a Cup victory headed into the playoffs. No. 12 Ford, Team Penske DRIVER: Ryan Blaney HOMETOWN: High Point, N.C. NOTEWORTHY: The only winless driver in the Penske group, he’s in the playoffs but needs to turn it up to advance very far. No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing DRIVER: Kurt Busch

HOMETOWN: Las Vegas NOTEWORTHY: Busch has been the most consistent driver of the Chevrolet camp this year in his first season driving for Chip Ganassi, who wants him back next year. No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing DRIVER: Erik Jones HOMETOWN: Byron, MI NOTEWORTHY: Jones is coming off a win in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway to take momentum into the playoffs. No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports DRIVER: William Byron HOMETOWN: Charlotte, N.C. NOTEWORTHY: Byron is making his debut in the playoffs under the leadership of Chad Knaus, the crew chief who led Jimmie Johnson to seven titles. No. 10 Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing DRIVER: Aric Almirola HOMETOWN: Tampa, Fla. NOTEWORTHY: Almirola has suffered a drop-off from last season, when he won his first career Cup race and made it to the third round of the playoffs. No. 14 Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing DRIVER: Clint Bowyer HOMETOWN: Emporia, Kansas NOTEWORTHY: Bowyer has had a rollercoaster season, in a contract year, and needed a strong showing at The Brickyard to secure his spot in the playoffs. No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing DRIVER: Ryan Newman HOMETOWN: South Bend, Ind. NOTEWORTHY: Newman floated around the playoff cutline all summer and needed home track Indianapolis Motor Speedway to get him into the field.