NASCAR Playoffs begin at Darlington, eligible drivers and format

This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series and Craftsman Truck Series head to Darlington Raceway. It will be the first race in the Cup Series Playoffs Round of 16 and the opening race in the Round of 10 for the Truck Series.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series has two races remaining in the regular season. They will compete at Portland International Raceway this Saturday and World Wide Technology Raceway Sept. 6. The series playoffs begin on Sept. 12 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Cup Series Playoff Drivers

1. Kyle Larson (2,032 points)
2. William Byron (2,032 points)
3. Denny Hamlin (2,029 points)
4. Ryan Blaney (2,026 points)
5. Christopher Bell (2,023 points)
6. Shane van Gisbergen (2,022 points)
7. Chase Elliott (2,013 points)
8. Chase Briscoe (2,010 points)
9. Bubba Wallace (2,008 points)
10. Austin Cindric (2,008 points)
11. Ross Chastain (2,007 points)
12. Joey Logano (2,007 points)
13. Josh Berry (2,006 points)
14. Tyler Reddick (2,006 points)
15. Austin Dillon (2,005 points)
16. Alex Bowman (2,002 points)

Craftsman Truck Series Playoff Drivers

1. Corey Heim (2065 points)
2. Layne Riggs (2026 points)
3. Chandler Smith (2019 points)
4. Daniel Hemric (2011 points)
5. Tyler Ankrum (2010 points)
6. Ty Majeski (2010 points)
7. Grant Enginger (2007 points)
8. Rajah Caruth (2005 points)
9. Kaden Honeycutt (2003 points)
10. Jake Garcia (2002 points)

NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Format

Round of 16: The 16 eligible drivers compete in three races, including Darlington Raceway, World Wide Technology Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway. After the third race, the four drivers with the lowest points are eliminated.

Round of 12: The remaining 12 drivers compete in the next three races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. The four drivers with the lowest points are eliminated.

Round of 8: The remaining 8 drivers compete in the next three races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Martinsville Speedway. The four drivers with the lowest points are eliminated.

Championship 4: The final four drivers compete in the last race of the season at Phoenix Raceway. The highest-finishing driver wins the championship title.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs Format

Round of 10: The 10 eligible drivers compete in three races, including Darlington Raceway, Bristol Motor Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. After the third race, the two drivers with the lowest points are eliminated.

Round of 8: The remaining eight drivers compete in the next three races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Martinsville Speedway. The four drivers with the lowest points are eliminated.

Championship 4: The final four drivers compete in the last race of the season at Phoenix Raceway. The highest-finishing driver wins the championship title.