Breaking down NASCAR's Championship 4 drivers

After 26 regular season and nine playoff races, four drivers remain to fight for the title in the Homestead-Miami Speedway finale.

The Championship Four drivers are the best of the best, winning 22 of 35 races run this season with three former series champions among them. Take a look at how each driver stacks up ahead of the 400-mile finale to crown the 2018 MENCS champion.

Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Fusion

Kevin Harvick, the first driver to be crowned champion in this knockout format in 2014, has made the Championship 4 four times in the last five years. If he were to win again, it would again be with Stewart-Haas Racing, but a different manufacturer in Ford (SHR ran Chevrolets in 2014). For team owners Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, it would be their third title with Stewart himself earning the team's first back in 2011.

Kevin Harvick's 2018 season

Poles: 4
Wins: 8 
Stage wins: 18
Top 5s: 22
Top 10s: 28
Laps led: 1,932
Best playoff result: 1st (Texas, encumbered) 

Kevin Harvicks 2018 paint schemes

Daytona I, Atlanta, Las Vegas I, Phoenix I, Martinsville I, Dover I, Michigan I, Bristol II, Talladega II, Homestead

Fontana, Bristol I, Pocono I, Loudon, Watkins Glen, Martinsville II

Texas I, Kansas I, Kentucky, Kansas II, Phoenix II

Richmond I, Sonoma, Pocono II, Las Vegas II, Texas II

Talladega I

Charlotte I

Chicago, Daytona II

Michigan II

Darlington

Indianapolis, Richmond II, Charlotte II

Dover II

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Kevin Harvick's Homestead stats

Starts: 17
Poles: 1 (2016)
Wins: 1 (2014)
Top 5s: 9
Top 10s: 15
Laps led: 315
Average finish: 6.8

Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry

Kyle Busch earned his lone title in 2015 and like Harvick, has made the Championship 4 in four of the last five years. He earned that title despite breaking his leg in the season-opening NASCAR Xfinity Series race and missing the first 12 races of the Cup season, after being granted a playoff waiver by NASCAR due to his injury. Should Busch win Sunday, it would be ten years after joining Joe Gibbs Racing, a team searching for their fifth title. Bobby Labonte delivered their first in 2000, followed by Tony Stewart in 2002 and 2005 and then Busch in 2015.

Kyle Busch's 2018 season

Poles: 4
Wins: 8
Stage Wins: 6
Top 5s: 21
Top 10s: 27
Laps Led: 1,448
Best playoff result: 1st (Richmond, Phoenix) 

Kyle Busch's 2018 paint schemes 

Daytona I, Las Vegas II, Richmond II, Charlotte II, Talladega II, Fort Worth II, Phoenix II, Homestead

Atlanta

Las Vegas I, Martinsville I, Kansas City I, Sonoma, Pocono II, Indianapolis

Phoenix I

Fontana, Texas I, Daytona II, Loudon, Michigan II, Dover II

Bristol I

Richmond I, Talladega I

Dover I

Charlotte I, Pocono I, Michigan I

Chicago

Kentucky

Watkins Glen

Bristol II

Darlington

Kansas II, Martinsville II

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Kyle Busch's Homestead stats

Starts: 13
Poles: 0
Wins: 1 (2015) 
Top 5s: 3
Top 10s: 6 Rounds 
Laps Led: 322
Average finish: 18.5

Martin Truex Jr.

Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota Camry

Martin Truex Jr. returns to Homestead as the defending race winner and the reigning series champion. Truex made the Championship 4 once before in 2015, beating Kyle Busch for the title in 2017. Even if he is able to become a back-to-back champion, Sunday will be Furniture Row Racing's final race as team owner Barney Visser plans to close their doors at the conclusion of the season. Truex and crew chief Cole Pearn will become Busch's teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2019.

If Truex prevails, he will also be the first driver in this Championship 4 era of the playoffs to successfully defend his crown. Although he has no wins in the 2018 playoffs, he has been leading entering the final lap on multiple occasions before incidents snatched the victory away.

Martin Truex Jr.'s 2018 season

Poles: 4
Wins: 4
Stage Wins: 10
Top 5s: 19
Top 10s: 20
Laps Led: 996
Best playoff result: 3rd (Las Vegas, Richmond, Martinsville) 

Martin Truex Jr.'s 2018 paint schemes

Daytona I, Atlanta, Las Vegas I, Fontana, Texas I, Richmond I, Talladega I, Charlotte I, Pocono I, Darlington, Talladega II, Kansas II, Texas II, Homestead

Phoenix I, Martinsville I, Dover I, Kansas City I, Sonoma, Chicago, Loudon, Watkins Glen, Michigan II, Dover II, Martinsville II

Bristol I, Michigan I, Kentucky, Pocono II, Indianapolis, Richmond II, Phoenix II

Daytona II

Bristol II

Las Vegas II

Charlotte II

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Martin Truex Jr.'s Homestead stats

Starts: 13
Poles: 0
Wins: 1 (2017) 
Top 5s: 4
Top 10s: 8 
Laps Led: 189
Average finish: 11.5

Joey Logano

Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford Fusion

Joey Logano, championship runner-up to Jimmie Johnson in 2016, is the only driver in this year's Championship 4 yet to win the title. Logano has made the final four twice before in 2014 and 2016 and his journey to this year's title-decider was a bit of a controversial one. After Truex fought to cleanly pass Logano for the win at Martinsville, Logano moved him out of the way and snatched back the win, securing his place in the Championship 4. Truex has vowed to return the favor should they find themselves battling each other Sunday.

If Logano earns his first title this weekend, it would be Roger Penske's second as a team owner with Brad Keselowski delivering his first in 2012.

Joey Logano's 2018 season

Poles: 1
Wins: 2
Stage Wins: 5
Top 5s: 12
Top 10s: 25
Laps Led: 854
Best playoff result: 1st (Martinsville) 

Joey Loganos 2018 paint schemes

Daytona I, Atlanta, Phoenix I, Martinsville I, Fort Worth I, Richmond I, Dover I, Charlotte I, Pocono I, Michigan I, Sonoma, Chicago, Daytona II, Kentucky, Loudon, Pocono II, Watkins Glen, Michigan II, Bristol II, Indianapolis, Richmond II, Charlotte II, Dover II, Talladega II, Kansas II, Martinsville II, Phoenix II, Homestead

Las Vegas I, Las Vegas II

Fontana

Bristol I

Talladega I

Kansas I, Texas II

Darlington

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Joey Logano's Homestead stats

Starts: 9
Poles: 1 (2012) 
Wins: 0
Top 5s: 2
Top 10s: 4 Rounds 
Laps Led: 78
Average finish: 14.9

Direct comparison of the Championship 4 drivers

2018 season

Homestead results

Career results

All NASCAR champions from the playoff era

Tony Stewart gewinnt im Chase 2011 fünf Rennen (Chicago, Loudon, Martinsville, Fort Worth, Homestead) und erringt im denkwürdigen Finale in Homestead gegen Carl Edwards seinen dritten Titel, seinen zweiten in der Playoff-Ära.

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