NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 is as wide open as it's ever been

You could almost say it's as wide open of a group as ever in the modern NASCAR Cup Series playoff era.

Is there a clear favorite going into Sunday's finale at Phoenix Raceway? I'm not sure you can say that definitively. You can make a strong case for each of the four drivers in the Championship 4.

Had a driver such as Ryan Blaney won at Martinsville Speedway to get into the Championship 4, you likely would've had a clear favorite. He didn't and William Byron proved he could handle the pressure of a true win-and-in ticket.

Wide open NASCAR championship battle is must-see

Byron kicked butt at Martinsville, leading over 300 laps after starting on the pole. Teammate Kyle Larson also took care of business and scored enough points to secure the final spot in the Championship 4.

As for the other two drivers, Denny Hamlin won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Chase Briscoe won at Talladega Superspeedway. Neither one of them had the race they were hoping for at Martinsville, with both knocked out due to engine problems. Though they were already locked in, that certainly didn't give them much positive energy going to Phoenix.

So which of the four has the best chance to take home the 2025 Cup Series championship? Let's look at each of the four contenders.

Denny Hamlin

This chance has been years in the making. Hamlin is a 60-time Cup Series race winner, still looking to win a championship. By now, he doesn't really need it. He's a future Hall of Fame driver at 44 years old. However, getting the monkey off of his back would certainly sweeten things up for the Virginia native.

His most recent Championship 4 appearance came in 2021. He has to beat a teammate and two Hendrick Motorsports drivers to win the title, which is what he wasn't able to do four years ago.

We have all seen what has happened in the past, and the recent mechanical gremlins in the No. 11 Toyota have to be a bit concerning. Hamlin is certainly the feel-good driver of the four, if he's fortunate enough to win the crown on Sunday.

Chase Briscoe

The most surprising driver of the four has to be Briscoe. He's in his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing, and he's showcased real talent by winning three races, on three very different types of tracks. He has been very consistent throughout the playoffs, not to mention his pure speed and ability to start up front.

Like his fellow competitors in the Championship 4, Briscoe is a former winner at Phoenix. It's his first Championship 4 appearance, but that could be a good thing. Just look how it worked out for Chase Elliott in 2020 and Kyle Larson in 2021.

William Byron

What's the best way to win a championship in NASCAR these days? Have momentum, and Byron has that. His victory at Martinsville meant a lot to not just the driver but to his whole No. 24 team. And at least for Byron, it feels extra good to not see a Team Penske car in the Championship 4.

The two-time reigning Daytona 500 champion looks the part and is more than capable of getting the job done and winning championship number 15 for Hendrick Motorsports. He has led 1,278 laps this season, most in the series.

He's also shown a resilience unlike any other. Byron could have easily been lost after the crazy incident with Ty Dillon at Las Vegas, or after he lost 20+ positions on the final lap at Talladega. But he never gave up, and now he has a chance to etch his name into NASCAR history.

Kyle Larson

The driver with the most to prove in Phoenix might be Kyle Larson. The 2021 Cup Series champion has a shot to win his second title this weekend, and he's the only one who can say that. However, he hasn't won a race since May. He's had some great runs as of late, finishing sixth or better in four of the five most recent races.

Wouldn't it just be like Larson to hit a walk-off win to score his second title? He's typically a favorite anywhere the series goes, but in a way, Larson is the dark horse of the four drivers this time around. That might be just what he needs.