NASCAR Cup Series: Full 2024 point standings (without playoffs)

As a die-hard NASCAR fan with decades of racing under my belt, I can confidently say that the 2024 season has been one for the history books. Joey Logano, our three-time champion, clinched his latest title in a nail-biting finish against teammate Ryan Blaney at Phoenix Raceway.

Among all NASCAR Cup Series champions, he might have had the poorest final race placement on average. His advancement to the Round of 8 could potentially be attributed to another driver being disqualified.

He might have qualified for the playoffs due to a remarkable five-overtime victory where he managed to stay ahead of the driver who was then at the bottom (last place) of the 34 full-time drivers in the points ranking.

However, it was Joey Logano from Team Penske who clinched the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series title after he outperformed his teammate Ryan Blaney during the Championship 4 race finale held on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway.

Despite Joe Logano’s performance in various aspects being somewhat average during the 2024 racing season, he skillfully clinched three playoff races to earn his third championship, marking his third victory since 2018.

For several years running, we’ve consistently participated, and this year follows suit: who among them would have clinched the title if the championship were determined by season-long points accumulation?

NASCAR standings without playoffs

If the championship were based on a season-long format instead of stage racing, the rankings would likely appear distinct from those shown here, as numerous drivers and teams might have tackled each race differently due to altered objectives, given their specific goals for certain races.

In a hypothetical scenario where playoff resets didn’t occur in 2024, here is how the final standings might have appeared, taking into account all other factors and including Denny Hamlin’s point penalties.

Kyle Larson leads with a score of 1189 (no penalties)

Furthermore, remember that the Championship 4 drivers don’t earn official stage points during the Championship 4 race. Consequently, we made necessary adjustments to their total scores for the season.

NASCAR playoffs history

In 2014, NASCAR implemented a new playoff system. Since then, there have been only three instances where the actual champion and the potential points leader were one and the same. This hasn’t occurred since Kyle Larson clinched the championship in 2021. However, Larson is set to secure his second unofficial points title in 2024.

In 2004, when NASCAR initiated its first playoff system, there have only been eight instances where the declared champion at the end of the season and the driver who was expected to win based on points accumulation throughout the year turned out to be the same individual.

Logano has been a three-time champion yet hasn’t claimed the unofficial points title. Interestingly, only two other champions share this distinction – they too are single-time champions. However, Kurt Busch bagged it in 2004, while Blaney secured it last year.

Next year’s 67th running of the Daytona 500 will kick off the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway on a Sunday in mid-February. Fox will be there to bring you all the action live.

2024-11-11 16:02

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