Turning Level: What's going to the stretch run to the NASCAR Playoffs convey?

Right here’s what’s occurring in NASCAR with the at North Wilkesboro Speedway within the rearview and the at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Solar., 6 p.m. ET, Prime Video) up subsequent.

1. Will Hendrick keep 2025 tempo in stretch run to NASCAR Playoffs?

Hendrick Motorsports has had a stranglehold on the entrance of the sphere by way of the primary portion of the 2025 season. Will it final? Will every other staff discover its equal share of dominance?

Hendrick Motorsports has “solely” gained 4 of the season‘s first dozen factors races. A driver for a special staff gained three straight at one level (and the All-Star Race!) and but it feels Hendrick’s championship group is smothering the sphere.

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All 4 drivers within the secure appear to have established a agency top-10 residency whereas compiling a lap-leading tempo not seen in a long time. There seem like no indicators of slowing, both, with the one query, actually, being if the four-car powerhouse will handle to stick with it the remainder of the way in which.

The numbers are laborious to disregard and strongly point out that it’s going to.

Hendrick has led 41.6% of all laps raced this season. Take into consideration that for a second — practically each different lap, each week, the race has been led by Alex Bowman, William Byron, Chase Elliott or Kyle Larson. It‘s the staff‘s highest share by way of 12 races since 1996 (44.1%), when it featured a three-driver lineup consisting of two championship-winning future Corridor of Famers together with one of the revered drivers within the sport’s historical past.

Larson? That power of nature driving the No. 5 automobile? He’s led practically 1 / 4 of the 2025 laps run himself (24.5%), probably the most any single driver has led since Kevin Harvick paced 26.4% of the season‘s first 12 races in 2015.

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They‘re not simply attending to the entrance, although; they‘re staying there. The foursome has already racked up 29 top-10 finishes — a staff report by way of 12 races — and at the very least certainly one of them has landed within the high 5 in each single occasion. For context, no different staff has had a automobile end within the high 10 in each race.

The factor is, although … no person has been this dominant, for this lengthy, inside the Subsequent Gen period. Hendrick is Hendrick, after all, and any kind of precipitous drop-off shouldn’t be anticipated; however is that this present tempo sustainable? Whereas the numbers are gaudy, the remainder of the sphere isn‘t precisely rolling over for them.

Staff Penske, after what‘s turning into an annual sluggish begin (that tends to complete with a Invoice France Cup, thoughts you), has rattled off 4 top-five finishes and two wins within the final three races. Joe Gibbs Racing, whereas quieter on the 1.5-milers this 12 months than we‘re used to, is all the time lurking and has seen its share of dominance this season as properly, and is using the momentum of a raucous by way of Christopher Bell. These two groups have been, and can doubtless proceed to be, the largest hurdles for Hendrick, but it surely‘s not all sunshine for the game‘s different previous heavyweights.

Richard Childress Racing is having arguably its slowest begin in years, and 23XI Racing is looking for consistency. Even playoff regulars like RFK Racing‘s Brad Keselowski are feeling the warmth and operating out of time to chill the temp; the 2012 champ has had a depressing begin, with three straight DNFs and never a single high 10 by way of the primary 12 races. The opposite two RFK drivers, Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece, have additionally seen how rapidly issues can unravel; every finds themselves in a factors deficit after technical points with their vehicles resulted in penalties in separate weeks after trying like playoff contenders. (Observe: .)

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There‘s loads of racing left, nonetheless. The chance of none of these groups figuring it out is, properly, unlikely in any respect.

Historical past tells us that this stage of management is uncommon, even for NASCAR‘s winningest staff in historical past, and infrequently lasts all the way in which to Phoenix. The grind of the summer season, the strain of the playoff trim-down and an In-Season Problem that might power a level of chaos make the following few months really feel like anyone‘s sport, actually.

Hendrick‘s numbers are historic, however the highway forward is suffering from potential spoilers and hungry rivals.

2. Drink it in: What second will the 2025 Coca-Cola 600 see?

NASCAR’s marathon race has a historical past of bringing the massive moments, being a streak-snapper and organising the winner for a possible championship run. Don’t count on something completely different come Sunday.

NASCAR‘s longest night time is sort of right here, and if historical past is any information, the Coca-Cola 600 is about to ship one other unforgettable chapter.

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Charlotte Motor Speedway‘s annual Memorial Day Weekend crown jewel isn‘t only a take a look at of pace or stamina; it‘s a race that all the time appears to conjure up the sudden, the dramatic and, at instances, the downright inconceivable.

Although it‘s been the case in previous a long time with sure groups dominating for years at a time, current seasons have confirmed that the 600 is no person‘s private playground anymore. In reality, the final eight runnings of this race have every been gained by a special driver, with solely Martin Truex Jr. — now retired — managing to double up within the final 13 years. Dominance does matter, as 5 of the final seven winners have additionally led probably the most laps, but it surely‘s removed from a assure that leads to a visit to Victory Lane. That stated, the polesitter has transformed on a victory twice within the final three runnings of the race that had qualifying, indicating that beginning up entrance does have a tendency to assist.

One factor the Coca-Cola 600 is legendary for, among the many many, is breaking droughts. With a number of big-name drivers sporting notable winless streaks, if certainly one of them (maybe one of many handful of former champions in determined want of a win) is ready to make the magic occur, this will surely qualify as a “second.”

Seven instances a driver has snapped a winless streak of 30 or extra races on this occasion, most not too long ago Ryan Blaney in 2023 to propel his championship run, and this race has a knack for serving as a launching pad. Within the playoff period, it‘s even supplied hope for these on the skin trying in: Each Denny Hamlin (2022) and Austin Dillon (2017) gained the 600 whereas sitting under the playoff elimination line, proving {that a} single night time in Charlotte can rewrite a whole season.

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So who‘s poised to grab the second in 2025? Properly, sadly for the sphere, it does seem to form up on paper as one which closely favors Hendrick drivers. Larson owns a glowing 3.75 common on intermediate tracks this 12 months and, actually, any of the 4 might stroll out of Charlotte Motor Speedway and sleep in their very own mattress subsequent to a Coca-Cola 600 trophy. (Although Larson’s the one one that might

Byron, specifically, is the title to circle. He‘s completed fourth or higher in three of the final 4 Coca-Cola 600s and was runner-up a 12 months in the past. He‘s logged high 10s in 10 of his final 14 races on 1.5-mile tracks and has led laps in 5 straight Charlotte oval occasions. The 2-time defending Daytona 500 winner has been persistently glorious all the 12 months and will break by way of for win No. 2 of the season sooner moderately than later, and fairly probably on Sunday.

Regardless of the staff‘s lack of current consistency, although, 23XI Racing‘s Tyler Reddick is one other driver to observe; he‘s completed within the high 10 in all 5 of his Coke 600 begins, with a mean end of 6.4 to steer all lively drivers. Consistency like that’s uncommon in a race this grueling.

However don‘t overlook the sleepers. Hyak Motorsports driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has quietly put collectively a powerful Charlotte resume, ending seventh in two of the final three Coca-Cola 600s and notching high 15s in seven of his final 9 begins there. He‘s additionally lurking within the high 15 within the standings and will flip the playoff image on its head if he have been capable of safe his spot Sunday night time.

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On the flip facet, some large names have struggled to unravel the 600 puzzle. 23XI‘s Bubba Wallace has only one high 10 in eight Charlotte oval begins and has been hampered by penalties in practically each try. Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain‘s common end on this race is a distant twenty third, with just one outcome higher than fifteenth, however he‘s additionally been closing in on a win these days — will he buck the pattern of his spotty previous right here?

Drivers‘ endurance and groups‘ skill to adapt as circumstances change will definitely take a look at the sphere this weekend, notably given the final full operating of the race was two years in the past. It‘s a race the place technique, persistence and a bit of little bit of luck are as essential as uncooked pace and, repeatedly, it‘s been the positioning of dramatic finishes, first-time winners and season-defining moments.

Because the engines fireplace and the laps start to mount, followers and groups alike ought to savor each minute, as a result of on the Coca-Cola 600, something can — and infrequently does — occur.

Drink it in, everybody. The following nice NASCAR reminiscence is simply 600 miles away.

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Christopher Bell particulars his with Joey Logano from Sunday night time’s All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

4. Longest winless streaks ended within the Coca-Cola 600

From Kyle Busch to Chase Elliott to Brad Keselowski and past, a number of big-name drivers are using prolonged winless streaks. The Coca-Cola 600 has a behavior of being a streak-snapper, so will certainly one of them get again within the win column Sunday? (Credit score: Racing Insights)

Driver

Date

Streak

Mark Martin

5/26/02

Ryan Blaney

5/29/23

Kasey Kahne

5/25/08

Kyle Petty

5/24/87

Martin Truex Jr.