Chase Elliott won at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday to clinch his spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Champion 4, and he and three other drivers will compete for a title. Elliott, a Hendrick Motorsports driver, is up against Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin and Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano.
They’ll start up front at Phoenix Raceway, but they’re not the only ones on the track. To win the championship, they don’t necessarily have to win the race; they just have to have the highest finish among the final four drivers.
But they’ll have to navigate through 35 other drivers on Sunday to do that.
Without practice or qualifying sessions because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the starting lineups are created with the following factors from the previous race, with playoff drivers automatically starting up front:
15 percent based on a fastest lap time
25 percent based on the driver’s finishing position
25 percent based on the owner’s race position
35 percent based on points in the owner standings
And while Elliott, Hamlin, Keselowski and Logano are racing for a championship, Sunday also marks seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson’s last race before retiring from full-time racing. And he has a special paint scheme to go with it.
Here’s a look at the starting lineup for Sunday’s Season Finale 500:
1. Chase Elliott
© Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
2. Joey Logano
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3. Brad Keselowski
© AP Photo/Mark Humphrey
4. Denny Hamlin
© Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
5. Ryan Blaney
© Brynn Anderson/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Network
6. Alex Bowman
© Chris Graythen/Getty Images
7. Kurt Busch
© Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
8. Kyle Busch
© AP Photo/Isaac Brekken
9. Clint Bowyer
© Brynn Anderson/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Network
10. Aric Almirola
© Mark Humphrey/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Network
11. Kevin Harvick
© Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
12. Matt DiBenedetto
© Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
13. Martin Truex Jr.
© Brynn Anderson/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Network
14. Erik Jones
© AP Photo/Darron Cummings
15. Cole Custer
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16. Matt Kenseth
© Brynn Anderson/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Network
17. Christopher Bell
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18. Austin Dillon
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19. Ryan Newman
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20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
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21. Tyler Reddick
© Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
22. Ty Dillon
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23. Bubba Wallace
© Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
24. Ryan Preece
© Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
25. William Byron
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26. Jimmie Johnson
© Hendrick Motorsports
27. John Hunter Nemechek
© Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
28. Corey LaJoie
© AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
29. Michael McDowell
© Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
30. Daniel Suárez
© Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
31. Chris Buescher
© Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
32. JJ Yeley
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33. Timmy Hill
© Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
34. Quin Houff
© Chris Graythen/Getty Images
35. Brennan Poole
© Brynn Anderson/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Network
36. James Davison
© Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
37. Joey Gase
© Rob Carr/Getty Images
38. Josh Bilicki
© Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
39. Garrett Smithley
© Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
