Who is going to be the winner of the 2024 Cup Series Championship? This is a question that is running through everyone’s mind. As the grid narrowed down to the top 8, we have Kyle Larson leading the playoff standings. Hendrick Motorsports is looking strong this year, with Larson winning 6 races so far, including the Roval. Now that it’s down to the top 8, there are just 4 races left before the series champion is decided.

Right now, there are three teams that have multiple drivers in the playoffs: Hendrick Motorsports, JGR, and Team Penske. On the other hand, 23XI Racing is also fighting for the title, although they have just 1 driver in the playoffs. So, according to some NASCAR insiders, it’s going to be a Team Penske vs. Hendrick Motorsports situation. But where do JGR and 23XI Racing stand in all of this?

Hendrick Motorsports VS Team Penske: 2024 Cup Series Playoffs

Team Penske might have made it into the playoffs; however, they currently lie in the elimination zone. After Cindric was eliminated, Joey Logano and defending champion Ryan Blaney made it into the top 8, but unfortunately for them, they lay in the elimination zone. On the other hand, Hendrick Motorsports has 3 drivers in the playoffs and only 1 sits in the bubble.’ It’s a great time to discuss who might win the championship, as all the drivers in the top 8 are worthy of winning the title.

The discussions have already started among insiders, and on the GoPRNLive YouTube channel, Autoweek’s Deb Williams shared her thoughts on what she thinks of the outcome of the playoffs. While discussing the potential winner of the 2024 title, the host of GoPRNLive, Chris Knight, stated, “We were looking at the—you’ve got three Hendrick cars still in it, you’ve got two, uh, Penske cars still in it, you’ve got, what, two Gibbs cars still in it, and then you’ve got the 23XI car still there.”

Knight then asked the question that was on his mind, saying, “I mean, any advantage or disadvantage in having multiple cars because you’re dividing resources back at home? Or are you better off being the single-car team out there, Deb?” The question was pointed towards Williams, and in response to that, she replied, “Well, I know that Penske said last year that when they got down to only having Blaney, they had the other teams trying different things in different races to see what would benefit.”

Williams then broke down the advantages of running one car and multiple cars in the playoffs, saying, “So, it’s kind of like Chase Briscoe at Stewart-Haas Racing—everybody was focused on him, and you weren’t looking at what everybody else had.” When Chase Briscoe was in the playoffs, Stewart-Haas Racing devoted all its resources to the No. 14 team to help him fight for the title; however, that did not work to get him into the top 8.

Bringing the spotlight on Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing team, Williams drew a parallel to SHR’s strategy, saying, “So, you know, 23XI Racing, granted they’ve only got two cars, but they can focus their resources on Tyler, getting him through to the championship race. Yes, they want Bubba to win a race this year, but they can focus more resources on Tyler, whereas with the others, you need to spread it out a little bit more.”

“But I still think it’s going to come down to a Hendrick-Penske Championship,” stated Deb Williams, as she believes that the teams with multiple cars have an advantage as they have already been performing well. Compared to the teams that are still figuring out how to stay at the front, both HMS and Team Penske have experience winning titles. Williams believes that if there is a winner this year, it would be out of one of the two dominant teams.

Where do Team Penske and Hendrick Motorsports drivers stand in the top 8?

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Kyle Larson’s got a solid grip on the top spot right now, with his No. 5 Chevrolet giving him a comfortable 33-point lead. Christopher Bell is hanging in there in second with his No. 20 Toyota, trailing by 13 points, and Tyler Reddick in the No. 45 Toyota isn’t far off either, sitting third with a 10-point cushion. William Byron’s keeping things tight, holding forth with his No. 24 Chevy and a 4-point lead.

But the real action is happening just below the cutline. Ryan Blaney, in his No. 12 Ford, is barely out of it, only 4 points back. Denny Hamlin‘s in the mix too, sitting 8 points off the pace in his No. 11 Toyota, and Chase Elliott isn’t far behind, down by 9 points in his No. 9 Chevy. Joey Logano, meanwhile, is 11 points out with his No. 22 Ford, fighting to stay in the game. The pressure’s on for all of them, and it’s shaping up to be a wild battle for those final spots.

Considering the standings, do you agree with Deb Williams with her prediction of a Hendrick-Penske championship race? Share your thoughts in the comments below.