Entering the 10-race playoffs Ryan Blaney wasn’t expected to make it beyond the first round. After his victory in the Memorial Day weekend Coca-Cola 600, Blaney failed to produce a top-five finish in the next 12 regular-season races. He had only four top-10 finishes during that three-month period in the summer. William Byron, with a season-leading five victories entering the playoffs, was the title favorite. However, Blaney recorded two victories in the playoffs, while Byron secured only one. In the championship round, Blaney outperformed the other three title contenders with a second-place finish in the season finale at Phoenix. Byron, who won at Phoenix in the spring, finished fourth.
