The feel-good stories and underdogs are gone — eliminated through the first two rounds. Even Alex Bowman, who went from being the fourth driver at HMS to one of the strongest playoff drivers, has now been eliminated after an unfortunate DQ. Half of the eight remaining title contenders are former Cup champions. In fact, every champ from the last four seasons is still in the fight, and all four Championship 4 drivers from last year remain as well. There are no weak links, which should make for a thrilling and dramatic Round of 8 as four of them will see their title hopes shatter into pieces while the other four move on to Phoenix.
Sitting atop the standings is Kyle Larson, the clear championship favorite. He has more wins, more top-fives, and more laps led than anyone else this season. There's really not more to say about him beyond the fact that he is 'the guy' until one of the other prove otherwise, but there's plenty that could.
