NASCAR Championship: NBC/Peacock experts give their predictions
Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, and William Byron- Who wins the title.
The 2024 NASCAR season, which kicked off at Daytona in February, is set to conclude with a thrilling finale on Sunday in Phoenix. The event will be broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock at 3 p.m. At the start of the season, 44 drivers aimed for the championship title, but now only four remain in contention: Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, and William Byron.
The NBC-Peacock broadcast crew shared their thoughts about which one of the four drivers will end up in victory land late Sunday afternoon at the mile and half track in the desert just outside Phoenix.
Let’s start with Leigh Diffey who serves as the lead broadcaster and host for the race.
On the Championship: “Nothing beats Championship Weekend. While the season kicks off with the Super Bowl of the sport, the Daytona 500, this is what everybody races for. Everybody races to be a champion, and the level of competition that exists now in the NASCAR Cup Series is immense. For these four drivers to be there, it’s simply incredible.”
On the Championship 4 drivers:
“I think the blend of this four is really good. We have two drivers in Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney who are trying to become multi-time champions and Tyler Reddick and William Byron who are trying to become first-time champions. That gives the whole weekend a really good feel and gives people something to look for.”
Next up we have Jeff Burton, Analyst
On Championship 4 weekend: “I love this weekend. We have four championship caliber driver and teams and it’s going to be fun to see how everyone handles the moment. This is an incredible race – the more pressure that is on the drivers and the teams, the more that they all have to step up and take their game to the next level.”
On handicapping the Championship 4 Cup series drivers: “Team Penske has proven to me that they are hard to beat at this time of year. We’ve seen it the past two years with Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney winning and now both of them making their way back to the Championship race. They know how to step up in the Playoffs so I wouldn’t bet against them, but given the talent of both William Byron and Tyler Reddick, I wouldn’t be surprised of either of those two came away with the trophy either.”
Former Champion and member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Dale Jarrett, Analyst
On the Championship 4 drivers: “This was probably the best Round of 8, as far as the drivers all being competitive all year long, so you knew going forward that whatever four came out of this were going to be an outstanding Championship 4, and that’s exactly what we have.”
On Phoenix Raceway: “This track lends itself to a number of different swings throughout the race. Track position is going to be key…You’re going to have to stay away from making mistakes to have a chance because I think it’s much more difficult to make your way back against the other three competitors if you put yourself behind quickly.”
On Joey Logano: “He could become the 10th driver in this sport to have three or more championships and that is just such a huge thing as a driver to have. When you put yourself in select company like that – he’s already going to be a Hall of Famer when he retires – it’s pretty incredible. I know that he has incentive every time he gets behind the wheel, but I think he’s a little more motivated this weekend.”
NASCAR owner and former NBA star Brad Daugherty, Analyst
On the Championship: “At the beginning of the season, I didn’t think I would come close in predicting a championship race without Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin or Chase Elliott. But here we are — gritty grind it out drivers in Blaney and Logano, Byron, and maybe the most talented driver in NASCAR in Reddick, going for it all.”
Broadcast information
The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series championship race will take place at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, this Sunday, November 10, at 3 p.m. ET, broadcasted on NBC and Peacock. NASCAR’s ratings have increased by six percent compared to 2023. Additionally, the race will be aired on the Motor Racing Network.
