Storylines to know before NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Homestead-Miami

On Sunday, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will take to the high banks of the Homestead-Miami Speedway for the 34th race of the 2024 season. The race serves as the second race of the Round of 8 and could send a playoff driver to the Championship Four. Here's what you need to know before the green flag flies in South Florida. 

Toyota is the manufacturer to beat

Toyota took five of the top-10 spots in both practice and qualifying, with 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick topping the practice charts and winning the pole. Las Vegas runner-up Christopher Bell will roll off the grid third, with Denny Hamlin starting fourth. Bell is the defending winner at Homestead-Miami and it could be a Toyota going to victory lane at the track for the second consecutive season. 

Kyle Larson looking for redemption

After scratching and clawing his way to an 11th-place finish at Las Vegas, Larson is looking to win at Homestead-Miami for the second time in three years. Larson dominated at the track in 2022, but his race came to an early end last season after he ran into the sand barrels at the entrance of pit road during green flag pit stops. Larson has a sizable advantage (+35) over the cut line, but a win at Homestead would guarantee his ticket to Phoenix. 

Martin Truex Jr. searching for sentimental victory

Truex Jr. is donning a special throwback paint scheme on Sunday at the same track he won the 2017 Cup Series championship at. Truex came close to winning at Homestead in 2022 before a pit-road mishap derailed his day. Don't be surprised if he's in contention when the chips are down. 

A.J. Allmendinger could spoil the party

Allmendinger has always been solid at Homestead — as evidenced by his 10th-place finish in Saturday's Xfinity Series race and five Cup Series top-10s — but he's been excellent at the 1.5 mile oval in two Next-Gen races. Allmendinger finished third in 2022 and fifth a year ago at Homestead and as long as Kaulig Racing gives him a solid car, he should run inside the top-10 for much of the evening.