Storylines to know before NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Phoenix

When the checkered flag falls at the Phoenix raceway on Sunday afternoon, a new NASCAR Cup Series champion will have been crowned. Here's what you need to know before the final race of the 2024 season. 

Championship Four have work to do

Joey Logano will start on the front row, but the rest of the Championship Four will have to pass their fair share of cars to win the title. William Byron starts eighth, Tyler Reddick starts 10th and defending champ Ryan Blaney starts 17th. It won't be an easy march to the front for any of them — a truth symbolic of the tough road to the NASCAR championship. 

Martin Truex Jr. on the pole for final full-time start

For the second straight week, the 2017 champion will lead the field to the green flag. Truex Jr. isn't competing for the championship, but in his final start as a full-time driver, he has plenty to race for. If he and the No. 19 can avoid the mistakes that have plagued them all season, he could be in contention for the win. 

Kyle Busch has one more chance to keep record win streak alive

Kyle Busch has never gone winless in a NASCAR Cup Series season. Sunday's race at Phoenix is his final chance to extend his winning streak to 20 consecutive seasons, but the prospect of that looks bleak. Busch will start 25th and 23rd on the speed chart in practice. There's not much hope for Busch on Sunday, and he may need a Hail Mary to keep the streak afloat. 

Non-playoff drivers make a statement

Aside from the aforementioned Truex Jr., plenty of non-playoff drivers should be in the mix for the race win on Sunday. Defending Phoenix fall winner Ross Chastain will start third, with 2021 Phoenix winner Kyle Larson starting fourth. Chase Elliott, Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell — who won at Phoenix in March — will also start inside the top 10. It wouldn't be surprising to see a non-playoff driver win the season finale for the second year in a row.