NASCAR: The 4 Drivers Who Will Compete in 2021 Cup Series Championship Race

By Brian Jones

The final race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season is just days away. It has come down to four drivers for the battle of the Cup Series Championship, and it will be one of the more compelling events of the year. The NASCAR Cup Series Championship race will take place at the Phoenix Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona on Sunday, Nov. 7 at 3 p.m. ET. 

The four drivers vying for the title were officially set after this past Sunday's race, the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway at Martinsville, Virginia. Kyle Busch was on pace to make it to the Championship 4 but was eliminated despite finishing second in the Xfinity 500. After the race, Busch was disappointed he will not compete for the Cup Series Championship. 

"Oh, we ran like dog — last week and this week, Busch said, per NASCAR.com. "So we had a Hail Mary opportunity there at the end and we were trying to make something out of nothing," Busch said. "Great effort. We did everything we could all day long. We never stopped working on it, but we have missed it way too much lately, so I don't know what's going to happen."  Here's a look at the four drivers who are still in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Kyle Larson

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(Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)

Kyle Larson was NASCAR's top driver all year. He qualified for the finals after winning the first race in the round of eight portion of the playoffs and won eight Cup Series races this year, including three of the last four.

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Chase Elliott

The defending NASCAR Cup Series Champion is looking to go back-to-back. Chase Elliott won two Cup Series races this season while finishing second in seven. Chase has become a beloved driver for NASCAR fans as he was voted the league's most popular driver for the last three years.

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Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin has had a lot of success in his career but has yet to win a Cup Series title. He won his two Cup Series races during the playoffs after finishing in the top four in seven of his first nine races. Hamlin has finished fourth in the Cup Series standings the last two years.

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Martin Truex Jr.

Martin Truex Jr. is looking to win his first Cup Series Championship since 2017. He won four races this season and 31 in his career. He's coming off a strong showing in Martinsville, finishing fourth at the Xfinity 500.

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The Elminated 4

As mentioned earlier, Kyle Busch was eliminated along with Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano. Busch will miss out on the championship race for the second consecutive year while Blaney has yet to make it to Championship 4. Logano continues to make it o reach the championship race in odd years.

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Who Will Win?

All four drivers have a chance to win, but it's hard to bet against Larson due to the year he's having. He's never won at Phoenix as his best finish is second. Elliott won last year, while Hamlin has won twice. Truex won in Phoenix earlier this year, crossing the finish line first at the Instacart 500.

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How to Watch

For fans who want to watch the race, it will air on NBC and will likely stream on Peacock and the NBC Sports App. It will air right in the thick of NFL games but will be the lead-in for Sunday Night football. With it being the last race of the Cup Series season, many fans will be watching to see who will win the title.

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