NASCAR 2025 playoff tracks sorted by biggest upset potential

The 10-race NASCAR Cup Series playoffs of the 2025 season are set to kick off at Darlington Raceway this weekend. This year’s playoffs are set to be a rollercoaster, with a mix of superspeedways, intermediates, road courses, and short tracks all in the championship mix.

While title favorites like Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and William Byron are expected to shine, the playoffs have a history of producing surprise winners who can shake up the title picture upside down. To understand where those surprises might come from, let’s take a look at the list of playoff tracks ordered by the chance of shocking results, where an underdog can reach victory lane.

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Five NASCAR 2025 playoff tracks by biggest upset potential

#1 Talladega Superspeedway (Round of 8)

Talladega Superspeedway has been number one on the list in producing shocking results. Located in Lincoln, Alabama, the 2.66-mile-long track has long been NASCAR’s chaos generator. With pack racing, the Big One, and the draft leveling the playing field, underdogs thrive here more than anywhere else.

Bubba Wallace, the driver of 23XI Racing, earned his first Cup Series win at Talladega in 2021. Whereas David Ragan stole the show here in 2013.

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#2 Bristol Motor Speedway (Round of 16)

The round of 16 elimination race will be held at Bristol Motor Speedway, and it’s 500 laps of attrition. At the 0.533-mile short track, the bent sheet metal, lapped traffic, and tempers often decide more than raw speed.

Chris Buescher had upset the field in 2022 after scoring a stunning victory at Bristol. This year, he is not in the playoffs and could be a threat for title contenders. Drivers like Josh Berry and Erik Jones could also deliver a shocking victory at Bristol.

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#3 Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval (Round of 12)

The Charlotte Roval will host the elimination race of the NASCAR playoff’s Round of 12. The 2.3-mile-long road course has produced wild racing and has rewritten playoff brackets since its debut in 2018. Strategy, late cautions, and drivers overdrawing turns make Roval an unpredictable road course.

Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney emerged as the underdog winner when he won the inaugural Charlotte Roval event after a wild final-lap wreck between NASCAR greats Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr.

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#4. Martinsville Speedway (Round of 8)

Martinsville Speedway will host the Round of 8 elimination race before the Phoenix finale. Located in Ridgeway, Virginia, at the 0.526-mile-short track, contact is common, and payback sometimes defines the outcome. The track has a history of upsets; Clint Bowyer won here in 2018, which ended his long 190-race winless streak.

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#5 Phoenix Raceway

The Championship 4 will be held at Phoenix Raceway, and it’s ranked lower because the finale typically goes to the final four drivers, but if a non-title contender wins through, it would make the finale more interesting.

In 2023, Ross Chastain won the Championship 4 that knocked out potential contenders, but it was Joey Logano who finished higher among title contenders to claim the championship.