:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70104307/1307083376.0.jpg)
The NASCAR Cup Series season comes to a close this weekend with the 2021 Championship race. 38 drivers will be competing at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday afternoon, but only four will be competing for the season-ending playoff title — Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex, Jr., and Denny Hamlin.
The race is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sunday, and that will be preceded the day before by qualifying. The Cup Series will run qualifying at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET and it will air on CNBC. A live stream will be available at NBC.com/live and through NBC Sports Live. You’ll need a cable log-in to stream qualifying, so if you don’t have one, you can get a trial from YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, or Sling TV.
Qualifying this weekend is notable because it will mark the first time since August NASCAR has run traditional qualifying. The organization limited qualifying this season to eight events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This season finale is the eighth of those events.
Kyle Larson is a sizable favorite to win the race at DraftKings Sportsbook. Qualifying will shake up the odds to some degree, but for now, Larson is +190 to win, followed by Chase Elliott at +350. The top five odds round out with Denny Hamlin (400), Martin Truex, Jr. (450), and William Byron (1400).
Entry list
2021 NASCAR Cup Series Championship, entry list
| Pos. | Driver | Car # | Team | Qualifying time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos. | Driver | Car # | Team | Qualifying time |
| 1 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Rick Hendrick | 26.116 |
| 2 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Rick Hendrick | 26.289 |
| 3 | William Byron | 24 | Rick Hendrick | 26.307 |
| 4 | Kurt Busch | 1 | Chip Ganassi | 26.315 |
| 5 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Roger Penske | 26.315 |
| 6 | Cole Custer | 41 | Stewart Haas Racing | 26.327 |
| 7 | Brad Keselowski | 2 | Roger Penske | 26.432 |
| 8 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs | 26.433 |
| 9 | Joey Logano | 22 | Roger Penske | 26.436 |
| 10 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs | 26.464 |
| 11 | Matt DiBenedetto | 21 | Wood Brothers | 26.469 |
| 12 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs | 26.494 |
| 13 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart Haas Racing | 26.514 |
| 14 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Rick Hendrick | 26.544 |
| 15 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart Haas Racing | 26.544 |
| 16 | Ross Chastain | 42 | Chip Ganassi | 26.544 |
| 17 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing | 26.558 |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Joe Gibbs | 26.565 |
| 19 | Ryan Newman | 6 | Jack Roush | 26.568 |
| 20 | Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. | 47 | JTG-Daugherty Racing | 26.576 |
| 21 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | Richard Childress | 26.592 |
| 22 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart Haas Racing | 26.594 |
| 23 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports | 26.623 |
| 24 | Erik Jones | 43 | Richard Petty Motorsports | 26.652 |
| 25 | Justin Haley | 77 | Spire Motorsports | 26.665 |
| 26 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Jack Roush | 26.683 |
| 27 | Anthony Alfredo | 38 | Bob Jenkins | 26.722 |
| 28 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Bob Jenkins | 26.811 |
| 29 | Ryan Preece | 37 | JTG-Daugherty Racing | 26.812 |
| 30 | B.J. McLeod | 78 | B.J. McLeod | 26.906 |
| 31 | Cody Ware | 51 | Rick Ware | 26.921 |
| 32 | Joey Gase | 53 | Rick Ware | 27.181 |
| 33 | Quin Houff | 0 | StarCom Racing | 27.56 |
| 34 | David Starr | 13 | 27.716 | |
| 35 | Josh Bilicki | 52 | Rick Ware | 27.861 |
| 36 | Garrett Smithley | 15 | Rick Ware | 27.874 |
| 37 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress | 27.887 |
| 38 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing | 28.243 |
| 39 | Timmy Hill | 66 | Carl Long | No Time |