As NASCAR begins another title Chase, a look at the contenders and pretenders in the 16-man field

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The NASCAR Cup Series standings have been reset. Denny Hamlin, the regular-season champion, had his sizable advantage slashed to 25 points over Ryan Blaney as the series shifts into playoff mode.

The Chase for the championship begins at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina, with the top-16 drivers embarking on a 10-race stretch that will determine who hoists the Bill France Cup at Homestead-Miami Speedway in mid-November.

NASCAR tweaked its championship in January, eliminating knockouts after every third postseason race in favor of the original format established in 2004: a 10-race cumulative points battle…

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