As NASCAR’s Cup Series playoffs move into Race 33 and the start of the three-week Round of 8, the current playoff format has a 10-year history to revisit.
One of the past 10 champs has retired, another has mostly retired, and yet another is on his wait out the door in a month.
From Jeff Gordon to Dale Earnhardt Jr. and others, you will find plenty of racers here who have left the cockpit and moved on with their lives.
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2014
Round of 12 survivors: Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman.
Round of 8 winners: Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Martinsville, Jimmie Johnson at Texas, Kevin Harvick at Phoenix.
Eventual champ: Kevin Harvick.
2015
Round of 12 survivors: Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon.
Round of 8 winners: Jeff Gordon at Martinsville, Jimmie Johnson at Texas, Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Phoenix.
Eventual champ: Kyle Busch.
2016
Round of 12 survivors: Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch.
Round of 8 winners: Jimmie Johnson at Martinsville, Carl Edwards at Texas, Joey Logano at Phoenix.
Eventual champ: Jimmie Johnson.
2017
Round of 12 survivors: Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott.
Round of 8 winners: Kyle Busch at Martinsville, Kevin Harvick at Texas, Matt Kenseth at Phoenix.
Eventual champ: Martin Truex Jr.
2018
Round of 12 survivors: Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Chase Elliott, Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, Aric Almirola.
Round of 8 winners: Joey Logano at Martinsville, Kevin Harvick at Texas, Kyle Busch at Phoenix.
Eventual champ: Joey Logano.
2019
Round of 12 survivors: Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney.
Round of 8 winners: Martin Truex Jr. at Martinsville, Kevin Harvick at Texas, Denny Hamlin at Phoenix.
Eventual champ: Kyle Busch.
2020
Round of 12 survivors: Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch.
Round of 8 winners: Joey Logano at Kansas, Kyle Busch at Texas, Chase Elliott at Martinsville.
Eventual champ: Chase Elliott.
2021
Round of 12 survivors: Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski.
Round of 8 winners: Kyle Larson at Texas, Kyle Larson at Kansas, Alex Bowman at Martinsville.
Eventual champ: Kyle Larson.
2022
Round of 12 survivors: Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe.
Round of 8 winners: Joey Logano at Las Vegas, Kyle Larson at Homestead, Christopher Bell at Martinsville.
Eventual champ: Joey Logano.
2023
Round of 12 survivors: William Byron, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Chris Buescher, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney.
Round of 8 winners: Kyle Larson at Las Vegas, Christopher Bell at Homestead, Ryan Blaney at Martinsville.
Eventual champ: Ryan Blaney.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR Playoffs, Round of 8: Revisit past decade of champs, contenders
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