With the Round of 16 kicking off from South Carolina later today, I wanted to keep track of some things viewers should keep an eye on as you watch. As the field attempts to tame the Lady in Black, here are four quick things to keep your eye on.

Sink or Swim 

It will be interesting to see what sort of impact Shane Van Gisbergen can make on the playoffs, and it all starts with this race on one of the toughest intermediates on the schedule. The weekend started in the middle of the road, with the Kiwi qualifying 20th for the race. While for most playoff drivers this could be detrimental, SVG and Co. will take it.

The new road course king will have to do better than his average of 26th on oval tracks in the regular season, but some chaos and real improvement in short time could create an upset. Lest we forget, the rookie finished 20th, after starting 36th, the last time he wrangled the circuit. I think we’ll see just how much SVG has improved right away at Darlington. 

Workplace Drama

Well….I’m not sure if Michael Jordan will be at the track for the playoff opener, nor do I know if any of the France family will be. I do know Denny Hamlin is, and no matter what you have to wonder what the feelings are like around 23XI after various texts were released in court by the teams head brass regarding NASCAR and the France family. Including a particularly scathing remark by 23XI President Steve Lauletta

I mean, geez, he didn’t outright wish death upon Jim France, but he floated the hypothetical as a solution.

If there’s any way the France family can stack the cards against 23XI or Denny Hamlin, they’ll do it. With both team drivers as well as Hamlin in the field, how far can the three of them get in the playoffs? No doubt a title from any one of them, especially Wallace or Reddick, would be the biggest middle finger. However, I just think there are too many distractions right now for that to be achievable. 

Berried Results 

The Wood Brothers have finally put themselves into the foray of the Playoffs in 2025. Josh Berry secured a spot very early on at Las Vegas and has spent the season since enjoying the security. Berry knows better than any driver that he can’t take a break, and if anyone can put their head down and get out of the Round of 16 hole, it’s Berry. The workman-like attitude from the former bank teller speaks volumes, and a team that hasn’t been in the playoffs before is always going to be operating at a higher level than usual, even if it’s just morale. 

Berry’s last attempt at the Lady in Black ended 100+ laps down and in 36th after an incident. If the Ford driver can flip that result and maintain a presence in the next two races, there’s a great shot he can bring the Wood Brothers into the Round of 12. If the cards fall correctly, Berry could even make it to the Round of 8, where he has a chance to repeat at Vegas. 

Royalty Demands Perfection

Fine, I will talk about Hendrick Motorsports. All signs point to Hendrick once again taking one of their drivers all the way. If the points system was how it should be, it would be a battle between Byron, Larson and Elliott. NASCAR’s royalty remains as strong as ever, but the playoff circus has every opportunity to rip it away from Mr. H.

Larson and Byron both start the playoffs sitting first and second, respectively, and the two will benefit off of that cushion at very winnable tracks right off the bat. Look for Larson to make an immediate splash tonight, running the high side like a sprint car. Byron is always good for a run, so I think the focus for both drivers will be staying out of trouble and hitting their marks. Elliott holds a nice warm spot in 7th on the standings, and will hope to continue a season of consistency in the post-season.

As for Bowman? Well, you probably already know. Dead last in the playoff standings, there is simply zero room for mistakes or blunders right now. Do I think the 48 should be punished if he’s taken out by a variable he can’t change? Nope, but that’s the name of the game right now. Godspeed Alex Bowman.