NASCAR is taking a week off this weekend, allowing the garage some time to relax before the final 14-race stretch. While everyone is excited for The Chase, we’ve still got four races left to determine the final spots, and it promises to be a great finish to an exciting 2026 season.
Let’s dive into our NASCAR predictions for the winners of the final four regular-season races before The Chase.
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Iowa Corn 350: Joey Logano
NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Logano (22) enters turn three during the Iowa Corn 350 Cup Series race on Sunday, June 16, 2024, at Iowa Speedway in Newton.Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Before the NASCAR break, Joey Logano and the No. 22 team were on a heater. He finished 12th at Chicagoland after qualifying 31st and then followed that up with a ninth-place finish at EchoPark. We then witnessed a career-best performance from Logano, winning at North Wilkesboro Speedway after leading 323 laps and lapping all but six drivers. He now has two weeks to prepare for Iowa Speedway, where he has a 7.5 average finishing position and he’s historically been one of the best drivers at short tracks (10.2 average finishing position). We see the momentum continuing on Aug. 9, with Logano winning the Iowa Corn 350 for his second trip to victory lane in a month.
Cook Out 400: Kyle Larson
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In the last six races, Kyle Larson ranks 24th in average finishing position (21.5). That’s not a reflection on the speed of the No. 5 car. Crew chief Cliff Daniels and the team at Hendrick Motorsports have routinely engineered a car setup that puts Larson in position for wins. Unfortunately, either due to bad luck or a mistake made by Larson, he got wrecked out. The week off honestly comes at a perfect time for this team. Larson, who hasn’t won a Cup Series race this season, will snap that winless streak on Saturday, Aug. 15 in the Cook Out 400, and it will be a moment that turns things around for him right before The Chase.
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Dollar Tree 301: Denny Hamlin
Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn ImagesCredit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Denny Hamlin has four wins this season, and he probably should have at least one or two more. He’s clearly been the best NASCAR driver in 2026, and it feels unlikely, especially given Toyota’s dominance on intermediate tracks, that he won’t make it to victory lane one more time before The Chase. We see that moment coming in late August at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He hasn’t won here since 2017, and his last two visits here have resulted in finishes outside the top 10. Call this a gut feeling, with teammate Chase Briscoe the other driver we consider for the win in the Dollar Tree 301.
Coke Zero Sugar 400: Chris Buescher
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesCredit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Chris Buescher is on the verge of going two full seasons without a NASCAR win and it’s been even longer for him since he won on an oval. RFK Racing also hasn’t won a points race in 2026. We’re predicting all of that to change in the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway. Holding off Carson Hocevar, Brad Keselowski, and William Byron, Buescher will end his winless streak and push himself up two spots in the regular-season standings right before The Chase.
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