2019 NASCAR Playoffs, track-by-track breakdown

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Race 1 of 10

When: Sept. 15

Where: 1.5-mile oval in Las Vegas

2018 recap: Brad Keselowski survived a race of attrition for his third straight victory, kicking off the postseason with momentum. His third Vegas triumph gave team owner Roger Penske his 500th win across all forms of motorsports. Meanwhile, half the 16-driver playoff field finished outside of the top 20, throwing the postseason picture into disarray.

2019 outlook: Team Penske drivers have won the last two Las Vegas races, making Keselowski and teammates Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano early favorites. Ford drivers have won five of the last seven Vegas events.

Richmond Raceway

Race 2 of 10

When: Sept. 21

Where: .75-mile oval in Richmond, Virginia

2018 recap: Kyle Busch completed a season sweep of Richmond events, leading 92 of 400 laps as playoff drivers swept the top 12. Martin Truex Jr. swept the stages and led the most laps, settling for third place but clinching a berth in the next round with his points windfall.

2019 outlook: Joe Gibbs Racing drivers should reach Richmond as prime picks: Its Toyotas have won three straight at the Virginia short track, part of a successful stretch of six wins in the last eight races there.

Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course

Race 3 of 10

When: Sept. 29

Where: 2.28-mile oval-road course layout in Concord, North Carolina

2018 recap: Ryan Blaney emerged from a last-lap tangle between Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr. to secure the inaugural win on the hybrid circuit. Johnson, Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin and Erik Jones were eliminated from championship contention.

2019 outlook: With just one full-fledged race on the oval-road course layout, the uncertainty factor remains high with this elimination event. A retooled backstretch chicane should provide an additional passing zone for this year's edition.

Dover International Speedway

Race 4 of 10

When: Oct. 6

Where: 1-mile oval in Dover, Delaware

2018 recap: Chase Elliott rose to lead just 11 laps but emerged with his second career Monster Energy Series victory. Kevin Harvick swept the stages and led 286 of 404 laps, but a freak accident broke a valve stem, dropping him to sixth at the checkered flag. A late-race crash snared five playoff drivers and forced overtime.

2019 outlook: The Monster Mile is celebrating its 50th anniversary and should have plenty of special celebrations in store. If there's a ripe opportunity for a spoiler outside of the playoff picture to shine, it's Dover, where Jimmie Johnson has a sterling portfolio of 11 wins on the concrete track.

Talladega Superspeedway

Race 5 of 10

When: Oct. 13

Where: 2.66-mile oval in Talladega, Alabama

2018 recap: Stewart-Haas Racing executed a teamwork play to perfection at Talladega, controlling restarts with its four-car effort and propelling Aric Almirola and Clint Bowyer to a 1-2 finish. Six playoff drivers found trouble and left the Alabama venue with results outside the top 25.

2019 outlook: Ford had won seven straight Talladega events until Chevrolet turned tables with a concentrated effort that landed Chase Elliott in Victory Lane there in April. The track's unpredictable nature should persist, but expect allegiances -- along organizational and manufacturer lines -- to steer the competition story lines.

Kansas Speedway

Race 6 of 10

When: Oct. 20

Where: 1.5-mile oval in Kansas City, Kansas

2018 recap: Chase Elliott won for the second time in three weeks, sidestepping Brad Keselowski and leading the final 44 laps. Playoff drivers finished in 11 of the top 13 spots, but Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson were eliminated as the title-eligible field shrank to eight.

2019 outlook: If Kevin Harvick is able to sustain momentum from his strong finish to the regular season (three wins in the last seven races), a Kansas coup isn't that far-fetched. Harvick leads all drivers with an average finish of 9.8 in the Sunflower State, and his three career wins on the intermediate-sized track are tied with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson for the most all-time.

Martinsville Speedway

Race 7 of 10

When: Oct. 27

Where: .526-mile oval in Martinsville, Virginia

2018 recap: Joey Logano emerged from a fierce late-race battle with Martin Truex Jr., employing a bump-and-run move on the last lap for his first Martinsville victory. The outcome clinched the No. 22 team's spot among the Championship 4.

2019 outlook: Team Penske has prevailed in the last two trips to the Virginia short track, first with Logano last fall, then with Brad Keselowski earlier this season. Ford drivers have won four of the last five at Martinsville, but the venue's potential for mayhem can shake up all trends.

Texas Motor Speedway

Race 8 of 10

When: Nov. 3

Where: 1.5-mile oval in Fort Worth, Texas

2018 recap: Kevin Harvick led 177 of 337 laps to finish first, but his automatic berth into the Championship 4 field was stripped days later after a technical violation on his No. 4 entry. No drivers clinched spots in the title-eligible field for the finale.

2019 outlook: Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas have won four of the last seven at the Fort Worth oval. That stretch includes the track's most recent winner -- Denny Hamlin, who padded JGR's Texas win total to eight.

ISM Raceway

Race 9 of 10

When: Nov. 10

Where: 1-mile oval in Avondale, Arizona

2018 recap: Kyle Busch took the math guesswork out of the equation by leading a race-high 117 of 312 laps to punch his Homestead ticket, joining Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr. in the title-eligible quartet. Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch and Chase Elliott were eliminated.

2019 outlook: Kyle Busch will be going for three consecutive wins at the Phoenix-area mile, but Kevin Harvick will aim to bolster his track-record nine wins when the playoffs hit the desert.

Homestead-Miami Speedway

Race 10 of 10

When: Nov. 17

Where: 1.5-mile oval in Homestead, Florida

2018 recap: Joey Logano secured his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship, outrunning Martin Truex Jr. over the final green-flag stretch as all four title contenders swept the top four. It marked team owner Roger Penske's second premier-series title, his first since Brad Keselowski claimed the crown in 2012.

2019 outlook: No single automaker can claim a stranglehold on Homestead's Victory Lane, but one trend stands out. In the five years since the elimination format debuted, a championship-eligible driver has also won the 400-mile finale.