Racing Insights Power Index: Ranking 2022 title contenders by stats

Through 35 points-paying races, 12 driver eliminations and three competitive and combative rounds in the NASCAR Playoffs, the Championship 4 has been set. The only thing left to do: determine the champion. NASCAR.com partnered with Racing Insights to take a deep statistical look at Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, Christopher Bell and Joey Logano. Using data, all four drivers have been ranked in 15 categories, then given a point value for each (1 point for first place, 2 points for second, etc.). Totals were then added up to see the favorite. Scroll through to see who sits atop the Racing Insights Power Index.

Best at Phoenix: Chase Elliott

With the third best average finish and a 2020 championship win at Phoenix, Elliott knows how to get around the Arizona track better than his Championship 4 competitors.

2. Joey Logano (two wins, 13.1 avg. finish), 3. Christopher Bell (0 wins, 17.0 avg. finish), 4. Ross Chastain (0 wins, 20.5 avg. finish)

Best in the 2022 season: Chase Elliott

With five wins and an average finish of 12th — not to mention winning the Regular Season Championship — Elliott has been the best driver so far in the 2022 Cup Series season. This one is close, though.

2. Ross Chastain (two wins, 13.5 avg. finish), 3. Joey Logano (three wins, 13.8 avg. finish), 4. Christopher Bell (three wins, 13.9 avg. finish)

Best pit crew in the Playoffs: Ross Chastain

Chastain owns the best average finish of any of the Championship 4 drivers, and his pit crew is a major part in making that happen.

2. Christopher Bell, 3. Joey Logano, 4. Chase Elliott

Best pit crew this season: Ross Chastain

Chastain's crew hasn't been just fast in the playoffs — they've been executing at a high level all year long.

2. Chase Elliott, 3. Joey Logano, 4. Christopher Bell

Best driver/crew chief pairing: Chase Elliott

Elliott and Alan Gustafson have already won a title together and seek their second on Sunday. The two have been together since Elliott's full-time Cup career began in 2016.

2. Joey Logano (Paul Wolfe), 3. Christopher Bell (Adam Stevens), 4. Ross Chastain (Phil Surgen)

Best Rolling Time in 2022: Chase Elliott

This one comes down to the entrance and exit of pit road and how drivers navigate down quickly, without getting popped for speeding. Elliott was the most successful here throughout the season.

2. Ross Chastain, 3. Christopher Bell, 4. Joey Logano

Fewest pit-road mistakes (driver): Joey Logano

Logano was the least penalized driver on pit road among the Championship 4 contenders, a sign of his veteran maturity.

2. Ross Chastain, 3. Chase Elliott, 4. Christopher Bell

Fewest pit road mistakes (crew): Chase Elliott

The pit crew for the No. 9 Chevrolet has been the best when it comes to clean stops for their driver.

2. Joey Logano, 3. Ross Chastain, 4. Christopher Bell

Best on restarts: Ross Chastain

When it comes to firing off the best when the green flag drops, Chastain has been the best of the Championship 4 drivers. It's befitting of his aggressive mindset and also years of having to battle for every position in lesser equipment.

2. Christopher Bell, 3. Joey Logano, 4. Chase Elliott

Most career wins: Joey Logano

Logano's 30 NASCAR Cup Series wins rank 29th all-time and easily pace the field here.

2. Chase Elliott (18 career wins), 3. Christopher Bell (4 career wins), 4. Ross Chastain (2 career wins)

Best head-to-head: Joey Logano

Twelve times Logano finished ahead of the other three drivers in the preceding 35 races, which is best among this group. It's close among the other three, however.

T-2. Christopher Bell (8), T-2. Chase Elliott (8), 4. Ross Chastain (7)

Championship experience: Joey Logano

Making his fifth Championship 4 appearance, Logano is accustomed to the pressure a race like this brings. He's tied for most Championship 4 appearances in the elimination era. Elliott is the only other driver in the Championship 4 with previous experience — at least in the Cup Series.

2. Chase Elliott, 3. Christopher Bell, 4. Ross Chastain

Best 2022 Organization: Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)

Hendrick was the only organization with more than two drivers to have the entire stable win in 2022, taking the checkered flag in 10 races this season.

2. Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing), 3. Joey Logano (Team Penske), 4. Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)

Best average running position in 2022 Playoffs: Ross Chastain

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Chastain is tops here. He's been one of the most consistent drivers this season at running up front and has, a performance that has amplified in the postseason as evidence by consecutive runner-up showings in the Round of 8.

2. Joey Logano, 3. Christopher Bell, 4. Chase Elliott

Best average finish in 2022 Playoffs: Ross Chastain

Chastain's 10.6 mark is tops here, ahead of Bell's 12.2.

2. Christopher Bell, 3. Joey Logano, 4. Chase Elliott

4. Christopher Bell: 44 points

Strengths: Bell may not stand above his competition in any particular aspect but the driver of the No. 20 has already won twice with his back against the wall to make to this point. Why doubt him on Sunday?

Weaknesses: Like Chastain, this is Bell's first opportunity to race for a championship in the Cup Series. While he will face loads of pressure, the JGR organization will have Bell the most prepared he can be Sunday. He'll need to exorcise some demons at Phoenix with an average finish of 17th.

3. Ross Chastain: 38 points

Strengths: As we just saw at Martinsville, Chastain is willing to do anything to get the job done and that should be no different on Sunday. If a late restart were to come, he will be the man to go for it all.

Weaknesses: This is Chastain's first Championship 4 appearance and first for Trackhouse Racing as a team. There will be a certain type of pressure the whole organization hasn't experienced before that could hamper the final result for the No. 1 Chevrolet.

2. Joey Logano: 34 points

Strengths: Even though he's only 32 years old, Logano is the veteran of the group and the most experienced of the Championship 4 drivers with his fifth appearance in the title event. He's also made the fewest mistakes on pit road so if a late pit stop is in order like last year, look for the No. 22 Ford to be the first out of pit road.

Weaknesses: There aren't many weaknesses for Logano entering Sunday but something to keep an eye on regarding the No. 22 is the inconsistency for quality finishes. In each of the last three times Logano has scored a top 10, he finished outside the top 10 the following race. He's coming off a sixth-place run at Martinsville.

1. Chase Elliott: 33 points

Strengths: Elliott has been the man in 2022. Winning five races this year and being a part of the team that's won the last two Cup championships, there's no doubt that Elliott is the favorite Sunday at a track he's always fast at.

Weaknesses: The No. 9 hasn't put together the performance worthy of a champion during the nine playoff races leading up to the title event. With just three top-10 finishes in the last nine races, there would be no better time for Elliott to get out of the slump than with a win at Phoenix.