The general consensus when it comes to the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs is that drivers display more aggressive characteristics on the race track. The 16 drivers who race for the championship always appear pretty desperate to get ahead of each other, considering the pressure that the elimination-style format brings to the table. But Kyle Larson has come forward with a contrasting thought.
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Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 5 driver was asked about this seemingly heightened level of aggression during the recent playoff media day. He said that he finds the aggression to be lower during the playoffs than during the regular season.
This, he believes, is because drivers are just trying to finish their races and not get into unwarranted wrecks that could foil the season altogether. Larson added, “Obviously, when you get to the cutoff races and stuff, it might ramp up a little bit or teams, you know, pit calls might get a little bit more desperate.
“But I feel like it kind of calms down because we’re trying to finish… It’s still ultra-aggressive. I mean, it’s Next Gen racing, but I do believe it dials back a little bit.”
There are stats that contend this opinion. Overtime rules were first introduced in 2005. Before then, only 6.5% of races ended under caution on average. But now, according to Frontstretch, nearly 23% of the races in a season go into overtime.
In 2024, an astonishing 38.6% of races ended in overtime due to late-race risks taken by drivers. This could be primarily because drivers are influenced by the “win-and-in” playoff format.
They work under the logic that cautions don’t end their chances, but give them hope for dramatic restarts and the opportunity to turn races around. In many ways, whatever aggression is present in the playoffs is what makes it exciting for fans to watch.
Larson’s teammate, Chase Elliott, too, expressed recently that the unpredictability of the playoffs makes it very intense and exciting. He said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, “It’s either go big and make it happen or don’t.
“And it’s totally in your hands, whether or not that happens. And I love that. So that’s why I love the last 10, just because I think it brings a level of excitement that we all need and that I think is healthy to have.”
With the stakes higher than ever, playoff drivers will race for a lifetime of glory in the postseason. To achieve the end goal, they need to display the calmness that Larson speaks of and the intensity that Elliott speaks of in the right measures.
