Despite winning six races and consistently performing well throughout the season [mostly], Kyle Larson was unexpectedly left out of the Championship 4. He had held the top spot in the standings longer than any other driver, making his exclusion a real shocker. While many fans point fingers at the playoff format for his omission, NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace has a different perspective.
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During a discussion on his YouTube channel, Wallace encouraged fans to consider the broader context of the playoffs. He said:
“We are in the playoffs. And even Kyle Larson after the race at Martinsville he said we just did not perform this month so I’m going to urge you to think about what you’re what you’re thinking about you you want Kyle lson to go to the championship for in Phoenix but we are in the playoffs.”
According to him, leading the most laps — 1687 in Larson’s case this season — or accumulating numerous wins doesn’t guarantee a spot in the Championship 4 if the performance falters during the playoff rounds.
He also highlighted a tactical misstep: Larson’s crew chief opted to keep him on 20-lap-old tires, a strategy that Christopher Bell’s team also implemented. Unfortunately, the approach didn’t pay off at Martinsville. Situations like these underscore that even the best may not always make it to the finale.
However, Larson took responsibility for not advancing to Championship 4, stating,
“We had a lot of bonus points, we had 20 more than the next guy. We just had two unfortunate races. I think the wins do benefit you a lot. I don’t want to say there’s anything wrong with the format. You just can’t have two bad races in the Round of 8.”
NASCAR veteran picks his 2024 NASCAR champion
Among the four championship contenders — Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, and William Byron—the former NASCAR Xfinity Series driver, Wallace has tipped Blaney as his favorite to win the championship. He explained:
“He’s born down there North Carolina Ryan blay Ryan blay is doing the same thing did last year he handled really good at Martinsville just like he did last year… Our four drivers that are in the championship Chase not a one of them win the race at Phoenix.”
Statistically, over the last three years, Ryan Blaney has the best average finish at Phoenix among all active drivers, boasting an impressive 4.1 over seven races. However, when considering the overall average finish, Denny Hamlin leads with 10.8, closely followed by Blaney at 10.9.
In the playoff lineup, William Byron follows next with an average finish of 11.8 across 13 races at Phoenix, where he has clinched one win and scored two top-5 finishes. Joey Logano, in his 31 starts, has an average finish position of 13.5, while Tyler Reddick, with nine starts at the track, averages a 17.9 finish, including two top-5 placements.
