In three more races, we will have our final 4 for this year’s NASCAR Cup Series championship. While anyone can get in and make it to Phoenix, the usual suspects are being touted to be William Byron, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, and Martin Truex Jr. However, two of those four names could be on their way out in this round itself as per Kyle Petty.
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The former NASCAR driver recently explained his theory or rather, pointed to an emerging pattern in this year’s playoffs. Petty also shared his thoughts on the spectacular fall of form for Truex, and whether he thinks the #19 team can recover or not.
Kyle Petty wonders if Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr. will get eliminated next
During a recent interview, Petty pointed towards the pattern of elimination in this year’s playoffs and why he thinks it could be Kyle Larson and Truex Jr. who lose the prospect of winning their second Cup titles. “The interesting thing to me is Martin Truex as a past champion and Kyle Larson as a past champion,” Petty said.
“Because if we look at the first round of the playoffs, we saw Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano, two past champions sent home. Second round of the playoffs, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski sent home. So that’s four in the first two rounds. We only have two remaining. Will these two champions be sent home in the Round of 8?”
Petty claimed it would be an interesting thing to keep an eye on as he pointed to the possibility of having four new contenders in Phoenix which would ensure that this year’s NASCAR Cup champion is a first-time, brand new champion.
Petty comments on the curious case of Martin Truex Jr.
In the same interview, Petty wondered where the Martin Truex Jr., the one who won the regular season championship had gone. The former driver described how heading into the playoffs, Truex was “smoking hot.”
“Out of 11 races, he won 2 of them and only finished outside of top 5 or 10 only twice. That’s an amazing streak when you look back on. When we get to the playoffs, cold. Martin Truex has no top 10s, has not even sniffed top 15 in the playoffs. That’s crazy to me,” Petty said. “Here’s a guy who we had going all the way to Phoenix, all the way to the championship back in June and July and now crickets. We don’t even hear him mentioned as the guy.”
“Is there a switch?”
Well, as per Kyle Petty, there is indeed a switch, one that Truex turned on in mid-summer, one that has gone off as of late, and one that they can hit again and get hot and become a championship favorite once again.
