Kyle Larson enters the playoffs as the top seed with the largest cushion in points among the top 16, yet he admits there are still a few tracks that keep him on edge. Ahead of Darlington, the opening race of the postseason, Larson laid out the challenges he sees on the horizon.
Advertisement
Asked about his weak spots in the Cup Series, Larson was candid. “Yeah, I think still the shorter, flatter tracks. So, seeing Gateway and New Hampshire in the playoffs is not something that I was thrilled about. But I do think we’ve made our package better on that style of track.”
He pointed to Iowa and Richmond as signs of progress: “I look at Iowa, we were fast, and William (Byron) won; Chase (Elliott) was fast; Alex (Bowman) was fast. When we went to Richmond, we were all really good again. Alex finished second, and I think I was in sixth. Chase was probably one of the best cars that night. William was good, as well.”
“I do think we’ve gotten our cars better on those places, but we still need to probably be better. We’ll see when we get to Gateway and New Hampshire,” Larson said.
The numbers tell a mixed story: At Gateway, Larson holds an 8.7 average finish across three starts with one top five. At the New Hampshire racetrack, he’s averaged 11.2 in 14 starts with six top fives. Iowa remains his toughest stop, with a 31.0 average finish in two races. Richmond, however, has been kinder, where across 21 starts he’s averaged 10.4 with two wins and five top fives.
Compounding the issue is NASCAR’s Next Gen car, which has drawn criticism from fans and drivers alike for creating too much parity and limiting passing on tracks of this nature.
Still, outside of Iowa, Larson’s stats don’t paint a gloomy image. With the right setup and the same momentum he’s carried all season, he remains capable of conquering the flatter tracks.
Darlington, though, has been less forgiving. In seven Next Gen starts, he’s averaged 20.6, leaving him with little success at the Lady in Black. But once through Darlington, the Round of 16 offers a familiar lifeline, with Gateway and Bristol, venues where the Rick Hendrick driver has historically thrived, coming next. Backed by his 26-point cushion, Larson still holds the upper hand in advancing to the next round.
