Why Kyle Larson’s entry to Championship 4 matters to NASCAR
Kyle Larson dominated Texas as he finished fourth in the NASCAR playoffs to win the championship in Phoenix. Given what happened in the 2020 playoffs, it’s crucial that history doesn’t repeat itself.
Kyle Larson enters championship in Phoenix 4
One weakness of Larson’s romance is the 1.5-mile middle oval track.
In his first season at Hendrick Motorsports, the No. 5 car shattered that weakness.
He leads the most laps by 1.5 miles with 1,187 miles in 2021, just 54 laps shy of Jeff Gordon’s lap record of 36 seasons.
There’s a good chance he’ll break that record.
He scored his first win for Hendrick by 1.5 miles in Las Vegas in March before joining the Coca-Cola 600 in May.
However, Larson’s victory in Texas last Sunday may be the most important.
Game 1 of the semifinals, the victors know their place in Phoenix’s four games of the championship game will be locked.
That will give them two weeks in Kansas and Martinsville to prepare for the championship game.
In Texas, Larson saw a series of late warnings and restarted to comfortably win his eighth win of 2021.
Cliff Daniels and Larson can now prepare for Phoenix — Larson’s first title fight.
Given his overwhelming dominance in 2021, it would be disastrous for NASCAR if he doesn’t make the cut.
Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Harvick history haunts NASCAR playoffs
Larson’s 2021 season isn’t all that different from the campaign that Kevin Harvick cobbled together in 2020.
The duo were clearly the dominant and best drivers in their respective season cup series.
Harvick’s campaign is textbook. With 9 wins and 27 top 10 finishes, it’s definitely a championship bet.
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
But his season fell apart in the semi-finals – at the same stage as we are now in 2021.
Harvick’s substantial lead was cut by a 16th place finish in Texas ahead of the Martinsville knockout.
Car No. 4 had a tight race that night, failing to get where he needed to move to Phoenix on the final lap.
Few drivers in playoff history have been as dominant as Harvick has in 2020.
He didn’t have a chance to fight for the title and damn it.
Sure, big-name players have missed the playoffs entirely in the past — Joey Logano and Jimmy Johnson come to mind — but something like Harvick’s elimination never happened.
In short, it doesn’t look good for NASCAR or the playoff system.
Photo by Brian Loudermilk/Getty Images
Is the NASCAR playoffs fit for purpose?
The playoff system doesn’t have to be a bad system.
Considering the length of a cup season, a 36-game championship season seems too long.
So the idea of a “mini-tournament” to decide the winner does have some merit.
But the current playoff format is not suitable.
They are primarily designed as a means of entertainment.
The predictable madness of Talladega and the novelty of the Charlotte Roval road circuit in the same round? sure why not?
Night race in Bristol before heading to Martinsville short track in semi-final knockout? it has started!
Photo by Brian Loudermilk/Getty Images
Granted NASCAR needs to put on a show, but it must not compromise the sporting integrity of its premier series.
That was in 2020, when the promiscuous scrimmage freemen left Harvick out with no chance to fight for the title he deserved.
If the same thing happens to Larson in 2021, the consequences could be dire.
Kyle Larson corrects Harvick’s mistake into Championship 4
“Fool me once,” Stephen King once wrote, “what a shame.”
“It’s a shame to lie to me twice.”
Harvick’s elimination can be seen as a tough hurdle for the playoffs.
When it finally got to the point, he couldn’t perform when the others swooped in.
Making it happen once can be seen as one of those things.
Bad news for Harvick, but keep smiling and waving as the show goes on.
But if Larson is on the other side of the battery issues affecting Roval #5, it’s a sign of deep-seated problems in the playoffs.
That’s not to say Larson will win the championship.
Given the unpredictability of championship races, the metric used by drivers these days is simply to get to the final four first.
Larson did just that and had a great season in his first year back.
He’s a favorite to win, given his 2021 victories at all kinds of tracks – the pub superspeedway.
If he wins the 2021 Cup, it would be a remarkable turn of fortune for the driver whose NASCAR career all but ended in the spring of 2020.
Photo by Abby Parr/Getty Images
Is there anything to tell us about this article?
Jack usually writes or reads anything related to motorsport – from Formula 1 to NASCAR to British truck racing. His work as a motorsport reporter has been published in prestigious outlets such as Autosport, Motorsport.com and Motorsport News. In addition to racing, he is an avid amateur astronomer, podcast listener, and enjoys walks in the park with his three dogs.
When will Klay Thompson play again? Does Desmond Bain have a girlfriend?Parents and more Grizzlies stars
Check more articles in our categories Celebrity & News et encore Wiki.
Thanks for visiting we hope our article Why Kyle Larson’s entry to Championship 4 matters to NASCAR
, help us and share the article on Facebook, instagram and e-mail with the hashtags ☑️ #Kyle #Larsons #entry #Championship #matters #NASCAR ☑️!