NASCAR Playoff Update: Larson takes top position
Two races into the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, and Kyle Larson is in the driver’s seat to take home his second championship in 3 years.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
Since joining the legendary Hendrick Motorsports for the 2021 season, the 31-year-old Larson has blossomed into one of the best drivers on the grid, winning the 2021 Cup Series in dominating fashion while collecting 10 wins along the way.
Looking at the betting odds, it rightly seems like sportsbooks think it’s too early to call anything just yet. DraftKings Sportsbook has Larson leading with +400 odds, followed closely behind by his teammate William Byron at +450 and Denny Hamlin at +500. Other notable names to watch include veteran Kyle Busch at +800, who’s had a resurgent season, Martin Truex Jr. at +800, who still has the bookmaker’s faith even though he’s on the brink of elimination, and Tyler Reddick at a fairly low +1100, despite being just six points off the championship lead.
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Back to Larson. What makes him so special is his impressive all-around ability on tracks of all types. No matter if it’s a superspeedway, short track, or road course, he has the skills needed to be competitive on all of them. This makes Larson a consistent and reliable double-digit points-getter. For instance, he finished with less than 10 points just three times in 2023 and has the impressive achievement of securing a top 10 finish at every single NASCAR track over the course of his career, and top five everywhere not named Daytona.
Larson hasn’t wrapped up the title yet, but he’s entering a stretch of the season that he absolutely dominated during his last championship run back in 2021. With wins at the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, Bank of America Roval 400, Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400, Dixie Vodka 400, and the Season Finale 500 over the past two seasons, Larson has a proven record of excellence over the remaining races that will make him hard to catch.
But, Larson still has a long way to go if he wants to join the coveted list of drivers with multiple Cup Series championships. Looking at the NASCAR cup standings, a whole host of drivers are breathing down his neck, including Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing, Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing, and Larson’s teammate at Hendrick, William Byron. Luckily, Larson will not have the added pressure of needing to qualify in the last group of 16 race at Bristol, since he already has enough points to be eligible.
One notable name missing from the contenders is Martin Truex Jr., the reigning regular season champion. After six straight top-ten finishes from New Hampshire to Watkins Glen, Truex Jr. has seen his form drop off dramatically, finishing no higher than 18th over the last three races, including a disastrous night in Kansas where he crashed out after starting in third. If he doesn’t put together a strong performance at the last round of 16 race at Bristol, Truex Jr. will shockingly not make the cut, marking an inglorious end to his season.
In conclusion, Kyle Larson looks like the most likely winner of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship based on his current position at the top of the table and incredible past form at most of the remaining racetracks. But that doesn’t mean all that much in such a close competition. One bad race could see Larson plummet down the standings with so many drivers hot on his tail. No matter what happens, this is boiling down to be a thrilling Cup Series that has what it takes to go down to the final race.