When NASCAR Cup Series fans debate which driver had the most successful campaign, most will focus on the Championship 4 lineup: Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick.
Others will argue that Kyle Larson, despite being eliminated following Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, enjoyed the finest campaign. Larson compiled six wins, double the marks of his five nearest peers, can collected the most stage wins (12) and laps led (1,687). The 2021 circuit titleholder also tied for a series-high 14 top-five finishes.
Larson appeared poised to capture the Round of 8 finale, but was passed by Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, who was driving on fresher tires, with 23 laps remaining. He was not a factor the rest of the way as eventual winner Ryan Blaney also passed the No. 5 Chevrolet.
Larson earned a P3 Sunday, but could not overcome misfortune during the first two Round of 8 events.
“We had a lot of bonus points,” Larson told Frontstretch.com. “We had 20 more than the next guy to start this round and we just had two unfortunate races. In Vegas, all the issues we had there and then Homestead with the flat (and) the damage underneath the car made it a fight. You just can’t have two bad races in the Round of 8.”
Larson made headlines for attempting to compete in “The Double,” racing in IndyCar and NASCAR events on the same Memorial Day weekend Sunday, but like his playoff quest, the effort fell short.
“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,” Larson told reporters after being eliminated last Sunday.
Larson may be a bystander for the Cup title in the desert, but he arguably had the best season among circuit pilots.
OH MY GOODNESS, THAT IS SKETCHY!
Kyle Larson slides entering pit road trying to avoid Erik Jones. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/2V3nQmtWUf
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) November 3, 2024
NASCAR National Series Weekend Schedule
Here is a list of NASCAR national series events this weekend at Phoenix Raceway (All Times ET):
Tuesday
- 2 p.m.: Champ 4 Live Stream
Thursday
- 7 p.m.: Truck Series practice
- 8 p.m.: ARCA Series West practice
- 9:20 p.m.: ARCA Series West qualifying
Friday
- 1:30 p.m.: ARCA Series West Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 race
- 4:05 p.m.: Truck Series qualifying
- 5:05 p.m.: Xfinity Series practice
- 6:05 p.m.: Cup Series practice
- 8 p.m.: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race
Saturday
- 4 p.m.: Xfinity Series qualifying
- 5:05 p.m.: Cup Series qualifying
- 7 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race
Sunday
- 3 p.m.: NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race
Will history repeat itself at @phoenixraceway? #Championship4 pic.twitter.com/elCvvHiIjg
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 4, 2024
NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race Entry List
Entry, Driver, Team, Car No.
- 1, Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing, No. 1 Chevrolet
- 2, Austin Cindric, Team Penske, No. 2 Ford
- 3, Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing, No. 3 Chevrolet
- 4, Josh Berry, Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 4 Ford
- 5, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 Chevrolet
- 6, Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing, No. 6 Ford
- 7, Justin Haley, Spire Motorsports, No. 7 Chevrolet
- 8, Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing, No. 8 Chevrolet
- 9, Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, No. 9 Chevrolet
- 10, Noah Gragson, Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 10 Ford
- 11, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 11 Toyota
- 12, Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, No. 12 Ford
- 13, Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 14 Ford
- 14, Kaz Grala, Rick Ware Racing, No. 15 Ford
- 15, Derek Kraus, Kaulig Racing, No. 16 Chevrolet
- 16, Chris Buescher, RFK Racing, No. 17 Ford
- 17, Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 19 Toyota
- 18, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 20 Toyota
- 19, Harrison Burton, Wood Brothers Racing, No. 21 Ford
- 20, Joey Logano, Team Penske, No. 22 Ford
- 21, Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing, No. 23 Toyota
- 22, William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, No. 24 Chevrolet
- 23, Daniel Hemric, Kaulig Racing, No. 31 Chevrolet
- 24, Michael McDowell, Front Row Motorsports, 34 Ford
- 25, Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports, No. 38 Ford
- 26, Ryan Preece, Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 41 Ford
- 27, John Hunter Nemechek, Legacy Motor Club, No. 42 Chevrolet
- 28, Erik Jones, Legacy Motor Club, No. 43 Chevrolet
- 29, JJ Yeley, NY Racing Team, No. 44 Chevrolet
- 30, Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, No.45 Toyota
- 31, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., JTG Daugherty Racing, No. 47 Chevrolet
- 32, Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports, No. 48 Chevrolet
- 33, Corey LaJoie, Rick Ware Racing, No. 51 Ford
- 34, Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 54 Toyota
- 35, Chad Finchum, Power Source, No. 66 Ford
- 36, Zane Smith, Spire Motorsports, No. 71 Chevrolet
- 37, Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports, No. 77 Chevrolet
- 38, Jimmie Johnson, Legacy Motor Club, No. 84 Toyota
- 39, Daniel Suárez, Trackhouse Racing, No. 99 Chevrolet
Ladies and Gentlemen, your Championship 4.#NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/eIsAKHouCG
— Bryant Almany (@AlmanyDesigns) November 3, 2024
