Kyle Larson is gearing up to compete in the first race of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 at Kansas Speedway. Over his 19 starts at this track, Larson has maintained an impressive average finish of 12.4. He has notched two victories, eight top-5 finishes, and eleven top-10 finishes at Kansas, making it one of his stronger tracks.
What sets Larson apart at Kansas is his consistent performance, particularly in recent years. He’s managed a streak of six consecutive top-10 finishes, with an impressive average finish of 5.29 since driving for Hendrick Motorsports. This track success, combined with his strong recent form, positions him as a major contender to win back-to-back races at Kansas. Larson is fresh off a dominant performance at Bristol, where he led an astounding 462 out of 500 laps, and he’s looking to carry that momentum into Kansas.
One stat that stands out is Larson’s dominance in the Next Gen car at Kansas. Introduced to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022, the Next Gen car represents the latest innovation in NASCAR’s fleet, and Larson has excelled with it at Kansas. Since its introduction, he’s led the most laps in the Next Gen car on this track. In 2023, he led 99 laps but ultimately finished fourth. In 2021, during his championship-winning season, Larson led 132 laps but finished a disappointing 19th. These stats show that Larson knows how to run at the front of the pack at Kansas, but closing out the race has sometimes been a challenge.
This season, Larson has demonstrated his strength on 1.5-mile tracks, which Kansas falls under. He has won half of the races on these tracks and has more wins on them in the Next Gen era than any other driver. During his most recent race at Kansas, Larson was involved in one of the closest finishes in NASCAR Cup Series history. He narrowly edged out Chris Buescher to win by just 0.001 seconds, setting the record for the tightest finish in the sport’s history. This victory further solidified Larson’s reputation as a clutch performer in critical moments.
To put Larson’s win in context, NASCAR has seen only a few finishes that close. In 2003, Ricky Craven beat Kurt Busch by 0.002 seconds at Darlington, and in 2011, Jimmie Johnson defeated Clint Bowyer by the same margin at Talladega. While Larson’s razor-thin victory sparked some debate over the alignment of the finish line, his win over RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher has cemented his playoff status.
However, not all of Larson’s season has been without controversy. His crew chief, Cliff Daniels, recently commented on the tire issues that plagued the spring race at Bristol. During that race, tire wear was a significant issue, which led to a chaotic event. Despite fans enjoying the drama, Daniels voiced his frustration with the unpredictability caused by the tire failures. He argued that such chaos isn’t sustainable for the sport and doesn’t contribute to good, clean racing.
Daniels explained, “The Bristol race, everyone wants to say was so amazing in the spring because of the tire coming apart. Well, no, it was the tire coming apart that created chaos. It wasn’t a good race. The chaos was fun for the moment. But that’s not sustainable like that. That type of chaos is not what our sport needs on a weekly basis. We don’t! We don’t need chaos and calamity, you know, we need good, pure racing.”
This perspective reflects a growing sentiment within the NASCAR community. While thrilling moments can draw attention, the sport’s integrity relies on consistent, high-quality racing rather than randomness. Larson’s crew chief is advocating for a focus on skilled, competitive racing, rather than relying on external factors like tire malfunctions to create excitement.
Despite the controversies, Kyle Larson is in a strong position as the playoffs progress. He currently sits atop the standings, with a 39-point cushion above the cutline. As the competition intensifies, his ability to perform on tracks like Kansas could be the key to securing another championship.
With his track record at Kansas, dominance on 1.5-mile tracks, and recent momentum from his Bristol victory, Kyle Larson is in prime position to claim another win. His consistency, experience, and the strength of his team make him a favorite heading into Kansas Speedway. If he can execute as he has in recent races, Larson could be on his way to another deep playoff run.
Can Kyle Larson secure consecutive NASCAR victories at Kansas? Here’s why the Hendrick Motorsports driver has a strong shot at winning again.
