Kyle Larson has turned a 55-point deficit into a 40-point championship lead in five Chase races, taking the NASCAR Cup Series standings away from Denny Hamlin. The JGR veteran entered the postseason as the top seed after leading much of the regular season, but Larson hasn’t finished outside the top five, and the gap between them has swung by 95 points.
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Larson first moved ahead of Hamlin by a single point after Bristol, then stretched that advantage with his win at Kansas. Las Vegas widened it further, leaving Hamlin chasing a driver who has found his best form at the most important time. Asked whether holding the lead brings more pressure than chasing it, particularly after championship leaders in NASCAR’s three national series had lost ground during the postseason, Larson dismissed the idea.
“I haven’t really thought about anything like that,” Larson told media, including Frontstretch. “I think the media kind of tries to get you to think about it a lot, asking questions like that. But, no, I mean, for us, I think we’ve done a good job of just focusing on our race and trying to maximize it. And I don’t think that you should venture off of that. So, yeah, it’s easier said than done, I think. But we’ve done so well in these first five. Why change what your approach has been?”
Kansas showed why Larson has little reason to change course. He swept both stages, collected the fastest-lap bonus and passed Chase Briscoe with seven laps remaining to win. His 76 points marked the maximum possible under the points system, while Hamlin failed to match his rival’s haul. Larson left Kansas with a 26-point lead after moving ahead by just one at Bristol.
Las Vegas was expected to suit Joe Gibbs Racing, with Hamlin starting from pole and all four of its Toyotas running at the front early. Larson, meanwhile, lost eight positions during his opening stint and spent 26 seconds on pit road as his team worked on the car. He fell a lap down but recovered to finish second behind Briscoe.
Hamlin’s afternoon unravelled when he spun from fourth with three laps remaining in the opening stage, damaging his splitter. On Lap 170, a fuel-pressure issue cost him another 12 positions. He finished 16th, surrendering another 14 points to Larson. What was predicted as a race in which JGR’s Hamlin could have bounced back instead ended with Larson extending his advantage.
It’s funny how things change so quickly in NASCAR. In the regular season, questions were raised at HMS and Chevy teams over lack of speed. And in the Chase, out of the blue, they are right in the front, leading the charge.
“I think we just took a lot of what we learned throughout the year,” Larson said. “Not that we weren’t, but we were constantly learning, and it’s just kind of peaked at the right point. And then our team’s just been executing.
“It’s been amazing. I definitely didn’t think that we would start off the Chase like this. So, yeah, just proud of the team, and, yeah, it’s just cool. You can never count out Hendrick Motorsports. So, it was tough to stay motivated and think that we would get to this point in the summer. But, again, I mean, you can’t count them out. They prove it all the time.”
Charlotte is the next test, with Larson looking to maintain his momentum at a track where getting comfortable in the car can be difficult. He would have preferred more time on track before the race, but the rain limited time on track, leaving every driver with the same challenge. Larson knows he will need to find his rhythm before deciding how aggressively to race.
“This place is so bumpy and slick, you’ve got to definitely build in the comfort here,” Larson said. “At least I feel like I’ve never been super comfortable here in the next-gen car. But yeah, just try to get to the lead and pace yourself and learn what you can.”
Hamlin, meanwhile, cannot afford another costly afternoon. His Las Vegas speed suggested he could contend, but the spin and fuel-pressure problem left him with a 16th-place finish. With Larson 40 points ahead, Hamlin needs to turn his pace into a result. Asked about the races that have left him trailing, he made clear that his attention is already on Charlotte.
“I just don’t feel like those other four races, that’s kind of what we had for speed,” Hamlin said. “I mean, certainly Darlington was one that we left a lot out there. But, again, I cannot go back and undo those races. I can only focus on winning Charlotte and doing whatever it takes to get that done.”
Larson arrives at Charlotte with five straight top-five finishes and a 40-point cushion. Hamlin needs a win to start reducing that gap, while another strong Larson result would leave the No. 11 driver with even more ground to make up. After five races, their fortunes have moved in opposite directions. Charlotte is Hamlin’s chance to change that.