Kyle Larson Gives the Shock of the Season After a Miserable Round of..

Surviving is thriving in the playoffs with the way these things are set up.” Brad Keselowski had sparkling clarity about the playoff format when he said these words last year. It is clear that in the 2024 Round of 8, Kyle Larson has not been able to thrive and, hence, survive. The Hendrick Motorsports star slipped and tumbled through pit-stop miscues, flat tires, and bizarre spins. Then, in Martinsville, he could not keep up the trend of winning the last race of each playoff round.

This bleak scenario stands against a starkly opposite canvas. That canvas displays the HMS racer’s glittering achievements this year. From attempting the 1100-mile-long Double to outsmarting his rivals with a series-high 6 wins, Kyle Larson should ideally be branded as the best racer. Yet petty mistakes during the Round of 8 sealed his fate under NASCAR’s playoff format.

Kyle Larson’s heartbreak is contradictory

Without a doubt, the No. 5 Chevrolet driver has been the crown jewel of the 2024 Cup Series season. Besides winning 6 races, Kyle Larson led 1,615 laps, which is 613 laps more than anyone else. He also won a series-best 12 stages and had the closest finish in NASCAR history in Kansas where he beat Chris Buescher by 0.001 seconds. Despite these magnanimous achievements, he failed to deliver when it mattered the most. Under the playoff format, the rest of the season goes to ashes if your playoff performance is not good. And Kyle Larson slipped up in the Round of 8, right before the Championship 4 race.