NASCAR: Kyle Larson no longer the championship favorite

As a die-hard NASCAR fan with a heart full of racing memories from the last 30 years, I can’t help but feel a mix of excitement and trepidation as we head into the Bristol race this weekend. Kyle Larson, my personal favorite, has had an incredible season so far, but recent events have seen him slip from the top spot in the championship standings.

Kyle Larson from Hendrick Motorsports, who narrowly missed out on claiming the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular season title by a single point despite skipping the Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, was viewed as the top contender heading into the four-round, 10-race postseason to earn his second championship.

In the playoffs, Larson led all drivers with an accumulated 40 playoff points. He garnered 20 points from his league-best four regular season wins, 10 from his ten stage victories, which tied for the most in the series, and another 10 as a result of his second-place finish in the regular season point standings.

After a collision during the first playoff race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he was shown as being level with Christopher Bell from Joe Gibbs Racing. Entering the playoffs, Bell held 32 playoff points, second highest among all drivers, and concluded the game in fourth position. Both drivers were equally positioned by FanDuel Sportsbook with odds of +450 (a bet of $100 would yield a win of $450).

Following the race at Watkins Glen International, Larson currently holds the ninth spot in the overall standings, whereas Bell has claimed the top position in the points table for the very first time in 54 consecutive events.

Larson no longer NASCAR championship favorite

Currently at FanDuel Sportsbook, Kyle Busch (Bell) is currently the front-runner for winning the championship with odds of +400. Despite Kevin Harvick (Larson) having only one top 10 finish in the last five races, he’s still priced at +450.

Bell currently leads by 46 points over the cutoff for the Round of 16, virtually ensuring his participation in it, as only the race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night remains before the conclusion.

Larson maintains a significant 26-point advantage over the cutoff and continues to top all drivers in playoff points. In essence, if he progresses to the quarterfinal round, his 40 playoff points ensure he will regain the lead following the point reset as they cannot be surpassed by any other driver’s maximum possible seven playoff points at Bristol, leaving them with a total of only 39.

Larson clinched the 2021 title and also competed in the Championship 4 last year. Bell hasn’t won a championship yet, but he’s the only driver who has qualified for the decisive round at Phoenix Raceway in both 2022 and 2023.

23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney are among the top contenders for favorite wins, with odds of 500, 550, and 650 respectively. Reddick took home the regular season championship, while Hamlin has emerged victorious in the last two races at Bristol despite currently being below the qualifying line. Blaney is the current series champion.

Full odds can be found at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Hamlin leads the pack with odds of 5 to 1 to emerge victorious in this weekend’s 500-lap race held on the four-cornered, 0.533-mile (0.858-kilometer) high-banked Bristol Oval in Tennessee. Larson comes next at odds of 7 to 1, followed closely by Bell at odds of 7.5 to 1.

Don’t forget to catch the live telecast of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race this coming Saturday, September 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET on USA Network from Bristol Motor Speedway. If you haven’t signed up for a free trial of FuboTV yet, now’s the perfect time to do so and ensure you won’t miss it!

2024-09-20 15:02