"I really wasn't that upset”: Kyle Larson lifts the veil on his ‘disappointment’ as NASCAR blocked his title pursuit

Kyle Larson has opened up about his disappointment following NASCAR’s roadblock in his title pursuit. The Hendrick Motorsports ace was arguably the best driver of this past Cup Series season and his stats speak volumes of the same, but it couldn’t suffice what the sanctioning body wanted.

After an underwhelming regular season, Joey Logano exponentially improved his performance, raking in three playoff wins on the road to his third Cup Series title. Meanwhile, with six wins in the bag and four races until the champion’s crowning, Larson was very much alive in the title fight.

However, despite a top-5 finish in the Round of 8 finale at the Martinsville Speedway, the #5 HMS Chevy driver failed to punch his Championship 4 ticket, as the preceding race at the Homestead-Miami was mired by a cut tire. He subsequently lost valuable playoff points, resulting in a big disappointment.

That being said, Larson expressed he wasn’t much concerned about his elimination as he was delighted by the fact that his Chevrolet would end the season with the most wins among all rostered drivers.

"I think we had a great year. You led the series in a lot of categories, most all the categories, so, yeah, it was a little disappointing to not get the chance to race for a championship at Phoenix, but at the same point, I understand the format,” Larson said via HMS official release.

"I really wasn't that upset during the week of Phoenix because I knew no matter the result, we were going to end the season with the most wins. And to me, these days, that's as important as winning a championship," the 2021 Cup Series champion added.

Had NASCAR’s Chase system been in implementation, Larson would’ve at least had a shot for a second Cup Series title, as the maximum point earner in the final 10-race slate is crowned the champion, unlike the knockout system wherein even highest scoring drivers can be eliminated, as the points get reset after every third race.

---

A look at how Kyle Larson’s overwhelming stat couldn’t help in the championship pursuit

Right from the start of NASCAR’s 76th Cup Series season, Kyle Larson led the rankings courtesy of his consistent dominance. Not only did the Californian rake in six wins, five of which came in 21 races, but he also clinched 15 top-5s, led 1700 laps, and 12 stage wins, the most by any driver in 2024.

However, after winning the Charlotte Roval race, Larson’s following race weekends at Las Vegas and Homestead-Miami were plagued by issues. After finishing 11th and salvaging merely a single point from the Las Vegas race, Larson performed worse in Homestead, settling in 13th.

Moreover, as Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick won in Las Vegas and Homestead-Miami, respectively, only two spots were left for Larson to bank on at the Martinsville race. But despite his P3 finish, he was only a handful of points shy, leaving the seat for his teammate William Byron, after Christopher Bell was disqualified for a race violation.