Kyle Larson gives a blunt verdict on NASCAR’s rule limiting Xfinity drivers from a major benefit

Kyle Larson shared his take on NASCAR's current system that restricts Cup drivers' participation in the Xfinity Series. According to the Hendrick Motorsports driver, the Xfinity drivers are unprepared for the Cup Series due to a lack of exposure to top-tier competition.

On Saturday, April 13, Larson secured a dominant win in the SciAps 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Starting from pole on his second Xfinity race of the season, Larson led a race-high 276 out of 300 laps to wheel his No.17 Chevy to the victory lane.

Speaking to the media post-race, Larson presented his views on the pace gap between Cup and Xfinity drivers.

"It's just fun to kind of get out there with the Xfinity guys and show them the pace that Cup guys run because they have no clue. NASCAR doesn't let Cup guys run very often. It's good when a Cup guy gets in there because it show how much work they need to do to be ready for the Cup Series," he said.(via SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) (0:40 onwards)

In 2017, NASCAR implemented a rule to limit Cup Series drivers to a maximum of 10 races in the Xfinity Series. Additionally, they were barred from the playoffs and the Dash 4 Cash races. The move was aimed at providing younger drivers more opportunities to gain experience.

In his last Xfinity race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kyle Larson led 132 laps and won Stage 2 but settled for a fourth-place finish after a late-race restart. The loss denied Larson a three-race sweep, as he competed in all three NASCAR series races that weekend.

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"This is a dangerous win for the rest of the field": Kevin Harvick shares his thoughts on Kyle Larson's Homestead win

Kevin Harvick recently shared his take on Kyle Larson's Cup Series win in the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. On his podcast, Happy Hour, the former NASCAR driver discussed Larson's ability to overcome the field despite not having the fastest car. Reflecting upon the same, Harvick said,

"This is a dangerous win for the rest of the field. I feel like Kyle really balanced not having the best car, being aggressive, two inches or on the wall, in his case, all day, managed traffic, managed a pit road incident, damage to the car. These are the types of days that could really put Kyle Larson in the thought process of being in a position to win on days when he doesn't have the best car"

Driving the No.5 Chevrolet, Kyle Larson lined up 14th on the grid but chased down the field to finish Stage 1 and Stage 2 in the top 5. In the early stages, the HMS driver sustained damage from a contact with Josh Berry on pit road. However, the 2021 Cup champion kept his head down and passed his teammate Alex Bowman in the final laps to take the checkered flag.