Rick Hendrick’s star Kyle Larson makes startling claim against NASCAR’s current playoff format  

Kyle Larson, the Hendrick Motorsports driver, recently criticized NASCAR's playoff format for electing the champion. The 32-year-old stated that the present format devalued championships.

Kyle Larson drives the #5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports and is one of the greatest drivers of his generation. He delivered a historic season in 2021 where he won 10 races, including the prestigious Coca Cola 600, and won his first-ever NASCAR Cup Series Championship.

The California native's time in 2024 saw him bag 6 wins and 15 top-5 finishes. However, he also had an underwhelming playoff campaign, and was eliminated in the Round of 8. Joey Logano won the championship with a mere seven top-5 finishes, which is the lowest number of top-5 finishes required to win the Cup Series championship.

Critics argue that the elimination-style format, which includes resets in points and emphasizes winning during specific rounds, can overshadow the consistency and performance demonstrated during the regular season.

Kyle Larson claimed that the playoff format that NASCAR currently deploys is devaluing the prestige of the championship, especially with the 2022 introduction of the Next Gen car. He hinted that this format prioritizes late-stage outcomes over sustained performance during the season. Larson told the official website of Hendrick Motorsports:

"If anything, I just think the format in a way devalues a championship, especially in the Next-Gen era."

He also went on to say that the number of wins for the team had become more important than the championship.

"So, I think obviously you'd like to win the most races and win the championship and all that, but I think winning six races, that's extremely tough to do, and we were a factor in many more than that. So, I'm proud of the season, proud of the effort from the team, and looking forward to next year too. We'll hopefully start off strong and carry it on through the playoffs like we did this year," Larson said.

NASCAR is reportedly finding alternatives within the playoff formats and looking for adjustments for the upcoming 2025 season which could benefit drivers like Larson who excel throughout the season.

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Kyle Larson unearthed critical details about his Tulsa masterstroke that left HMS teammate William Byron awestruck

Kyle Larson recently shared fascinating insights about his performance at the 2025 Tulsa Shootout, where he engaged in an intense battle with Christopher Bell. During the event, Larson learned a valuable lesson about high-line racing in non-winged cars from fellow racer Steven Snyder Jr. Initially skeptical about the technique's effectiveness, Larson's perspective changed after observing Snyder maintain impressive speed despite a flat tire while running the high line. The 32 year old to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio said:

"I noticed it didn't really look like he lost that much speed doing that, so I just kinda started delving into it inching into running that line and then got comfortable with it and made it work. It's hard to run but I was able to make it work to get myself close enough."

This strategic adaptation caught the attention of his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron, who praised Larson's skill on social media, calling him "a beast" for successfully executing the iRacing cushion line.