Kyle Larson makes bold NASCAR prediction ahead of 'very simple' assignment
Kyle Larson has offered his verdict on the NASCAR Playoff picture, with Hendrick Motorsports suffering a triple disaster in Talladega on Sunday
Kyle Larson has made a daring forecast for next week's NASCAR Round of 8 showdown at Martinsville, with three Hendrick Motorsports drivers battling for the final two Championship 4 positions.
Chase Briscoe secured his maiden Championship 4 berth following his triumph at Talladega on Sunday, joining his Joe Gibbs Racing colleague, Denny Hamlin, in next month's season finale in Phoenix, Arizona.
Christopher Bell and Larson currently hold the remaining two qualifying positions going into the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville next weekend, with William Byron, reigning champion Joey Logano, Team Penske's Ryan Blaney, and Chase Elliott, who pinpointed a Hendrick issue after his race concluded, sitting below the elimination line.
Elliott, who trails by 63 points, would need to capture the victory next week to guarantee his spot in the Championship 4, while Larson's fellow Hendrick Motorsports driver, Byron, could shake things up with a strong points performance.
Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series titleholder, has delivered a confident prediction for Martinsville, with the 33-year-old anticipating an intense battle, especially from the Hendrick Motorsports squad, who he believes possesses a competitive setup for the upcoming weekend. "Just unfortunate that it didn't work out there," Larson commented following his 26th-place result.
"It started giving me a warning there in the middle of 1 and 2 and down the back it started stumbling, so I just got out of the way.
"It's probably one of the more disappointing superspeedway finishes I've had just because we were once again in contention, and it was right where I wanted to be, but it didn't work out, so we'll keep putting ourselves in contention, and it'll eventually work out.
"You've got to assume that one of those guys below the cutline is going to win (at Martisnville). They're all really good there."
"So then kind of got into a tussle with (Christopher Bell) throughout the night and tried to outscore him. We have a decent Martinsville package, as does everybody in the Round of 8, so it'll be a battle. Even if I didn't win, I wish we would have had those 20 spots at least, so that part sucks. We executed a great day today. We'll try to do the same next week."
Elliott ended up in 40th place due to a crash. He now faces winning in Martinsville or being eliminated from championship contention.
Elliott says the Martinsville mission is clear. "The assignment is very simple (for Martinsville). I don't know about the crash. I saw someone get turned sideways. Just trying to get slowed up like normal and ended up getting turned sideways and slid into some people, and they slid back into me. I hate it," he said.
"I felt like we had ourselves in a good spot before the cycle. I didn't feel we executed the cycle very well. That put us back in the back again. I'm not sure if that would have helped us miss the wreck or not. All that's very circumstantial. It is what it is. I can't change it now. Just all eyes on Martinsville and try to go up there and get a win. ... The energy was definitely picking up.
"Pretty much everything after the pit cycle was getting pretty crazy, so I wasn't super surprised by it. Maybe I should have got out. ... I wasn't going to get any points where I was out. We were right on that cusp of if your lane really goes forward and catches the back part of the top-10, but it probably wasn't worth the risk at the end of the day. It was really wild from the get-go. Even when we were saving fuel, we were running four-wide and getting a lot of confidence up."
After previous playoff drama between JGR teammates Hamlin and Ty Gibbs, the younger driver played a crucial part in helping their other Cup Series teammate, Briscoe, secure victory at Talladega while claiming 3rd place himself. "Ty Gibbs, incredible teammate there. I would not have won that race without Ty. Just an amazing team effort," Briscoe said.
"I can't believe I won a superspeedway race. I haven't done it any level anywhere. Just an unbelievable atmosphere. It's not hit me. We're going to Phoenix! So thankful that the Lord has blessed me opening doors, even closing doors at times.
"Opening an incredible door here with Joe Gibbs Racing. I say it all the time, even today, I had such a peace. Normally I'm scared to death, nervous wreck around this place."