With just one race left in the Round of 8 before we find out who’s headed to the Championship 4, Kyle Larson is definitely not leaving anything to chance. As a driver for Hendrick Motorsports, he’s got his eye firmly fixed on one guy: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing.
After that wild race at Talladega Superspeedway, Kyle Larson finds himself 36 points above the cut-line. Christopher Bell, however, is clinging to a tiny edge, with 37 points to his name. All well and good — but then you have to factor in that “win-or-out” vibe of the playoffs.
If any one of the four drivers who are currently below the cut-line at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday — that’d be William Byron, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, or Chase Elliott — manages to slip into the winner’s circle, it’s either Larson or Bell who’ll be saying goodbye to the playoffs.
That’s why Larson is zeroing in on Bell. He said in a press conference: “I’d say we really need to outpoint [Christopher] Bell. It’s going to be interesting. Obviously we’ll be focused on the race, but for us, one guy matters more than the rest. It’s similar for them. They’ll be watching what we’re doing throughout the day, too. Hopefully, we’ll have a strong car, qualify well, grab stage points, and do everything we can to gain as many points as possible.”
Kyle Larson Focusing In On Christopher Bell
Kyle Larson knows the simplest way to get himself to the Championship 4 at Phoenix is to out-point Bell at Martinsville. The reason being, both of them are way above the cut-line, so it’s a two-horse race as far as they’re concerned.
To that end, he added: “Martinsville has been a good track for us in the past, so if we can go there, stay strong, and do what it takes, we can make the final four and compete for a championship.”
We already know two of the spots in the Championship 4 are as good as locked up: Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe won their way into those spots earlier on in the Round of 8 after winning the races.
That leaves two spots up for grabs. If some driver below the cut-line manages a win on Sunday, Larson and Bell are going to be holding their breaths. And all of the possibilities are already being studied by the #5 team.
Here is a look at how things are shaping up:
- Bell: +37 points above the cut-line
- Larson: +36 points above the cut-line
- Byron: 36 points down (below the cut-line) — he’s got his work cut out
- Logano: 38 points down — he’s in a tough spot
- Blaney: 47 points down — he’s really struggling
- Elliott: 62 points down — and keeping well out of his sights
In simple terms, Larson’s whole playoff strategy comes down to one thing: finishing ahead of Bell. That’s the clear path forward.
At Martinsville on Sunday, Larson and his team plan to make a big push to get a good qualifying spot, grab some stage points and just generally keep the ball rolling. His mission is clear: only one guy really matters this weekend at Martinsville.
