We had another NASCAR Championship Playoff Series race on Sunday afternoon. And once again, it is Kyle Larson who is going home victorious.
Just a week after claiming victory on the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, Larson has done it once again. The driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Hendrick Motorsports pulled off another big win, this time at the Auto Trader Echo Park Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.
We saw a total of eight lead changes, five different drivers lead at one point or another, and 11 cautions. But when it was all said and done, it was the 29-year-old Larson who got the checkered flag. With the win, he has officially clinched a spot in the Championship 4 round of the Cup Series Playoffs.
“CHECKERED FLAG: SEE YOU IN PHOENIX!” the official NASCAR Twitter account posted after the race. “@KyleLarsonRacin wins at @TXMotorSpeedway and clinches a spot in the #Championship4!”
NASCAR fans, meanwhile, weren’t all that surprised to see Kyle Larson win himself another race. After all, it has been a crazy-dominant season for the young man. So much so, that one Kevin Harvick fan wants Larson to show him how it’s done.
“Someone show Harvick how to have a dominant season and make it to the Final 4 😂😂😂😂😂”
Another fan believes that Larson is miles better than the defending champion.
“Imagine thinking Chase Elliott is better than Kyle Larson lol.”
Still A Lot More NASCAR Playoff Racing Ahead
Two of the final eight drivers officially advanced into Round 3 by winning a race in Round 2. Kyle Larson did so last weekend with his big win at Charlotte. Meanwhile, two-time winner Denny Hamlin punched his ticket two weeks before that at Las Vegas.
The remaining six drivers made their way in based on points. They are Martin Truex Jr., who has four wins under his belt; two-time winners Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, and Chase Elliott; and one-time winners Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski. Of course, Hamlin, Busch, and Truex Jr. all drive Toyotas for Joe Gibbs Racing. Meanwhile, Larson and Elliott are in Chevrolets with Hendrick Motorsports; and finally, Keselowski, Blaney, and Logano all drive Fords for Team Penske.
Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway is just a glimpse of what’s to come. Five of the eight drivers in contention for the championship are all former champions in their own right. Busch, Truex. Jr., Keselowski, Logano, and Elliott have all been here before and came out on top.
As a matter of fact, Chase Elliott is the defending champion. And he will have some extra pressure on his shoulders to try and repeat with another title. It’s been 11 years since the last back-to-back champ. That was none other than Jimmie Johnson in the 2009-2010 seasons. So, there’s no doubt that the competition will be heating up with each race going forward.
