Kyle Larson Continues Historic NASCAR Chase Run at Charlotte

Despite not winning during the regular season, Kyle Larson has shown up in the Chase. Through six Chase races, the driver of the No. 5 has put together a historic Chase run up to this point.The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion has picked up two wins in the Chase, coming at World Wide Technolog Raceway and Kansas Speedway. Outside of that, Larson’s other Chase finishes of second twice, fifth, and sixth.The sixth-place result came in Sunday’s Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. With a 2.8 average finish, Larson has posted the best six-race start to a Chase in NASCAR history, as noted by motorsports insider Jeff Gluck on a recent episode of “The Teardown.”Larson Red-Hot Chase Run Has Stunned The Cup Series FieldLarson’s run through the first half of the Chase has been nothing short of impressive. Going into the Chase, saying Larson would be the championship leader with four races to go would be a difficult argument to make based on how the regular season unfolded.Not only did “Yung Money” fail to win a race during the 26-race regular season, strong, consistent finishes were difficult to come by. The struggles during the regular season had the two-time Cup Series champion seeded ninth to begin the Chase.However, from the time the 10-race postseason began, Larson and crew chief Cliff Daniels have found a second gear. Their outstanding run through the Chase has drawn parallels to the Jimmie Johnson/Chad Knaus combination, which won a record seven Cup titles with Hendrick Motorsports.Now, Larson and Cliff Daniels are in prime position to win their third Cup Series title in the last six seasons together.Can Larson Keep Up Impressive Championship Run?Time will tell over the next four races (Phoenix, Talladega, Martinsville, Homestead) if Larson can continue the remarkable pace he has maintained through the first six Chase races. History would say Larson’s average finish of 2.8 would be difficult to keep up as Martin Truex Jr. holds the record for the best average finish through the Chase (formerly playoffs) of 4.3.Even if the Hendrick Motorsports cannot beat that record, however, he is undoubtedly the man to beat for the championship. Larson holds a 49-point lead over Denny Hamlin, who started the Chase as the top seed.Despite finishing fifth on Sunday, Hamlin lost nine points to Larson, due in large part to the latter winning the opening stage.Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe were the only drivers to gain points on Larson at Charlotte. Briscoe reduced his deficit by 19 points after winning at Charlotte, while Bell shaved off four points from his deficit.Yet, Bell still trails Larson by 51 points in the third position, while Briscoe is 65 points behind in the fourth position.It is not a foregone conclusion that Larson will win the championship as there is still plenty of racing to go. However, it is evident that the 34-year-old out of Elk Grove, California is going to be difficult to beat.