“I’ve been in the dark”: Kyle Larson makes his ‘weird’ feelings known about Christopher Bell and William Byron’s playoff
Kyle Larson has revealed being in the dark about the recent talk concerning Christopher Bell and William Byron's playoffs. The Hendrick Motorsports driver responded to a twisted scenario that involved removing Bell or Byron to make room for his Championship 4 ticket.
The #5 Chevy driver had a remarkable performance in the 2024 season. He etched six wins, the most by any Cup Series driver this season, and scored 14 top-5s and 17 top-10s. Larson also clinched five poles this season, the most recent at the Chicago Street Circuit.
However, due to the current playoff format, the HMS driver's overall achievements and points didn't play a pivotal role in keeping his title fight alive. What kept his #5 Chevy in contention was his performance in the final 10-race slate. But that also ended after the Martinsville race, as his third-place finish was insufficient to secure his Championship 4 spot.
Larson's teammate William Byron is the only HMS driver in the playoffs and he got his entry by Christopher Bell's penalty. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver rode the wall on the final lap and was stripped of his playoff advancement. But after the XFINITY 500 concluded, fans opined replacing Larson with Byron or Bell in the playoffs.
That said, Kyle Larson was asked for his views during a media availability ahead of the Phoenix finale. The HMS driver revealed being in the dark as he recently deleted X (formerly Twitter) and was unaware of such development. He said (via Frontstretch).
"I recently deleted Twitter a few weeks ago. I've been in the dark honestly. That would have been weird," Larson said of the proposed replacement. "I don't see a reason why I should be in, that'd be a bit odd." (0:50)
The 2021 Cup Series champion is ranked sixth in the standings and could muster up the best possible rank of P5 following the Phoenix race.
Kyle Larson comments on amending the knockout playoff format
The elimination playoff format that removes four drivers from the title fight every third race received significant backlash from the fraternity. One among them is Denny Hamlin who didn't hold back from slamming the playoff system after it resulted in a controversial race weekend at Martinsville.
Christopher Bell attracted a wall ride penalty while Ross Chastain, Austin Dillon, and Bubba Wallace were reprimanded for race manipulation. While Bell was removed from the playoffs, Chastain, Dillon, and Wallace were slapped with a $100,000 fine and docked 50 driver points.
Since the 500-lap battle, talks about amending the format did rounds in the community. Ahead of the 36th Cup Series race weekend, Kyle Larson was asked for his opinion on the system. The HMS driver said (via Frontstrech).
"I think the new stock car could use some tweaking, I don't know what that is. So, I'm sure they're (NASCAR) going to look at it, I'm sure they're going to take advice from everybody in the sport and probably the fans as well. So, I don't know if that change will come next year or when," Kyle Larson said (1:59).
What advice would you suggest to NASCAR concerning the current playoff system?