Kyle Larson Just Changed the Championship Fight at Gateway
Oh, my.
Kyle Larson is back in Victory Lane.
After 51 races without a Cup Series victory, Larson finally snapped the drought Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway.
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And he could not have picked a better time.
Larson won the second race of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs at Gateway. Suddenly, the championship picture looks very different.
The No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet is officially dangerous again.
Fifty-One Races Later
Think about that number.
Fifty-one races.
For one of NASCAR’s most talented drivers, the drought felt almost impossible.
Larson had continued running near the front throughout the season.
He just could not finish the job.
That changed at Gateway.
Larson put together the kind of race championship contenders dream about.
He managed the car.
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He survived the chaos.
Then he delivered when it mattered most.
After 51 races, Larson finally got his trophy.
And Now He Is Second
Here is where things get really interesting.
Larson entered Gateway needing a strong playoff performance.
He got much more than that.
The victory catapulted Larson to second in the playoff standings.
Just like that, the driver who spent most of the year searching for his next win sits near the top of the championship board.
That is a terrifying thought for everyone else.
Larson does not need to prove he can win playoff races.
He has been doing that for years.
Now he has momentum.
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The Timing Could Not Be Better
This is race two of the playoffs.
There is still a long way to go.
But momentum matters enormously in NASCAR.
Larson just found his.
The 2021 Cup champion has already shown he can dominate the biggest races on the schedule.
Now he enters the heart of the playoffs with a victory, confidence and championship position.
That combination is dangerous.
Very dangerous.
The 51-race drought is finally over.
And somehow, the bigger story might be what comes next.
Because Kyle Larson just reminded the entire playoff field that he is still Kyle Larson.
Oh, my indeed.
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