Kyle Larson is one of the shock eliminations from the NASCAR playoffs after a chaotic final race of the Round of 8 in Martinsville.
Despite having the most wins, stage wins, and led the most laps of any driver this year, the American driver will not compete as part of the Championship 4 in the season finale.
He joined Christopher Bell – another surprise who failed to make it after a late controversial penalty for riding the wall on the last lap.
Incredibly, Larson looked guaranteed to make the cut just a few weeks ago but struggled to deliver consistent performances in his Hendrick Motorsports car of late.
Kyle Larson admits he ‘didn’t have enough’ in NASCAR playoffs
A third-place finish on Sunday left him sixth in the standings, a long way from making the final four in Phoenix.
A win would have seen him progress from Martinsville, but his pace over the last stint of the race was too poor for him to contend.
Speaking to NBC Sports after the event, he revealed just how difficult things had been recently for the #5 team.
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“I’m proud of the effort from this No. 5 Chevy team,” said Larson. “This whole Round of 8 has been a fight, really. From the first stage at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) on, it’s been a fight.
“I feel like we made the right pit call to give ourselves the best opportunity. I’m proud of my team, the car, the pit crew, everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. We just didn’t have enough.
“I actually thought that when Chase (Elliott) got to second, I thought he was going to drive right to me and pass me easily. I was surprised I held on as long as I did, so it gave me hope. But then we just fell off the last 30 laps or so.”
What will Larson do in the finale?
The Championship Race in Phoenix this Sunday represents an opportunity for Larson to have a bit of risk-free fun.
He has little to lose and could finish one place higher in fifth for the season if he can outscore Joe Gibbs Racing rival Bell by 24 points.
But he will be hunting a victory, and won’t necessarily be too bothered by the chaos of the championship decider around him.
The statistics he put up this season were mesmerising, so 2025 should be his redemption year if he can get anywhere near repeating his form.
It may take a while for the pain and frustration of 2024 to go away, but when it does, his rivals should watch out – because he’s one talented driver.