Christopher Bell is lurking in third place only 55 points back heading to one of his favorite tracks, while Joey Logano (71 points behind), Ryan Blaney (80) and last week’s winner at Las Vegas Chase Briscoe (84) are all within 100 points of the lead with five of 10 playoff races remaining.
As for his team’s uptick in production, Larson said his Hendrick Motorsports team has taken the things it learned from the regular season and applied them to the playoffs. He added the team is peaking at the right time.
“It’s been amazing,” Larson said. “I definitely didn’t think we would start off the Chase like this. … It was tough to stay motivated and I didn’t think we would get to this point back in the summer. But you can never count out Hendrick Motorsports.”
The turnaround of the No. 5 team hasn’t surprised Logano one bit.
“You’re talking about Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports,” Logano said. “These guys have won championships before, and when you have a bit of a slump, it’s not like they forgot how to do it. It’s just they are trying to catch back up, and now somebody (in their organization) has found something to make them go faster.”
Practice, qualifying rained out; that doesn’t sit well with Bell
Rain washed out practice and qualifying on Saturday, which means Larson will start on pole based off the metrics now used by NASCAR. Briscoe will start alongside Larson, followed by Tyler Reddick and Blaney on the second row.
The metrics were not kind to Bell. He will start 17th despite being third in the playoff hunt.
Bell was outspoken Saturday about the situation, saying that while he doesn’t have any issues with the new metrics, he does feel racing’s governing body should do everything it can to have qualifying — even it if means doing so on Sunday morning before the race.
Charlotte is the fourth playoff race — and the ninth overall this season — in which weather wiped out qualifying.
“I just think we should be practicing and we should be qualifying,” Bell said. “We’re the top level of auto racing in America, and you’re not going to see the other forms of racing line the racers up without qualifying. I just think we need to qualify.”
Hamlin trying to shake off disappointing finish at Las Vegas
Hamlin is trying to put a disastrous 16th-place finish last week behind him and regroup at his home track.
Hamlin spun out at Las Vegas and then had a misplay in which he pitted rather than staying out and trapping Larson a lap down. Once back on the lead lap, Larson was able to navigate his way up through the field to finish second, extending his series lead.
Hamlin said on his “Actions Detrimental” podcast earlier this week that he and his team took their eyes off the ball for just a second — and it cost them.
“Had I known that Larson was a lap down and he would have got his lap back by me pitting, I would have never turned down pit road,” Hamlin said. “I don’t care what the crew chief says. I would have never turned down pit road. I think if you had time to think about it and all the things, I think there’s no question that we do something different next time around.”
Hamlin said he has completely disengaged from the public this week, something he frequently does following a tough race when he feels like he needs to regroup.
After Charlotte, the Cup series heads to Phoenix, Talladega, and Martinsville, before the season finale Nov. 8 at Homestead-Miami.