With a 67-point lead over his nearest rival, Kyle Larson has his sights firmly set on the almost inevitable: his third Cup Series title this weekend. Having clinched multiple championships during the Playoff era, and with the odds undeniably in his favor heading into Sunday, Larson seems to be taking no stress from his rivals whatsoever.
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“If I get top three in stage one, it’s locked up, or if I score whatever amount of points, you can win. So, being plus 67, I would say there is less pressure than I’ve felt going into the Final Four. But as I had more opportunities in those Final Fours, I felt less and less pressure, almost to the point of none,” said Larson in a SiriusXM NASCAR Radio interview, a clip of which was posted on X.
The playoffs era last season saw Larson steal a championship away from, you guessed it, Denny Hamlin, in dramatic fashion. Hamlin led most of the race in Phoenix. But a late caution and a subsequent two-tire stop for Larson gave him track position over Hamlin with a four-tire strategy.
As the green flag dropped, Larson never looked back, while Hamlin could not close the gap to his rival, losing out on his elusive championship. Coming from such a high-stakes postseason format to one that values consistency more this year with the Chase, Larson seems to have relaxed further.
“By the time you get in the car, because you just had gotten to the point of, like, it’s gonna be tough to beat these guys, so, you know, whatever happens, happens. It wasn’t anything I was nervous about at that point,” added Larson, looking back on the previous format.
Kyle Larson’s closest challengers, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin, sit 67 and 70 points behind him, respectively. Bell and Hamlin will have to win the race and score 14 and 17 stage points, respectively, to match Larson’s current points haul, and that is if he scores none on Sunday.
“I think if the points were closer, I would feel more nervous, because it’s a different format. But yeah, it’s been good. We put in a lot of work to get to this point, so just trying to enjoy it all,” summed up the two-time champ.
The dynamic inside a driver’s head heading into an almost sure-shot title clinch this weekend is certainly interesting. For Bell and Hamlin, it could be the same as well.
Both JGR drivers will go to Homestead-Miami Speedway with nothing to lose. This allows them to drive free of any pressure as well, as all they can do to tip the scales in their favor is go as fast as possible.
If they manage an almost perfect points day with a race win and stage sweep on Sunday, all they can hope for next is that Larson falters. Anything other than that is out of their control, and that itself is a situation that relieves you of pressure, despite the fact that Bell and Hamlin did not choose to be in that position.
For us fans, NASCAR’s return to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the 2026 finale weekend is a win in itself. And if the buildup is anything to go by, the culmination on Sunday will not disappoint either.