Kyle Larson delivers verdict on NASCAR change as | Sports News

Fresh off of his preliminary function victory on Day One of the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the place he’s chasing his fourth profession victory within the A-Main Feature, reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Larson gave his ideas on NASCAR’s choice to drop the Playoffs in favor of a return to ‘The Chase.’

NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell made the announcement official on Monday during a press convention attended by Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin, together with present drivers Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, and Chase Briscoe.

Just a month out from the Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500, O’Donnell defined that the primary 26 races of the season would stay the ‘regular season’ and act as qualifiers for the 10-race ‘Chase,’ as was the case from 2004-2013.

However, there have been some changes, with race wins now value 55 factors as an alternative of 40, whereas the “win and you’re in” rule has been dumped, which means pushing for wins and performing persistently can be rewarded over singular standout weekends.

The high 16 drivers on the finish of the common season will then see their factors reset for ‘The Chase,’ with the chief beginning on 2,100, the runner-up on 2,075, third place at 2,065, and each driver from there on down dropping by 5 factors.

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The champion will then be determined by whoever finishes ‘The Chase’ with essentially the most factors, as against who survived the knockout rounds previous to the only championship deciding race, as had been the case with the Playoffs.

While waving farewell to a Playoff format that has seen him win two championships might have been powerful for Hendrick Motorsports star Larson, it appears the 33-year-old is happy for what’s to come back.

“I’d kind of heard rumors of it for at least a month. And yeah, just happy, right?” he instructed Matt Weaver. “I think the old Playoff system, it was exciting, but I think it also ran its course. And I think the style of what we’re at now with the race car that we got, I think it deserved a format change.

“So yeah, I would assume, I haven’t heard everybody’s comments on it, but I would assume anybody who’s a previous contender for a championship with the Playoff format is probably more happy that we have this format, because I feel like your chances of winning a championship are higher for all of us now.

“And it’s really tough to win, to make it to the round of four and then beat three of the guys. So yeah, now it comes down to 10 races. You can have a lot of belief in your team, like I do, and be consistent and hopefully win some races as well.

“It sounds like there’s more points paid to win. So yeah, I mean, wins are still really important. And yeah, just as always, try to just do a good job.”

With 32 profession wins to his identify already, together with two Championships, Larson will now look to grow to be simply the fourth three-time champion, together with Joey Logano, Darrell Waltrip, and Tony Stewart, and the primary ‘Chase’ champion since Jimmie Johnson in 2013. This will all begin in Florida with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 15 – a race that, considerably surprisingly, he has but to win.