Kyle Larson’s “worst track” will decide the 2022 Championship 4 lineup

Kyle Larson’s “worst track” will decide the 2022 Championship 4 lineup

Kyle Larson

NASCAR cup teams will visit the Martinsville Speedway this weekend for the Round of 8 cut-off race. The race will determine the championship four lineup for the Phoenix season finale. Team Penske racer Joey Logano is the only driver to secure a finale spot. There are three spots left for taking.

For defending champions Hendrick Motorsport, its championship dreams ride on two drivers. Regular season champions Chase Elliott and William Byron will fight it out at the track for the finale ticket. Both drivers are currently above the cut-off.

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Though he is out of contention for the driver’s championship, 2021 cup winner Kyle Larson has a chance to bring a consecutive title to HMS. He leads the battle for the owner’s title and is a couple of good runs away from securing it. He has the Martinsville track next to survive. It’s one of Larson’s worst tracks.

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While mentioning his August test at the track and its benefits, in his latest media interaction, Kyle Larson pointed Martinsville is his worst track. He said,  “It’s always good when you can get track time and work on your car. Martinsville (Speedway) is my worst race track – I just don’t have a good feel for it,”.  

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Kyle Larson reveals why he is poor at Martinsville, and his crew chief is optimistic about the No:5’s chances

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Kyle Larson with his crew chief Cliff Daniels

Kyle Larson pointed out that the speed in the middle of the corners in Martinsville is slow compared to his early race experiences. Larson is someone who loves to roll a corner as fast as possible. But, in Martinsville, the driver who is the slowest on the corner usually has the fastest lap.

“For me and the type of racing I did growing up, the speed in the middle of the corner at Martinsville is so slow. I am used to trying to roll a corner as fast as possible in a sprint car or a midget or even now a dirt late model. That’s not the case at Martinsville. Usually, the driver going the slowest in the corner turns the quick laps,” Kyle Larson said.

Kyle Larson’s crew chief, Cliff Daniels, said Martinsville is a unique beast. Unlike Larson, Daniels always enjoyed racing there. He said, “Martinsville (Speedway) is certainly its own beast and a unique track. I grew up a couple of hours away from it, and I love the track. I’ve raced there (as a driver) in a late model, and I’ve always enjoyed going there with a Cup (Series) car,”.

Cliff Daniels said he saw some good runs from Kyle Larson in the Martinsville August test. He is confident on the No:5 team though Larson isn’t. He said, “We had a good test (in August). Kyle says he doesn’t have a lot of confidence in himself at Martinsville, but we’ve run really well with him, and I have seen a lot of good things from him there. I’m cautiously optimistic about this weekend. It should be fun and exciting,”.

Do you think Kyle Larson has a shot at a win in Martinsville?

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