Escaping the dangerous corner that was he in, Kyle Larson booked his Championship 4 ticket on Sunday. Cruising to the victory lane at Las Vegas for his 4th Cup win this season, the Hendrick Motorsports driver made his ambitions clear. His win sent a strong and loud message across the entire grid and it reached the garages of Michael Jordan too.

Approaching the Round of 8 with a sole champion in Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing faces the necessity to perform at its highest order over the next two weeks. But as admitted by one of their own, Rick Hendrick’s No. 5 driver will stand between them and a Championship 4 seat.

23XI Racing insider acknowledges the risk that Kyle Larson poses to his team

Just a little over a week back, Larson and the two drivers of 23XI Racing were on the same pedestal vying for a spot in the Round of 8. But how quickly things have changed. After the latest edition of the South Point 400, Larson has got himself a seat in the Championship 4, while Bubba Wallace is knocked out from the contest and Tyler Reddick faces a tough corner to qualify. Though Larson’s display of skill at Vegas means that he will not have to push hard over the next two races, the crew of 23XI Racing appear to be wary of the damage that he could still cause in their chances.

In the latest edition of the “Door, Bumper, Clear” podcast, the hosts took the mic along with racer Regan Smith to discuss the current crop of drivers and their calibres. Talking about the threat that Larson still is, Bubba Wallace’s spotter Freddie Kraft said, “Honestly Kyle now, it’s almost like it’s more dangerous for us at Homestead. Because he doesn’t care. Like he can just rip the fence now. He might kill us this week just cuz he doesn’t have to worry about stepping over the line.”

In the second race of the third playoff round, drivers including 23XI’s No. 45 Reddick will be fighting for the win. But as echoed by Kraft, the expertise of Larson in Homestead-Miami blended with his now-freely suspended spirit could mean hell for the remaining Championship contenders.

Watch Story: Christopher Bell Had Kyle Larson’s Heart in His Mouth During Lucky Championship 4 Escape

With the Hendrick threat looming, will 23XI Racing see its No. 45 driver find his way to Phoenix?

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Worryingly for the other 7 drivers who are yet to find their names on the list for Phoenix, Larson himself has voiced out that he has complete attention on conquering Homestead-Miami. Talking in the post-race presser, he’d said, “You know, I put a lot of pressure on myself going to Homestead. I want to have a great run there and I want to dominate. Honestly, I want to win both stages by 15 seconds and win the race by 30. So, that’s that’s my goal.” As Rick Hendrick’s No. 5 driver goes for the kill again, his teammate William Byron will not be any less motivated. But where does Tyler Reddick come in this mix?

In his most recent outing at the 1.5-mile intermediate, Reddick faced an accident and did not finish the race. But in the seasons prior, he secured two top-5 finishes. Should he not face any issues with his car like he did at Vegas, the driver might find himself contesting Rick Hendrick’s champions for the win. As always, the fire to contest is present in the 23XI camp. Though he is not in contention, Bubba Wallace had let his intentions known that he too will be looking to end his season on a high. With Jordan’s increasing presence fuelling an unbridled positivity, it is certain that neither the No. 23 nor the No. 45 Camrys will go down without putting up a fight.

Read More: Tyler Reddick’s Painful 6-Word Reality Revealed as He Fails at Becoming Hendrick Motorsports’ Threat