The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season hasn’t gone exactly according to plan for Kyle Larson and the #5 team. If we were to make a bet on one driver who would make it to the Championship 4 race, Larson was an easy pick. However, last Sunday’s race at Martinsville proved to be a huge upset for the fans of the #5 team as their favorite driver came seven points shy of reaching the final race.

Banking on points hasn’t always fared well for the drivers, and Kyle Larson, despite having the cushion of bonus points, couldn’t withstand the elimination. The Las Vegas race didn’t turn out as he hoped; at Homestead, he was the architect of his downfall, trying to race Blaney for the lead. And at Martinsville, he just wasn’t good enough against Chase Elliott and Blaney.

While these are the immediate reasons or instances one can recall that saw Larson falling short of his target, the real reason might be his failed Indy 500 debut. This is what Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, also believed was the reason behind Larson’s elimination from the playoffs.

Did Larson’s ambitious plans derail his championship run?

Every single point matters in the playoffs. However, in Larson’s case, he just might have left a good chunk of them when he decided to ditch the Coca-Cola 600 race and opt for the Indy 500. Larson was in a dilemma after the weather played spoilsport, delaying the start of his debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But, in a bid to have his dream run, he chose to stay and was willing to ditch the start of the historic NASCAR race.

He did return to take command of his #5 Chevy as rains paused the racing action in Charlotte. But, much to his dismay, the race was deemed official due to unfavorable racing conditions. Not only did he land in trouble with NASCAR to get a waiver, but he also lost out on crucial points. Had he made it to Charlotte in time, scenes would’ve been different at Martinsville.

Sharing his take on Larson’s bitter end to his title chase, Freddie Kraft said this on the Door Bumper Clear podcast. “Kyle Larson misses the final 4 because of the Indy 500. He missed by seven points. And you don’t think he’s not gonna get any stage points in that race. You know he’s missing the race. We talked about it not coming to bite him, but that’s essentially the difference, in my opinion.”

Interestingly, it wasn’t just Kyle Larson, but none of the consistently performing drivers throughout the 2024 season made it to the final 4. Perhaps it is time for NASCAR to look into its ingenious design that is often trashed and criticized. After all, a format that eliminates the best-performing athletes isn’t advocating merit or skill. But, despite all the backlash and constructive feedback, NASCAR is likely to continue with this plan.

The playoffs aren’t going anywhere

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One win and you’re in is essentially the mantra of any non-performing race car driver in the Cup Series. You saw the likes of Harrison Burton and Chase Briscoe make it to the playoffs thanks to this format. But again, they just weren’t cut out to compete against the best drivers in the knockout stages. As the Round of 8 came around after the chaos of the superspeedway and road course, it looked like the big hitters would have their way. But again, the playoffs got the better of the consistently performing drivers.

Kyle Larson had the most number of wins (6) and has led more laps than anyone in 2024. Christopher Bell had the most consistent streak of top 5 runs among the playoff drivers. All it took was one bad race and a questionable call from NASCAR officials that ended his title hopes. Heck, a case can be made for Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin. It feels like NASCAR themselves aren’t allowing their star drivers to be at the forefront, all thanks to their current format.

While the fans singled out this concern after the controversy-laden race, NASCAR’s stance about the playoffs didn’t change. “Thought our competitors, the playoff system, I would say, has delivered. I mean, it puts these guys on ten-tenths, and they got to bring their A-game every week. So I think from a fan and watching today you saw everything you want to see.” Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, said after the race.

This year certainly has been full of big upsets, and who knows this weekend, we just might see this trend repeat itself at Phoenix Raceway.