After a strong display in the 2024 Cup series, Kyle Larson saw his season end in painful fashion. The HMS #5 was unstoppable in the regular season, notching up six wins and 17 top-10 finishes. It was in the last round of the playoffs that Larson saw his season go awry. At Martinsville, the story was no different. A strong display after qualifying 9th, pushing up to P1 and leading 71 laps, culminated in a P3 finish. This would be a great day out for Larson on any other occasion except a must-win occasion, which Sunday was.

The intensity of a playoff race at Martinsville Speedway rarely disappoints, and Sunday evening was no exception. In a thrilling battle that left fans on the edge of their seats, Ryan Blaney’s hard-fought win earned him a ticket to the Championship 4. Meanwhile, Kyle Larson, a dominant force all season, had to accept defeat and, in a pleasant surprise, Larson did so with grace.

A battle for the ages

As the laps wound down at Martinsville, Kyle Larson found himself in a fierce three-way tussle with Blaney and Chase Elliott. Larson’s team had stayed out during a late-race caution, trying a strategy that they hoped would hold. Reflecting on the call, Larson acknowledged, “We made the right call for our race and gave ourselves a shot, but the 12 [Blaney] was just super good.” Blaney’s relentless pace, especially in traffic, ultimately proved too much.

With less than 20 laps to go, Ryan Blaney made an aggressive but clean move to get around Larson. Despite being bumped and banged in return, Blaney never backed down. Larson, known for his cool demeanor, had no issues with Blaney’s tactics. “It was fair, super fair,” he said of Blaney’s move, even admitting his own aggressive attempt to fight back: “If anything, it was foul what I did, shoving him back through the other end of the racetrack.”

Larson’s acknowledgment of his opponent’s strength speaks volumes about the sportsmanship that underpins even the most heated on-track rivalries. “Congrats to Ryan. Him and his team are really strong and great at this track,” he said, clearly tipping his hat to Blaney. Larson is not wrong about them being strong on this track as Blaney has a career average of 8.3 at Martinsville! However, Blaney did qualify from way under the cut-line as he bounced back from a topsy-turvy regular season. Meanwhile, Larson reflected on a consistent regular season with some disappointing playoff races.

Reflecting on a season of ups and downs

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Despite having double the wins of most of his competitors this season, Kyle Larson‘s campaign has been a rollercoaster ride. “We had 20 more bonus points than the next guy to start this round,” he pointed out, emphasizing the heights his team has achieved.

Yet, when asked about the playoff format, Larson didn’t blame the system. “The wins do benefit you a lot. We won a lot of stages… You just can’t have two bad races in the Round of Eight,” he stated, showing an understanding of how razor-thin the margin for error can be at this stage of the competition. In the round of 8, Larson finished 11th at Las Vegas and 13th at Homestead after qualifying 5th and 2nd, respectively, on those tracks. It didn’t help that both of those races were won by playoff drivers who secured their spot at Phoenix while Larson rued missed opportunities.

The disappointment was palpable, but Larson’s focus was already shifting to the future. “Proud of the team’s fight,” he said, clearly already thinking about how they can improve for next year. While he won’t be competing for the championship in Phoenix, his surprising grace in defeat and acknowledgment of Blaney’s effort is a resounding nod to the respect that exists among NASCAR’s elite drivers.

Larson might not be racing for glory at Phoenix, but he certainly will have his pride on the line after such a stellar season. Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Ryan Blaney as he attempts to make history. The Penske driver is attempting back-to-back titles and would be the first person to do it since the new playoff format was introduced in 2014. Do you think Ryan Blaney will go back-to-back?