Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Chevrolet team head into the Charlotte Roval weekend third in Playoff standings, 54 markers above the cut line. This is the final event in the Round of 12 that will eliminate four NASCAR Cup Series drivers from Playoff contention.
The two-time Roval winner said now is the time to take risks.
Larson Talks Rounds Strategy
Larson and his Hendrick Motorsports team know what it takes to race their way through the rounds and remain in Playoff contention. They have made into the Round of 8 that past five years and into the Final 4 three of those seasons.
In 2021, the took it all to earns Larson’s first, and only, championship.https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2021/11/07/kyle-larson-caps-dominant-season-with-cup-series-championship/
“As you get into the next round, it’s time to turn the intensity up and take a little bit more risk,” Larson said on Saturday. “I feel like our team has quietly been getting better for a while now. I feel like each week, we’re continuing to get better.
“It’s exciting going to the track and it’s just an exciting time of year right now. It’s fun and hopefully we can keep elevating and be where we need to be come Martinsville.
“This round has gone pretty well. I feel like both of the races have been pretty similar. Really, a few of the races have been similar where we’ve gotten a lot of stage points and then didn’t finish as high as we had run in the first two stages.
“But, I feel like our speed has gotten better and I feel like we’re executing well.”
In 2021 and last season, Larson and team executed well enough to take the victory and seal their fate into the Round of 8.
Take Risks Carefully
After the Roval, the NCS heads to the unpredictable Talladega Superspeedway. While a driver’s fate could depend upon a fellow competitor’s actions, Larson knows the risk vs. reward has to be done carefully.
“I say risk taking, but you’re still calculating risk more,” he shared. “I feel like the first round, especially in our position and the playoff points we had, it’s like, just don’t take yourself out of it.
“Then, as you get to the Round of Eight, I just feel like you’ve only got one more step to get to race for a championship. Obviously, you don’t want to take too much risk and take yourself out of things, but you also don’t want to be too easy and feel like you give up a spot or two each stage.
“Or if you have an opportunity for a win, I think it’s good to go for it.”
HMS Teammate Knows How to Roval
The only other two-time Roval winning trophies belong to Larson’s HMS teammate, Chase Elliott. He already punched his ticket into the Round of 8 via last week’s thrilling victory at Kansas Speedway.
Elliott and the No. 9 Chevrolet HMS team won back-to-back Roval races, doing so in 2019 and 2020.
“I think from my perspective behind the wheel, I’m still going to try and go and extract as much pace from the car as I can like I would have done anyway,” Elliott said on Saturday. “But, yeah, just nice to not have to worry about that side of the fence, it’s such a nice thing when you come to these places, assuming you have good pace.
“We’ve been coming here for a number of years now and I’ve said, really from the get-go, it’s a place that it doesn’t have a lot of flow to it. It’s a really choppy road course and it’s kind of a makeshift road course, and it is.
“In a lot of ways, you know, having a rhythm and a flow is a really important piece of road racing, at least it is for me, and this is one of those places where it just doesn’t really come naturally. You kind of have to find that and create that and it’s hard to do. And I’ve had trips where I’ve been able to do that, and I’ve also had trips that I haven’t and it’s a challenge.”
The Roval race is scheduled for 109 races and can be seen on USA TV, heard on NASCAR Radio Network and Sirius XM Radio Ch. 90 Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
Kyle Larson Said its Time to Take Risks