The math for the NASCAR Cup Series championship is getting scary for anyone not driving the No. 22 car. Kyle Larson is sitting on a massive lead, and the chasing pack is looking at some pretty tough numbers. If you want to take down the leader, you can’t just drive a good race. You have to find the winner’s circle.
The stats at Phoenix Raceway show just how hard this task will be. According to the Marietta Daily Journal, Larson has a great record at this track, with an average finish of 10.0 over 24 starts. While he hasn’t won as much as some others, he is incredibly consistent. He has finished in the top four in six of his last seven races at this one-mile desert track.
The competition has the wins, but they lack the cushion. Per the Marietta Daily Journal, drivers like Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, and Ryan Blaney all have more victories at Phoenix than Larson does. Logano actually leads the pack at this track with four wins. However, Logano is currently 92 points behind Larson in the standings.
The Briscoe Path to the Title
Chase Briscoe is the one making the most noise right now. He has moved up to fourth in the standings, trailing the leader by 65 points. He is riding a wave of momentum after two straight wins. But he can’t coast on recent success. He needs to keep finding Victory Lane to bridge that gap.
The pressure is on for the No. 19 Toyota driver. Briscoe is looking for a third straight win this Sunday. He is chasing a level of dominance that few can match. As the Marietta Daily Journal noted, “Winning isn’t everything — it’s the only thing.” In this playoff format, that is the absolute truth. You need those big points from wins to stay alive.
I don’t think Briscoe is backing down. He is clearly hungry for more trophies. Briscoe said, “I feel great about all the tracks we’re going to.” He knows the mountain is steep, but he is climbing it anyway. He is also looking ahead to Homestead, a track where he said, “Homestead is a place I feel really good about. Just going to have to go perform the next four weeks.”
No Room for Error in the Chase
The window for these drivers is slamming shut. To catch Larson, a driver has to win multiple times in the final four races. It is a tall order. You can’t just wait for Larson to have a bad day or run into trouble. You have to take the trophy for yourself.
Some fans are frustrated with the sport right now. A fan on X told Yahoo Sports, “The car sucks. No format can help that.” There is also a lot of talk about the TV experience. One fan on X told Yahoo Sports, “Pretty sure it has a lot more to do with the Networks airing it then anything. I personally don’t care for the 1hr of ads during a 3hr race.”
The racing needs to be the star. If the drivers can’t find the winner’s circle, the points won’t matter. Briscoe is already proving he can do it. He won the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 11, 2026.