Kyle Larson NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas
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In a performance industry where the best drivers and automotive minds alike seek whatever advantage they can, the competitive balance of NASCAR can vary greatly from year to year. Some seasons are dominated by a single driver or a select group of drivers, while others feature a more level playing field and see the gates to Victory Lane swung wide open for any and all in the field.

In the NASCAR Cup Series, the 2021 regular season fell into the latter category. From the time the season began with an upset victory in the Daytona 500, the Cup Series has seen an exceptional level of parity, with a total of 16 different drivers having visited Victory Lane. Kyle Larson, the dominant driver of the season, won nine in an emphatic comeback year after being suspended for most of the 2020 season. He was challenged throughout the year by Denny Hamlin, who went mano y mano with Larson for the regular season championship before finally earning two wins in the playoffs. Defending Cup Series champion Chase Elliott has won twice, and 2017 champion Martin Truex Jr. has won four times.

These four drivers have made the Championship 4 of the NASCAR playoffs, and they will now compete in a match race to determine the 2021 champion. The rules are simple: Whichever one of the Championship 4 drivers is the highest finisher in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway will win the Cup Series title. Although points played a major part in each driver reaching the Championship 4, they will not be a consideration in the season finale.

The NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Phoenix can be streamed on fuboTV (try for free)

NASCAR Cup Series playoffs standings (Championship 4)

#5 - Kyle Larson
#9 - Chase Elliott
#11 - Denny Hamlin
#19 - Martin Truex Jr.

NASCAR Cup Series playoffs Schedule

Round of 16

  • Sunday, September 5: Cook-Out Southern 500 - Darlington Raceway - Winner: Denny Hamlin
  • Saturday, September 11: Salute to American Heroes 400 - Richmond Raceway - Winner: Martin Truex Jr.
  • Saturday, September 18: Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race - Bristol Motor Speedway - Winner: Kyle Larson

Round of 12

  • Sunday, September 26: South Point 400 - Las Vegas Motor Speedway - Winner: Denny Hamlin
  • Sunday, October 3: YellaWood 500 - Talladega Superspeedway - Winner: Bubba Wallace
  • Sunday, October 10: Bank of America ROVAL 400 - Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval - Winner: Kyle Larson

Round of 8

  • Sunday, October 17: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 - Texas Motor Speedway - Winner: Kyle Larson
  • Sunday, October 24: Hollywood Casino 400 - Kansas Speedway - Winner: Kyle Larson
  • Sunday, October 31: Xfinity 500 - Martinsville Speedway - Winner: Alex Bowman

Championship Race

  • Sunday, November 7: Season Finale 500 - Phoenix Raceway | 3 p.m. ET | TV: NBC