Kyle Larson believes drivers dial back aggression during NASCAR Cup playoffs 

Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson was recently featured in a media day ahead of the first playoff race, the Cook Out Southern 500, scheduled for this weekend. During the interaction, Larson opened up about how drivers changed their racing strategies during the playoffs.

The playoffs begin from the round of 16 and have three rounds before the Championship Four race. Each round eliminates four drivers from the grid, and this happens till only four drivers are left to compete for the championship trophy in a 312-lap race at Phoenix Raceway.

Last year, Joey Logano won the Championship Four race and secured his third Cup Series championship title. Reflecting on the playoff format, Kyle Larson claimed that drivers become more cautious in the playoffs and, rather than taking any risk, they aim to secure points.

Also, the non-playoff-qualified teams give them more room to compete. He further explained (via FrontStretch Media on YouTube):

"Honestly, in my opinion, I feel like the racing has always calmed down a little bit once you get to the playoffs because everybody's so conscious of, like, finishing and trying to just get the best finish possible that day. Obviously, when you get to the cutoff races and stuff, it may be ramp up a little bit, or teams' pit calls might get a little more desperate, but I feel like it kind of calms down because we're trying to finish." [02:22 onwards]

"Other teams that aren't in the playoffs recognize that we're racing for something, and there's sometimes a little bit more give and take, but it's still ultra-aggressive. I mean, it's Next Gen racing, but I do believe it dials back a little bit," he added.

Kyle Larson is set to compete in the 367-lap race, the Cook Out Southern 500, at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, August 31, 2025. USA, MRN, HBO Max, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90 will broadcast the 501.32-mile race live at 6:00 pm ET.

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Kyle Larson believes he has a lot more to prove before securing the "greatest driver in the world" title

Earlier this year, NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson sat down with Amazon Prime for a pre-race interview. During the interview, Larson revealed he aims to achieve greater heights in his racing career before claiming the "greatest driver in the world" title.

The HMS driver has bagged 32 wins, 130 top-five finishes, 198 top-ten finishes, and 22 pole positions in his Cup Series career. He also secured 17 Xfinity Series races and has 62 top-five finishes in 120 starts. Additionally, Larson tried his luck in the IndyCar Series multiple times.

Despite having a remarkable career in stock car racing, Kyle Larson still aims to achieve more to prove himself worthy of the title and stated:

“Well, I, although the public thinks that I think that, I don’t necessarily think that I’m the greatest in the world. But, no, I’ve heard the accolades and the comments and all that for a long, long time, and being compared to Jeff [Gordon] or Tony [Stewart] or even sometimes Mario [Andretti] and A.J. Foyt, guys like that, and it makes me feel really good."

Kyle Larson currently leads the Cup Series points table with 2032 points to his credit. He has secured three wins, 16 top-ten finishes, 11 top-five finishes, and one pole position in 26 starts this season.