Racing: 2017 is the year the future became the present

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JULY 22: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images) /

NASCAR – Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson, 25, drives for Chip Ganassi Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. He drives the #42 Chevrolet, and he has done so since the 2014 season. However, it took until this season for him to really get going to illustrate the fact that the future has become the present.

In his rookie season in 2014, Larson failed to qualify for the Chase, finishing in 17th in the final championship standings. The following season, he once again failed to qualify for the Chase, and he actually finished lower than he did in 2014, finishing in 19th in the final standings.

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Last season, we finally got a glimpse of Larson’s true potential and why many consider him the future of NASCAR. He won his first career race late in the season at Michigan and ended up qualifying for the Chase. He failed to advance to the Round of 12, the second round, in the Chase, but he ended up finishing in 9th place in the final standings thanks to his points total.

This season is the season that the future has finally become the present. Larson opened up the 2017 campaign by leading late at the Daytona 500, proving he can be a regular race contender. While he only managed a 12th place finish at the race, he ended up reeling off four straight top 2 finishes after that, including his second career victory at Fontana.

Larson was the leader of the Cup Series standings for a while, but he now sits in 3rd place, which is still superb for a fourth-year, 25-year-old driver. He has three victories through 25 races so far this season with the win at Fontana and two victories in the two races at Michigan. To go along with those three wins, he has seven 2nd place finishes, meaning he has finished in the top 2 in 40% of this season’s races (10 of 25).

As one of three drivers with three or more victories so far this season, Larson will enter the playoffs as one of the favorites to get the job done and win this season’s championship. And he’s only 25 years old.

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