NASCAR Cup Series: When will Kyle Larson earn his first win of 2018?

Kyle Larson has been the best NASCAR Cup Series driver without a win by far so far this season. When will he earn his first victory of 2018?

No driver who is not considered one of the “big three” (everyone but Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr.) has led more laps than Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson has so far in the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season. The laps led total of the 26-year-old Elk Grove, California is 737 through 29 races, which ranks fourth among all drivers.

But unlike every other driver whose laps led total ranks in the top nine among all drivers so far this year, the driver of the #42 Chevrolet has not yet won a race in 2018. In several races, this has looked like it would change, but it simply hasn’t yet. When, if it all, will it change?

Larson has led laps in 10 of the season’s 29 races so far. Of these 10 races, he probably should have won five, but for one reason or another, he was unable to do so.

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Larson led 200 laps of the 500-lap April race at Bristol Motor Speedway but finished in second place after Kyle Busch moved him out of the way and took the led with six laps to go. In the 267-lap May race at Kansas Speedway, he started from the back of the pack but led 107 laps. In fact, he won stage two. However, he was involved in a late wreck with Ryan Blaney that ruined his shot at winning. That said, he still bounced back to secure a fourth place finish.

On the final lap of the race at Chicagoland Speedway in July, Larson passed Busch for the race lead after bumping him. Busch responded by sending Larson spinning before going on to win the race. Larson recovered to secure a second place finish.

Larson absolutely dominated the race at Darlington Raceway last month. He led 284 of its 367 laps, but he couldn’t lead lap 367. Brad Keselowski had a better final pit stop than he did during a late caution flag period, which allowed Keselowski to take the lead. Keselowski held on for the win while Larson fell to third place behind Joey Logano.

Larson also dominated the inaugural race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway roval this past Sunday. He led 47 of its 110 laps, but he was involved in a wreck on a late restart that caused him to finish in 25th place and nearly knocked him out of the playoffs.

There is no doubt that Larson has had the speed to win multiple races this season. He could very well be one of the “big four”, especially considering the number of laps that he has led this year and the fact that his laps led total trails only the laps led totals of Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr.

However, Larson is still searching for his first victory since he won the 2017 regular season finale at Richmond Raceway. Will he earn a first trip to victory lane in the 2018 season? If so, at which track will he finally do so?

Larson has recorded at least one podium finish at each of the seven tracks remaining on the schedule except for Talladega Superspeedway, but he has never won at any of them. This pretty much sums up his 2018 season, as he has earned nine top four finishes, eight podium finishes and six second place finishes this year without winning a single race.

The fact is, Larson can win at any track. Don’t expect it to be too much longer before he gets back to victory lane and possibly even goes on a run that could very well end with him winning the 2018 championship.

Do you believe that Kyle Larson will win at least one race before the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season comes to an end? If so, at which track or tracks do you believe he will win? If not, when do you believe he will get back to victory lane?