NASCAR: How Watkins Glen may have shaken up the playoffs
By Asher Fair
In itself, Kyle Larson winning didn’t change much, but the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs still may have gotten a crucial shake-up at Watkins Glen International.
For the first time since his three-race NASCAR Cup Series winning streak back in May/June, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson found victory lane on Sunday afternoon at Watkins Glen International, holding off teammate and two-time reigning race winner Chase Elliott to win the Go Bowling at The Glen.
The win was Larson’s series-high fifth of the season, and it allowed him to add to his series-high playoff point total, which now sits at 37.
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While Larson winning didn’t directly change much as far as the playoff picture is concerned, considering the fact that his win didn’t add a new winner to a list that already contains 13 different drivers, the fact that he was already the winningest driver of the year, and the fact that he already had a comfortable lead in playoff points, it still had a subtle effect that could shake things up.
Why? Because Larson is now tied with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin for the lead of the point standings.
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Hamlin had sat atop the standings alone for 21 consecutive races — after every race in the 2021 season except for the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway — and even led by triple digits over second place at one point.
Because Hamlin has not yet won a race and Larson has now won five, Larson is officially classified as the leader and therefore gets the automatic regular season champion playoff berth, even though he would be in anyway with five wins.
Meanwhile, Hamlin is no longer in the position where he would be guaranteed a playoff berth as a winless driver, and with three races remaining in the regular season, this could make things very interesting.
With 13 different winners already, three more new winners — a scenario that is by no means out of the question, given what tracks remain on the schedule — other than Hamlin would knock Hamlin out of the playoffs if he is unable to retake sole position of first place in the point standings.
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The three tracks remaining on the regular season schedule include the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, Michigan International Speedway and Daytona International Speedway. These tracks are scheduled to host races on Sunday, August 15; Sunday, August 22; and Saturday, August 28.