NASCAR: Kyle Larson on the verge of ending a 65-year drought
By Asher Fair
The last time the Formula 1, IndyCar, and NASCAR Cup Series champions all won the title in a previous year together was 1957.
On Sunday afternoon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson became the first driver to clinch a spot in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway.
No matter what happens in the two remaining round of 8 races at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Martinsville Speedway, he is locked into the winner-take-all season finale.
The remaining three Championship 4 drivers are set to be determined in these two races.
Larson is now the betting favorite to win this year’s Cup Series championship at FanDuel Sportsbook, which is giving fans a guaranteed $200 just for betting $5.
Listed close behind Larson are Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, two of the other three drivers above the cut line heading into the second round of 8 race at Homestead.
Should Kyle Larson win the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship, he would bring an end to a 65-year drought.
While this one may be filed under “useless statistics nobody ever talks about” by some, it may be perceived as significant by others.
Alex Palou won this year’s IndyCar championship, becoming the first driver to clinch the title before the season finale since 2005, and Max Verstappen secured this year’s Formula 1 world title with a record-tying six races remaining on the schedule.
So if Larson wins the Cup Series title, the champions in these three series will be the same as they were in 2021.
Not since 1957 have the champions in these three series all been the same champions from a prior year. It has never happened with more than a year in between.
In 1957, Juan Manuel Fangio won the Formula 1 world championship, Buck Baker won the Cup Series title, and Jimmy Bryan won the USAC Championship Car (IndyCar) title. All three won their respective titles in 1956 as well.
Can anybody stop Larson from bringing an end to this 65-year streak, or will the 2023 season end up producing the same three champions as the 2021 season did?
Next. All-time NASCAR Cup Series wins list. dark
The NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 is scheduled to take place on Sunday, November 5 at Phoenix Raceway, with live coverage set to begin on NBC at 3:00 p.m. ET. Start a free trial of FuboTV today and don’t miss any of this year’s remaining Cup Series playoff action!