Maggie Mackenzie · MotorBiscuit Thu, November 5, 2026 at 10:15 PM UTC · 3 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kyle Larson isn't just leading the NASCAR Cup Series championship race. He's outperforming the rest of the Chase field by a margin that's difficult to ignore.
With Sunday's championship finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway approaching, new statistics reveal just how dramatically the Hendrick Motorsports driver has elevated his performance when it matters most.
Larson has gone from averaging fewer than 28 points per race during the regular season to more than 47 during the Chase. No other driver has come close to matching that improvement.
And while Larson has found another gear, several of his biggest rivals, including Denny Hamlin, have gone in the opposite direction.
According to statistics shared by NASCAR Insights , Larson averaged 27.8 points per race across the 26-race regular season. Through nine Chase races, that figure has skyrocketed to 47.1.
That's a staggering improvement of 19.3 points per race, nearly double the increase of any other driver in the 16-driver field.
Christopher Bell has made the next-biggest jump, improving from 29.2 points per race during the regular season to 39.1 in the Chase, a 10-point increase when rounded.
Joey Logano has also stepped up considerably, climbing from 27.3 to 36.8 points per race. Chase Briscoe, meanwhile, has improved from 29.3 to 36.7.
But Larson's numbers stand apart for another reason.
His 47.1-point average is eight points higher than Bell's 39.1, giving him a substantial advantage over the next-best driver in the Chase.
Consider where Larson started. During the regular season, Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs, Briscoe and Bell all averaged more points per race than the No. 5 driver.
Nine Chase races later, Larson has surpassed every one of them.
Larson's surge looks even more impressive when compared with Hamlin's performance.
The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran was the most productive points scorer among Chase drivers during the regular season, averaging 39.5 points per race.
Since the Chase began, that number has dropped to 33.2, a decline of 6.3 points per race.
Blaney has fallen from 36.1 to 29.0 points per race, while Gibbs has dropped from 34.3 to 27.7. Reddick's average has also slipped, declining from 34.4 to 31.0.
Even Chase Elliott has experienced a modest downturn, going from 27.8 points per race to 25.3.
Those numbers don't necessarily tell the entire story of each driver's Chase. Mechanical problems, crashes and individual race circumstances can dramatically affect points production.
Still, the contrast is striking. While some of NASCAR's strongest regular-season performers have struggled to sustain their pace, Larson has produced his best stretch of the year.
It's important to distinguish points per race from average finishing position. These figures account for points earned throughout an event, including stage points, rather than simply where a driver takes the checkered flag.
That makes Larson's improvement particularly noteworthy. His numbers reflect consistent points production across nine races, not merely one or two standout finishes.
Of course, none of that guarantees a championship.
Homestead presents its own challenges, and one mistake on pit road, an untimely caution or a late-race incident could change everything.
But heading into the biggest race of the season, Larson has already demonstrated something his rivals haven't been able to match.
He's getting substantially more out of his races now than he did during the regular season.
And with one race remaining, that's exactly the kind of momentum a championship contender wants.
Source: Sports
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