Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Larson’s breakthrough win gets handicappers’ attention
New respect reflected in lower odds
Kyle Larson claimed his first career Sprint Cup victory four weeks ago at Michigan, and the 24-year-old from Elk Grove, California, looks like he wants another one based on his dominating practices at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
He posted the fastest speeds in all three sessions and will start sixth in Sunday’s New England 300.
Larson has shown speeds similar to this weekend since his rookie campaign in 2014, but the big difference now in the eyes of Las Vegas bookmakers is that he’s got a win under his belt. He has respect and it reflects in his odds, where he used to be 20-to-1 weekly before the win but now is 10-to-1 and viewed among NASCAR’s small group of elite drivers.
In the July 17 race at New Hampshire, Larson finished 17th but showed during his rookie campaign of 2014 that if given a solid car he could produce results. He was third in his first start there and runner-up in the fall. He’s never had a car this fast at New Hampshire, though. His stellar practices Friday and Saturday were his best of the season at any track.
He is the top candidate Sunday to derail the Joe Gibbs Racing express which has won the past three races and 14 of 27 this season. The last Chevrolet to win on the flat 1-mile New Hampshire layout was nine races ago with Kasey Kahne in the Rating, Driver 1. Carl Edwards
2. Kyle Larson 3. Kevin Harvick 4. Kyle Busch 5. Matt Kenseth 6. Denny Hamlin 7. Martin Truex Jr. 8. Chase Elliott Joey Logano 10. Jimmie Johnson Odds Practice 1 Qualified Practice 2 Practice 3 summer of 2012
JUST HOW GOOD IS GIBBS?
Westgate Las Vegas has all five of the Gibbs-equipped cars of 7-1 or less if that gives any insight to how good this team is.
They’ve won the past three races on these type of tracks: Carl Edwards at Richmond in April, Matt Kenseth at New Hampshire and Denny Hamlin at Richmond two weeks ago. They’ve also won the past three at New Hampshire: Kenseth won the last two and Las Vegas native Kyle Busch won the summer race last year. Hamlin also won in 2012 and Kenseth in 2013 giving Gibbs a win in five of the past eight New Hampshire races.
FREAKY FAST CHASSIS
Harvick had the second-fastest 10-consecutive lap average at the final practice and is a driver to consider based on his chassis alone. All this chassis does is finish strong no matter the track. Seven of its nine career starts from 2015 and 2016 have been fourth or better, which includes runner-up three times and two Phoenix wins.
Harvick already was listed as one of the favorites (6-1) on the basis of doing well on these type of tracks before the team news release Thursday detailing the chassis dominance. His only New Hampshire win came in 2006 and he’s finished fourth or better in three of his past four starts there. After finishing 20th last week at Chicago, he sits 13th out of 16 drivers in points after one Chase race. This chassis should give the team extreme confidence to pull in at least a top-five finish.