Overview
- Larson leads the 10-race Chase by 49 points heading into Sunday’s race at Phoenix with four races left in the season.
- Chase Briscoe has momentum after back-to-back wins at Las Vegas and Charlotte but still sits 65 points behind Larson.
- Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell and Briscoe occupy second through fourth and risk taking points from one another when they race for stage wins and victories, JGR president Dave Alpern said.
- Former drivers and insiders including Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. say Phoenix, Talladega and Martinsville are the limited opportunities for challengers to make large swings and that stage points and pit-road execution will be decisive.
- Larson’s recent single-race hauls and steady stage scoring, plus his strong Phoenix record and a 76-point weekend at Kansas, have built a cushion that leaves challengers a short, high-variance path to the Homestead finale.