Tyler Reddick, Kyle Larson, and Chase Elliott are in a tight race for the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season championship, with just one race left in the season. NASCAR analysts Jordan Bianchi and Jeff Gluck from *The Athletic* discussed the strengths of these three drivers and evaluated who has the best shot at clinching the title.
On *The Teardown* podcast, Bianchi highlighted Reddick’s strong performance earlier this year at Darlington, where he led 174 laps in the spring race. Bianchi emphasized that Reddick’s team has consistently demonstrated speed throughout the summer, executing well in races, minimizing mistakes, and excelling in qualifying, which is crucial at Darlington. Bianchi suggested that these factors might make Reddick the favorite heading into the final race of the regular season at Darlington.
This weekend, the NASCAR drivers will compete in the Southern 500 at Darlington, which serves as the last race of the regular season. Gluck noted that both Larson and Elliott face significant challenges if they hope to overtake Reddick in the standings. Gluck pointed out that even if Reddick doesn’t win the race but finishes in the top five, it would still be difficult for Larson, who is also strong at Darlington, to close a 17-point gap. The difficulty lies in Reddick’s ability to accumulate stage points and finish well, making it tough for competitors to surpass him. Gluck also mentioned that both Reddick and Larson are exceptional at Darlington, making it likely that the battle for the championship could come down to those two drivers. Meanwhile, Elliott faces an uphill battle to outperform both Reddick and Larson to the extent needed to take the title.
