NASCAR on NBC podcast

Phoenix: The greatness of Kyle Larson and his 2021 Cup Series championship; Jeff Burton mulls if Larson is the world's best driver

Episode Summary

NASCAR on NBC analyst Jeff Burton on whether Kyle Larson is the world's best driver; why Championship 4 teams didn't focus more on qualifying and pit selection when it decided the race; the decision by Rick Hendrick to allow so much dirt racing; the "culture shock" of Next Gen and what's ahead in 2022.

Episode Notes

NASCAR on NBC analyst Jeff Burton on a true team effort for Kyle Larson (1:00); did teams err in downplaying the importance of qualifying? (3:30); why the race didn’t necessarily fall Larson’s way (5:45); the overwhelming superiority of the No. 5 (8:00): ranking Larson among greats such as Mario Andretti (10:30); how Burton came around on Larson … and how Larson came around on NASCAR (13:00); is Kyle Larson the best race car driver in the world? (16:30); dreaming about a Kyle Larson-Lewis Hamilton matchup (18:30); the decision by Rick Hendrick to allow Kyle Larson so much dirt racing (21:30); will Larson’s success spark a trend of Cup teams allowing their stars to moonlight more often? (24:00); putting a bow on the other contenders’ seasons (28:00); how the Next Gen car affects the outlook of Hamlin and the entire Cup Series entering 2022 (32:00); how will teams redeploy their staffing into new departments? (34:30).