The new rule that helped Kyle Larson secure No. 1 seed for NASCAR Cup playoffs

Despite winning the regular season championship, William Byron will not enter the NASCAR Cup playoffs as the top seed following the points reset. That honor will instead go to his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kyle Larson.

The two drivers are tied at 2,032 points apiece, and since Larson has more wins (three to Byron’s two), he gets placed atop the standings for the start of the Round of 16.

But Larson’s path to becoming the top seed included a surprising assist from one of NASCAR’s new rules this year — the bonus point that goes to whichever driver posts the fastest lap in each race.

Larson has been awarded the fastest lap bonus in four different races this year: Circuit of the Americas, Kansas Speedway, Mexico City, and Watkins Glen. 

In two of those races, the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet actually came back on track after needed repairs, and snatched the fastest lap bonus away despite finishing several laps down.

While those four extra points may not seem significant, he actually ended the regular season three points ahead of teammate Chase Elliott (who has zero fastest lap bonuses). As a result of securing third in the standings over Elliott, he now has one additional playoff bonus point, bringing his total to 32. He will carry that through every round of the playoffs, even after round resets.

It also gives him the distinction of being the top seeded driver entering the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

Larson is one of eleven different Cup drivers to be awarded the ‘Xfinity Fastest Lap’ bonus this year. Denny Hamlin has the most at six, but that wasn’t enough to make a different in his final points position after Daytona.

Other drivers with multiple fastest lap bonuses this year: Michael McDowell (3), A.J. Allmendinger (3), Tyler Reddick (2), Bubba Wallace (2), and William Byron (2).