3 NASCAR stars who are dark horses for the New Hampshire playoff race feat. Kyle Larson

NASCAR's Round of 12 kicks off at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where every playoff driver is looking for an edge. The race is a reset that gives teams a chance to grab momentum early, but it also opens the door for unexpected names such as Kyle Larson to steal the spotlight.

The Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire is a 301-lap race around the 1.058-mile flat track. NASCAR is using the same high-fall-off Goodyear tires seen at Bowman Gray Stadium and Martinsville Speedway. These should force teams to develop strategies that deliver excitement throughout the race, along with the dark horses that would shake up the postseason.

Who are these unexpected front-runners? Here are three of our picks.

1. Kyle Larson - Hendrick Motorsports

Kyle Larson may be considered a strong short-track racer, but he has yet to score a win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which is widely regarded as a short track despite being one mile long. The veteran NASCAR driver has recorded three second-place finishes, all during his stint in the #42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in the 2010s.

Kyle Larson drives the #5 Chevrolet Camaro at Hendrick Motorsports - Source: Imagn

With better equipment and resources of Hendrick Motorsports, Larson should have the tools to run up front, especially when starting near the front of the field. In his last two races, he began outside the top 10, yet still managed to convert both into top-five finishes.

2. Ross Chastain - Trackhouse Racing

Next is another NASCAR driver from the Chevrolet camp, Ross Chastain. Since Trackhouse Racing hasn’t been finishing particularly well at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, no one is paying much attention to the #1 driver, making him an ideal dark horse candidate this weekend.

Ross Chastain drives the #1 Chevrolet Camaro for Trackhouse Racing - Source: Imagn

Chastain has produced strong results at similar tracks, such as Phoenix Raceway, where he scored a win in 2023. Another comparable track is Richmond Raceway, where he’s earned a couple of top-five finishes in the Next Gen car. As such, we can expect him to be fighting at the front, especially considering he’s one of four playoff drivers currently sitting below the cutline.

3. Tyler Reddick - 23XI Racing

After a second-place finish in the playoff opener at Darlington Raceway, Tyler Reddick hasn’t been producing strong results in the postseason, which could push him off the radar this weekend. However, he shouldn’t be counted out, as Toyota has been the dominant manufacturer at this track.

Tyler Reddick drives the #45 Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing - Source: Imagn

Fellow Toyota outfit Joe Gibbs Racing is the only NASCAR team to win at the 1.058-mile Loudon oval in the Next Gen era, with two victories from Christopher Bell and one from Martin Truex Jr. On top of that, Reddick has posted back-to-back sixth-place finishes at the track since driving the #45 23XI Racing Toyota. His teammate, Bubba Wallace, has also run solidly at the track and deserves a special mention as another dark horse for Sunday’s race.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

Edited by Zarec Sanchez