{"id":1565138,"date":"2023-05-16T11:28:04","date_gmt":"2023-05-16T15:28:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1565138"},"modified":"2023-05-16T11:28:05","modified_gmt":"2023-05-16T15:28:05","slug":"kyle-larson-nascar-unluckiest-driver-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/kyle-larson-nascar-unluckiest-driver-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Kyle Larson, Even With Multiple Wins to His Name, Is Officially NASCAR's Unluckiest Driver in 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Kyle Larson<\/a> sits 10th in the points standings with one-third of the 2023 NASCAR<\/a> Cup Series season complete, but he easily leads the series in bad luck through the first 13 points-paying events of the calendar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Larson could conceivably have 11 wins<\/a> across the first half of the 26-race regular season. Instead, he has crashed out of twice as many races (four) as he's won (two) and has had seven other races ruined by a wreck or engine failure. Larson also is second in the series with 582 laps led<\/a>, behind only the total of his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, William Byron (596).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For comparison, only eight drivers led at least 582 laps across the entire 2022 season, and Larson finished with 635. He could surpass that mark as soon as the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 28 \u2014the next points-paying race on the schedule after the exhibition All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. on May 21<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Larson\u2019s average starting position of 8.5 paces the field by nearly an entire spot, with Byron second in that category at 9.4. However, Larson ranks 14th among drivers who have started every race with a 17.1 average finishing position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That dramatic difference is due to the multitude of issues Larson has encountered on his weekly quest to bring the No. 5 car to Victory Lane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Larson could have had a dominant start to the season if not for bad luck nearly every week<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Kyle Larson on the contact with Ross Chastain at Darlington Raceway. #NASCAR<\/a> #RaceHub<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/kuBLcBV48K<\/a><\/p>— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 15, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>