NASCAR
Kyle Larson Shows Off New Wheels; Christopher Bell Remains Favorite To Win NASCAR Cup Series’ Drivers Title
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry, in both print and digital media. He joined the Sportscasting team in 2021 following a decade of freelancing. He spent his early career as a reporter for various newspapers in Illinois, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan, with a particular emphasis as a beat reporter for the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Oakland University. Over the course of his career he earned several sports writing awards, including two national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for column writing and news reporting. One of the five prized columns included a commentary on NASCAR's increasing corporate influences, particularly in northern racetracks — commentary which you might find Jeff building on as part of the Motorsports writing team at Sportscasting now.
Get to know Jeff Hawkins betterPublished02 Apr 2025
Kyle Larson is at it again.
The NASCAR Cup Series driver sat on stage Wednesday in front of two machines. One was the recognizable No. 5 Chevrolet stock car. The second was an open-wheel No. 17 Chevrolet.
Utilizing the two race cars as props, Larson confirmed he will make a second attempt at accomplishing “The Double” May 25. The 2021 Cup titleholder is set to compete in the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the afternoon and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway at night. He tried the complete the two-state, 1,100-mile challenge last year, but weather interfered with the effort.
Larson finished the rain-delayed Indy 500 P18 after qualifying 18th. Delayed, he flew to Concord, North Carolina, and tried to enter the Coca-Cola 600 late and rain cut the 400-lap event short. Substitute driver Justin Allgaier piloted the Hendrick Motorsports machine to a 13th-place finish.
Prime Video is scheduled to serve as a sponsor and will create a documentary on Larson’s double-duty effort.
“Last year gave us a great foundation, and now we get to build on it,” Larson said via press release. “I’m excited to come back stronger in 2025 and give it everything we’ve got to finish all 1,100 miles. Having Prime Video on board – especially with them streaming the 600 and documenting my whole experience – is pretty special.
“May is going to be a crazy month, and I’m ready to get after it.”
Larson (+375) enters Sunday’s Cup event at Darlington Raceway with the second-best odds to earn his second circuit crown, according to BetOnline Sportsbook. Christopher Bell (+350) remains the sports-betting favorite.
Two pretty race cars…Indy double! @KyleLarsonRacin @JeffGordonWeb #Indy500 #CocaCola600 pic.twitter.com/Oy4cBeoj1A
— Claire B Lang (@ClaireBLang) April 2, 2025
2025 NASCAR Cup Series Drivers’ Championship Odds
Here is a Week 8 look at the drivers’ odds for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship odds, according to BetOnline Sportsbook:
| Driver | 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Drivers’ Championship Odds |
|---|---|
| Christopher Bell | +350 |
| Kyle Larson | +375 |
| William Byron | +600 |
| Ryan Blaney | +700 |
| Denny Hamlin | +800 |
| Chase Elliott | +900 |
| Tyler Reddick | +1100 |
| Joey Logano | +1200 |
| Ross Chastain | +2500 |
| Josh Berry | +2500 |
| Chase Briscoe | +2500 |
| Kyle Busch | +2800 |
| Alex Bowman | +2800 |
| Chris Buescher | +3300 |
| Austin Cindric | +4000 |
| Josh Berry | +3300 |
| Chris Buescher | +3300 |
| Austin Cindric | +4000 |
| Brad Keselowski | +5000 |
| Ty Gibbs | +5000 |
| Bubba Wallace | +5000 |
| Austin Cindric | +5000 |
| Carson Hocevar | +8000 |
| Daniel Suarez | +10000 |
| Ryan Preece | +10000 |
| Shane van Gisbergen | +10000 |
| Noah Gragson | +15000 |
| Austin Dillon | +20000 |
| Zane Smith | +20000 |
| Michael McDowell | +20000 |
| Todd Gilliland | +20000 |
| Erik Jones | +25000 |
| Justin Haley | +25000 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | +25000 |
| AJ Allmendinger | +25000 |
| Cole Custer | +30000 |
| John Hunter Nemechek | +50000 |
| Ty Dillon | +50000 |
*-Odds current at time of publication
