Will new Chevy Camaro make Kyle Larson the 2018 Cup Series favorite?

Other Chevy drivers seem pretty excited about what their new car might do for their 2018 fortunes, but what about the guy who was already pretty darn good?

There’s no question that whether it was due to a lack of performance, better drivers for the other brands or bad luck — or some combination of the three — 2017 wasn’t the best year for Chevy in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. To hear them tell it, though, the drivers themselves think significant help is on the way.

Austin Dillon has his eyes on a run for the Championship 4. Ryan Newman believes that more than one win is realistic for him. Their optimism is buoyed by the arrival of the new Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, the model that they’ll be driving in 2018, and it’s understandable considering how the new Camry aided Toyota drivers.

That begs the question: what will the Camaro do for a guy who already was nipping at the heels of a true championship challenge?

We’re talking, of course, about Kyle Larson, who took the next step in his rising stardom last season by winning four races, finishing first or second five times in a six-race span in early 2017, and generally looking like the best chance Chevy had at a title until his luck disintegrated about halfway through the playoffs. Except for a stretch where Jimmie Johnson looked like his old self, Larson was the one that carried the flag for Chevrolet.

More from NASCAR

• NASCAR rain delay today, July 2 update: Chicago Street Race
• Where is the NASCAR course in Chicago? A look at how the Grant Park 220 will work
• Grant Park 220 Ticket prices: How much does it cost to attend?
• LAST CHANCE: FanDuel’s Crazy $2,500 Bonus NASCAR Promo Expires Sunday
• Trevor, start your engine: Jaguars’ temporary stadium could be NASCAR mecca

He accomplished all of that with a car that many of his fellow drivers was at a competitive disadvantage compared to the Toyotas. So let’s ponder the possibilities for just a second.

Larson already has a chokehold on Michigan, winning both races there in 2017. He was a close runner-up in Dover during the spring and finished in the top five in the fall, and that second race is in the playoffs. It would not be surprising at all to see him in the Winner’s Circle there, or at New Hampshire, where he was second in both 2017 races.

There were four other tracks where Larson almost won, plus he led the Daytona 500 in the late stages until running out of gas in the closing laps. Flip any of those to victories and you’re talking about the kind of dominance that Martin Truex Jr. displayed en route to his championship.

Topping it all off, Larson finished third at Homestead to only Truex and Kyle Busch, the drivers who finished 1-2 in the final standings for said championship. Las Vegas sportsbooks already think Busch is the favorite for next year, and they might be right considering the tear he was on since the middle of the summer.

Next: Brad Keselowski still eyeing Cup Series team ownership someday

Then again, if you accept that the new Camry probably aided that run and how the Camaro might do the same for Larson in 2018, maybe not. The 42 didn’t need much help to run up front this season, and if the car has even the tiniest edge over the Toyta and Ford NASCAR models, that’s a thought that should keep all opposing crew chiefs up at night all the way until Daytona.