Kyle Larson thinks 42 team is close to everyone but Kevin Harvick

Kyle Larson doesn’t think his team is far off from contending for wins, but named one driver he thinks is pretty far out in front of everyone else.

Big things were expected of Kyle Larson this season. After the young Chip Ganassi Racing driver took the next step forward in his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series development in 2017 with a torrid start and four wins, the thought was that another year under his belt and the new Chevrolet Camaro would combine to make him a top championship contender.

So far, 2018 hasn’t shaped up that way. After blowing a tire and smashing into the wall at Texas, Larson finds himself 10th in points and with just two top-5 finishes through seven races. Not horrible, certainly, but not what he, his team or his fans anticipated.

Speaking to the media ahead of the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Larson noted that while he feels his team is “close” to contending for wins, there’s one driver that has set himself apart from the pack.

“We still have a ways to go to compete with the 4,” Larson said. “I think [Kevin Harvick] is in his own league right now.”

It’s difficult to argue with that assessment considering how Harvick rampaged through the first portion of the season, racking up three wins while no other driver has more than one. However, he hasn’t been immune to misfortune, as he wrecked at Daytona and also literally ran into Larson at California and ended up with a 35th-place finish. Harvick will also have to start from the rear of the field at Bristol after wrecking his primary car in practice.

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Still, the 4 has been to Victory Lane and the 42 hasn’t, nor has it looked like it did at this time last year, when it was running up front constantly. Larson still thinks there is plenty of time for his team to become a title challenger, but he knows it’s going to take improvement on their part, and not the likes of Harvick and Kyle Busch falling off, to make that happen.

“We’ve got to get finishing a little bit better and click off a win, and then I think we can consider ourselves a favorite again,” Larson said.