NASCAR Barometer: Larson Claims Top Spot

Series points leader Kyle Larson added a victory stamp to his 2017 passport at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver tallied his second-career win with his fourth top-two finish in five races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup series so far this season. His only prior series win came last year at California's sister track, Michigan International Speedway. However, Sunday's win legitimizes his and teammate Jamie McMurray's step forward in terms of competitiveness early in 2017. The teammates have flexed their muscle on multiple races early this season, and continuing to run like they have will put them both in championship contention as the series drives to conclusion this fall.

Larson is the only driver to have scored more than 200 points so far this season. This win almost guarantees him a spot in the season-ending playoffs, but there are still a lot of races left to run. So far, there have been five different race winners from five races, and the gap to the final playoff spot is a single point. Toyota isn't dominating the season like they did in 2016, and it seems as though the playing field is much more level in 2017. Many drivers and teams already know what they need to improve upon, and continuing to run at the front will take sustained effort.

UPGRADE

Kyle Larson – Larson won his first stage under the new NASCAR rules on Sunday after having a terrific car in practice and qualifying. He survived multiple late-race restarts to come home in the top spot, earning him his fourth top-two finish in the first five races of the season. If he continues the rest of the season with this success he could very well be one of the favorites at the season finale in Miami. As his success continues to pay dividends, he'll now be in the enviable position at the STP 500 this week of leading the points and having one foot in the playoffs. In six Martinsville visits he has just one top-10 finish. He led six laps in the fall race there last season.

Martin Truex Jr. – The second segment win of Sunday's race went to Truex. The Furniture Row Racing driver had one of the fastest cars throughout the weekend at Auto Club Speedway and put the pedal to the floor on Sunday as well. A late-race decision not to pit for tires was the deciding factor in his finish. Though he had an admirable charge on the green-white-checkered finish, he simply didn't have the power to match Larson and finished fourth. With three top-10 finishes in the last five Martinsville races it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine Truex spending time out front this Sunday as well after such a strong start to the 2017 season. Truex should be expected to be a top contender through this season.

Chase Elliott – California was another week where Elliott demonstrated his potential for the 2017 season. He was one of the fastest cars throughout practice and qualifying, but now needs to focus on adjusting his car to complete a full race distance at the front. Elliott consistently has one of the fastest machines early in these races, but fades as the race enters the final segment. That will need to change for him to find his way into Victory Lane. In three Martinsville starts Elliott has yet to finish inside the top 10, but it would be hard to believe he doesn't have the capability of bucking that trend this week if he can make the changes necessary to finish strong on Sunday.

Jimmie Johnson – While he hasn't come out of the gate like the dominant driver he had been in 2016, the defending champion is always a contender when the Cup series visits Martinsville. He may have only finished 21st in California on Sunday, but he can still have reason to be optimistic about his chances this week at Martinsville. Johnson has nine victories at the track, including the fall race last season. He led 92 laps in that victory and even finished ninth in the spring edition. A top finish at the Virginia short track would be a shot in the arm to his 2017 effort, and that could be a realistic proposition for him this week.

Clint Bowyer – Last season was abhorrent for Bowyer, but the immediate future appears much brighter for the Stewart Haas Racing driver. He's working hard to banish the memories of 2016, and his California result will go a long way toward doing that. He ran solidly inside the top-five throughout the afternoon and finished third when all was said and done, which was a feat he could only have dreamed of last season. Bowyer has 12 top-10 finishes from 22 career starts at Martinsville but will visit the track for the first time with his current team. His last top-10 at the track came way back in 2014, but after Sunday's run he should be optimistic heading into this weekend's race.

DOWNGRADE

Kevin Harvick – Early contact and then a flat rear tire put an end to any thoughts of Harvick coming away from California with a top finish. The incident forced him to run the majority of Sunday's race with a damaged car but he made the most of the situation to finish a respectable 13th. His pace so far in 2017 hasn't been represented by his results, however. Harvick finished outside of the top 15 in both visits to Martinsville last season, too. He has one victory at the track from 2011 and just two top-10s in the last five visits. He has a hill to crest to turn his fortunes around, and while he can be considered for fantasy rosters he should probably be so with a measure of caution.

Matt Kenseth – Yet again Kenseth found himself on the wrong end of contact with the wall. He got loose on a restart late in Sunday's race and had hard contact with the inside wall after connecting with Truex. While his luck hasn't been the best this season, he has been decent at Martinsville. He finished inside the top 10 five of the last seven times and even managed to lead 176 laps at the track last fall. Despite those statistics, he has never won there and has a big hill to climb in order to turn around his current run of results. This hasn't been a season to remember for Kenseth so far, and he has a big deficit to erase as the season marches onward.

Erik Jones – Having a fast car isn't everything in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup racing, and Jones learned that lesson in California. The rookie driver was among the fastest drivers throughout the weekend, but his crew's mistake on pit road on a late caution for failing to control a tire cost him a top finish. When the checkered flag waved he was only able to salvage a 12th-place finish on an afternoon he should have claimed a top-five. He has never been to Martinsville in the Cup series and will continue his education this week at the short track. His raw speed needs the addition of experience for him to be a frequently reliable fantasy option.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – Stenhouse spun to create one final moment of drama in Sunday's race at Fontana. The Roush Fenway Racing driver was coming off of his best finish of the season in Phoenix when he collided with teammate Trevor Bayne on a late restart. The pair could have both finished inside the top 15, but the contact removed any chance for Stenhouse to salvage a top finish. To make things worse, Stenhouse has visited Martinsville eight times in the Cup series but hasn't finished in the top 10 a single time. His average start is just 24th and his average finish is 32.8. Those are disappointing numbers for fantasy players, and he will have to show significant pace in practice to change minds.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Daniel Suarez – For the second race in a row Daniel Suarez claims the biggest surprise position. His seventh-place finish was a welcome reward for the rookie. The finish was his second top-10 finish of the season, and this week's came from his first top-10 start in the series. Despite not having the experience of a series veteran, his confidence must certainly be growing with the results he has been achieving. Joe Gibbs Racing may not have the dominance they enjoyed last season, but Suarez is making the most of the situation. He isn't far behind his teammates in the championship standings, and as the season wears on it may not be inconceivable for him to claim a spot in the playoffs.