Kyle Larson, who has secured more NASCAR Cup Series wins than any other driver since his 2021 championship season, has encountered difficulties since his most recent triumph at Kansas Speedway in May. Although Larson advanced through the opening playoff rounds, his performance has not met the high expectations set by his early-season dominance.
Following his dominant win at Kansas last spring, Larson and his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team have failed to claim another victory over the subsequent 18 races. This stretch has seen a notable decline in results that surprises given Larson’s strong start to the season and past achievements at the track.
Examining the Challenges Faced by Larson and His Team
After starting the season with three wins in the first 12 races and establishing himself as the favorite for the championship, Larson’s form has dropped significantly. Over the last 18 contests, he has managed only three top-five finishes and suffered multiple poor showings, including five finishes outside the top 30.
During the recent Round of 16 in the playoffs, Larson failed to break into the top 10 in any of the three races. His advancement came largely thanks to the substantial playoff points accumulated earlier in the year rather than on-track dominance.
Addressing the decline, Larson acknowledged the strong start to the season:
The beginning of the season until the end of May was really good,
Kyle Larson remarked at Kansas Speedway.
You kind of know what you’re going to get for results and stuff each week you go to the track, because we were just that strong. The schedule lined up really well for our organization — a lot of mile-and-a-halves and tracks that we were historically good at.
However, he also noted the struggles they’ve faced at certain venues:
And then the tracks that we haven’t been ‘lights out’ at, we were probably just a little bit worse than we have been in years prior. So, that just challenges you and your team mentally and emotionally sometimes.
Larson attributed part of the team’s performance issues to internal difficulties within his crew, led by Cliff Daniels.
Dealt with a lot as a team this year,
he said, pointing to the challenges.
I don’t know what other teams have dealt with, but I don’t know if there’s a team that’s dealt with more than we have with losing a team member, pit crew swaps, different personnel changes. There’s just a lot that we’ve had to overcome.
Despite these setbacks, Larson believes the team is improving:
But I feel like we’ve worked really hard. And although the results may not show it all the time, I feel like we are building and better than we were, say, in June.
Kansas Speedway as a Potential Catalyst for the No. 5 Team’s Revival
Currently positioned second among drivers vying to reach the Round of 8, Larson holds a 41-point lead over the cutoff, but his place in the next playoff stage is not guaranteed. Achieving a win at Kansas this weekend would lock in his advancement and signal a return to the front of the pack just in time for the critical championship push.
Larson’s record at Kansas Speedway reinforces his confidence heading into Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 Presented by ESPN Bet. In May, he dominated the race by leading 221 of 267 laps from the pole position and ultimately securing his third career Cup Series victory at the 1.5-mile track since joining Hendrick Motorsports.
Reflecting on his history at Kansas, Larson said,
It gives you some confidence that it’s a place that we’ve ran well at for a long time now,
before adding,
We’ll hopefully have similar speed to what we had earlier in the year. It sounds like we had a great week in the shop and in the wind tunnel.
While Larson admits he hasn’t focused much on the fact that he has gone without a win since Kansas in May, he understands what a return to Victory Lane would mean for both momentum and morale.
It would be impactful because I haven’t won a race since Kansas in May and really haven’t been that consistently good since this race earlier this year,
he stated.
So, it would be nice to, obviously, get a win.
He emphasized the extensive efforts the team has put in to return to their previous form:
We’ve been working extremely hard the last few months to get back to the point of where we were leading a bunch of laps and winning stages. And I feel like we’ve learned a lot along the way.
Looking Ahead: The Stakes at the Hollywood Casino 400
The upcoming race at Kansas Speedway represents a crucial opportunity for Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports to overcome recent struggles and send a strong message to their competitors. A victory would not only secure Larson’s position in the next playoff round but also renew confidence as the championship battle intensifies.
As the team continues to rebuild and adapt following challenges in personnel and performance, their return to form at a track where Larson has historically excelled would offer vital momentum. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see if Larson can capitalize on this chance to reverse his winless streak and reignite his campaign for a second NASCAR Cup Series championship.
A DOMINATING WIN AT KANSAS FOR KYLE LARSON! pic.twitter.com/wgtyBFs9Ub
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 11, 2025
