Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 car for Hendrick Motorsports, stated that the newly issued Goodyear Racing Eagle tires made no noticeable impact on his car’s handling during the recent NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway. The fresh tire compounds were designed specifically to endure Dover’s demanding high-banked, one-mile concrete surface and tackle the July heat, but Larson’s feedback after finishing fourth in the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 suggested otherwise.
Following the race, Larson spoke to the media, including in a post-race video shared by Frontstretch on X, where he said his car’s balance felt largely as expected despite the late-race red flag and rain creating a tire reset. He had hoped the new tires might create clearer separation among competitors on the track, but this did not materialize.
“I didn’t notice a single difference today,” he said.
“So I thought the style of how you kind manage to run and lap times and all that were very similar. So I didn’t feel any different,” Larson added.
The new tire compounds—D-5240 for the left side and D-5260 for the right—were introduced exclusively for this Dover event and will not be used again this season. Goodyear aimed to improve tire performance by ensuring better rubber laydown without sacrificing durability on Dover’s smooth concrete surface under typically hotter summer conditions.
Reflection on Recent Performance Struggles Before Dover Race
In addition to discussing the tires, Larson openly reflected on his recent difficulties competing consistently this season. Prior to the July 20 race, he acknowledged that his momentum had waned since a busy Memorial Day weekend involving the Coca-Cola 600 and the Indianapolis 500 in May. While the early part of the season saw Larson win three times in just 12 starts, the past eight races had been marked by setbacks and inconsistent speed.
Larson explained that the core issue had been a shortage of speed early in the races, which was then worsened by a string of unfortunate incidents, creating a cumulative negative effect on his results. Talking to Racer, he expressed:
“At the beginning of the struggles, I felt like when we didn’t have the speed, we were executing well… Then we had some races where we got caught up in some unfortunate things, too, and it all snowballed.”
Despite the challenges, Larson’s fourth-place finish at Dover suggested some progress, though he acknowledged the difficulty of recovering from the recent slump.
“Just been tough to get out of the rut, but through it all, I do believe we’ll come out the other side even stronger,” he said.
Recent Race Results Highlight the Ups and Downs This Season
Larson’s downturn began after crashing out of both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in late May, two races that often define significant points in the season. Since then, his performance has been a mix of moderate successes and disappointing finishes. Among his notable results were eighth place at Nashville and fifth place at Michigan, contrasted with much poorer outcomes such as 36th in Mexico City, 35th at Sonoma, and 17th at Atlanta where he started 11th.
This inconsistent stretch has underscored the challenges faced by Larson and his Hendrick Motorsports team as they seek to regain their earlier-season form and reclaim championship contention.
Implications for Kyle Larson and the Team Moving Forward
The lack of impact from the latest Goodyear Dover tires puts additional pressure on Larson and his crew to find improvements elsewhere on the car to compete effectively in upcoming races. While the new tire compounds were intended to provide advantages suited to Dover’s unique track demands and weather conditions, Larson’s comments suggest those hopes were unmet.
Given Larson’s honesty about the tough stretch and belief in overcoming it, the team’s focus will likely be on adjustments to car setup, strategy, and consistency in order to break out of this performance rut in the remaining NASCAR Cup Series events this season.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is Kyle Larson better than Verstappen?
A. Larson may not defeat Verstappen in F1, but he shows greater versatility than anyone else worldwide. According to Bianchi, Larson stands out because his achievements are more diverse. He has earned victories in many different kinds of vehicles.
Q. Asked about Larson’s claim on Thursday, he had just two coy words: Asked Max Verstappen for his response to Kyle Larson’s comments about being a better all-round driver – Max just smiled and said: \x26quot;That’s fine. Everyone thinks their own way, right?\x26quot; With a quick detour to another sport, let me put it this way.
A. What did Max Verstappen say in response to Kyle Larson?
