Kyle Larson expressed surprise at securing a third-place finish during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix, despite facing persistent challenges throughout the event. The No. 5 driver noted that his Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) team’s overall difficulties significantly shaped their Phoenix performance.
Larson’s teammates also encountered issues: William Byron managed a seventh-place finish, Chase Elliott ended up 23rd after being involved in two crashes, and Anthony Alfredo, substituting for an absent Alex Bowman, recorded a 33rd-place DNF following a multi-car incident.
Concerns Over Hendrick Motorsports’ Struggles at Phoenix
After the race, Larson openly addressed the performance problems faced by himself and his HMS teammates during an interview with Frontstretch. He indicated that although the results were disappointing, difficulties at Phoenix are not unfamiliar for the team.
“It’s concerning, but we’re always really bad here at Phoenix. At least me. William’s had his moments of being pretty strong. I feel like the rest of us three have always been really bad. We just were worse today,”
Larson said.
Larson considered whether the new Chevrolet body or increased horsepower introduced at Phoenix contributed to the subpar day but ultimately attributed their troubles to the team’s overall inability to perform well on the track. Nevertheless, he highlighted how past experiences at the 1.0-mile venue helped them mitigate the situation.
“Because we are so bad here, I feel like we know how to fight through it and get a third-place finish like we typically do here. Performance wise, that’s not where we should be running. So with that, yeah, I’m proud of the team. For Phoenix, we’ve got to get way, way better,”
Larson added.
This third-place finish mirrors the position Larson held when he clinched last year’s Cup Series championship at Phoenix.
William Byron was unable to contend for the win, settling for seventh place, while Chase Elliott struggled to break free from traffic and was hampered by two crashes during the race. Meanwhile, Anthony Alfredo took over for Alex Bowman, who was sidelined due to vertigo, but Alfredo’s run ended early after a crash involving Ross Chastain and Austin Cindric.
Unexpected Podium Finish for Kyle Larson at Phoenix
Larson admitted that after encountering persistent mechanical issues all weekend, he did not anticipate finishing on the podium. Despite these challenges, the team’s resilience allowed them to salvage a strong finish.
“A good fight by our team. We kinda struggled with our car all weekend, was able to qualify well, and then just kinda fight through today and salvage a third. Was not expecting that with how bad we were, but again, proud of the team,”
Larson said.
Entering his sixth season with Hendrick Motorsports and defending his Cup Series title, Larson has now earned two championships and 26 Cup wins with the team. After four races this season, he sits tenth in the points standings.
The NASCAR Cup Series will continue next Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a track where Larson has recorded three victories, providing a potential platform to improve upon this challenging start.
Kyle Larson Finishes 3rd at Phoenix: "I was not expecting that with how bad we were"
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— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) March 9, 2026
