Kyle Larson and William Byron doubt clear progress from Hendrick Motorsports at Phoenix ahead of the championship run

Hendrick Motorsports will chase its record-extending 15th NASCAR Cup Series title this Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. However, their star driver, Kyle Larson, remained unconvinced that the team had made major gains at the desert oval.

Phoenix remains a weak spot in the Next Gen era for Hendrick Motorsports. Across seven races since the car’s debut in 2022, the team has just one win with its four entries, with an average finish of 12.3. The win came back in March 2023 with William Byron, while they have fallen short in the championship races in the fall in both 2022 and 2023.

Speaking in Saturday’s pre-race press conference, the Hendrick ace admitted that while their cars felt competitive, Phoenix still presents the same familiar challenges that have tripped up the organization in past finales. When asked if their cars felt better than in previous years, Larson said, via Cup Scene:

“I think for me, like feel-wise, it doesn’t feel way different than normal, like I was expecting. But I felt like pace-wise it seemed a little bit better than what I have been here in other practices in years past. But it’s so hard to get a true judge on things in practice. So you just really got to see how it’s going to be tomorrow.” (2:57 onwards)

Kyle Larson’s comments reflect Hendrick Motorsports’ tempered optimism after practice. The 2021 champion completed 69 laps with a best of 27.489 seconds at 130.961 mph and was the 11th fastest overall and third among the Championship 4 contenders.

Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson (5) and William Byron (24) at the Daytona Duels. Source: Imagn

William Byron, slightly quicker, clocked a 27.460-second lap at 131.100 mph, good for ninth overall. Denny Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota led all title hopefuls, posting 131.262 mph, while teammate Chase Briscoe ranked 16th after an early tire issue halted his run.

Byron, however, sounded slightly more upbeat about the team’s approach.

“Yeah, I feel good. I think so far it’s kind of what we’ve been working on and trying to improve,” Byron said. “So, yeah, I’m optimistic. I think everything so far this weekend’s been pretty solid.”

That optimism is backed by recent consistency. While Hendrick Motorsports has struggled, the two championship 4 drivers have finished inside the top 10 in all three Next Gen title races so far.

The goal is to win. Byron comes into the finale as the Regular Season Champion and Martinsville winner, while Larson, who last won at Las Vegas in March, hopes to end his longest winless streak since joining Hendrick Motorsports.

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Hendrick Motorsports faces an uphill fight against Denny Hamlin’s Phoenix advantage

William Byron (L) and Kyle Larson during 2023 qualifying at Homestead-Miami. Source: Getty

If numbers are any indication, Kyle Larson and William Byron have reasons to believe and to worry. Larson has four top-5 finishes in the last five Phoenix races, and his 10 overall top-5s at the track are the most he has at any venue. His No. 5 pit crew is also ranked at the top.

Byron, meanwhile, has led a series-high 1,278 laps this season and run more laps in the top five at Phoenix (1,618) than any other driver in the Next Gen era. He also ranks No. 1 on restarts, a key metric at the flat, one-mile oval where track position often dictates outcomes.

But challenges persist. Larson is winless in 23 races, and Byron’s form through the playoffs has been uneven. Denny Hamlin, meanwhile, enters Sunday with clear momentum. He was not only the fastest among the Championship 4 in practice but also started on pole after qualifying with a blistering 133.759 mph lap. Byron will start second, Larson third, and Chase Briscoe 12th.