Kyle Larson delivers a strong statement on Hendrick Motorsports’s capability after weak playoff beginning

Hendrick Motorsports Ace Kyle Larson was recently featured in an interview with FrontStretch Media ahead of the first race of the Round of 12 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. During the pre-race interview, Larson got candid about the team's capability of securing better results in the upcoming race.

Joe Gibbs Racing's Toyota smoked Chevys and Fords in the initial phase of the 2025 playoffs, the Round of the 16. JGR drivers won all three races of the round. Meanwhile, HMS drivers struggled to land a good finish. Larson wrapped the Bristol Motor Speedway in P32, followed by Chase Elliott in P38, William Byron in P12, and Alex Bowman in P8. However, Bowman failed to lock his spot in the Round of 12.

Notably, #11 Toyota Camry XSE driver Denny Hamlin leads the playoff standings with a 26-point buffer over the cutoff line. However, Kyle Larson has high hopes for the NHMS race and claimed to be 'close' to getting back in form. Following that, he issued a strong statement to the media [02:30 onwards]:

"I feel like we are really close and capable of getting back to form. Um, you know there's times throughout weekends and races where, you know, it might not show up on TV or on, you know, the results, but I feel like we're good. So, um, feel like we've quietly been making progress, but um, yeah, then we qualify bad."

Continuing further, Larson claimed to have a good car in the practice and stated:

"So, it's like every time I feel like we're going to, you make a step in the right direction, we don't, um, quite get it. But, we're only through qualifying, so we still have the race tomorrow. Like I said, I thought my car was okay in practice."

Kyle Larson qualified 16th for the Mobil 1 301 scheduled for Sunday, September 21, 2025. Meanwhile, his teammate Elliott will begin the 301-lap race from P27, followed by William Byron in P5 and Bowman in P7. Notably, USA, PRN, HBO Max, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will broadcast the 318.46-mile race live at 2 pm ET.

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"It's not a fun place to be kind of bouncing": Kyle Larson shared his feelings about the Bristol Motor Speedway race

Former NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson recently shared his views on the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. The HMS driver claimed to face a unique challenge during the 500-lap race on the short track. He also touched on the driver's unique approach to dealing with the oval track's banking.

Reflecting on the same, Larson was featured on NASCAR's Inside the Race podcast with stock car analyst and Kevin Harvick's co-host, Mamba Smith. There, the #5 Chevy Camaro ZL1 driver claimed that competing at the oval track has always been challenging, and drivers face traffic issues.

"If your car is not handling right, you know, if you're too tight, you know, then you're trying to create different angles or different speeds and different points, and it becomes just really difficult. Same if you're too loose, too. I mean, it's not a fun place to be kind of bouncing on your right rear through one and two and just being sharp and on the edge of you losing grip," Kyle Larson said. [6:05 onwards]

The Elk Grove, California, native sits third in the Cup Series playoff standings. He has amassed 3032 points in 29 starts this season. He also secured three wins, 16 top tens, 11 top fives, and a pole position this season.

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Edited by Pratham K Sharma