“We want more”: Kyle Larson makes feelings clear after another winless NASCAR playoff race

Kyle Larson finished seventh in the playoff race at New Hampshire, marking his 17th finish inside the top-10 for the 2025 season. But it wasn’t enough. To advance further in the playoffs, the Hendrick Motorsports ace needed to win.

Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang, won the 301-lap event. The top five spots were rounded off by Josh Berry, William Byron, Joey Logano, and Chase Elliott. Notably, Larson was the only driver from Hendrick Motorsports who finished outside of the top five.

“I thought we were the third or fourth-best car, and then just on cycled tires and right-sides, I just wasn’t as good on those runs,” Larson said a post-race interview with NBC. “We’ll just look at that and see what we can learn from it.”

Larson picked up a total of 44 points, the fourth-best in a 36-car field. The Elk Grove native currently sits third in the playoff standings with a 41-point cushion in the cutoff line.

“It was a great points day with getting points in both stages. We want more, but it was a pretty solid day and start to the Round of 12,” he added.

Next up for Kyle Larson is the Hollywood Casino 400 Presented by ESPN Bet at Kansas Speedway. Scheduled for Sunday, September 28, the 267-lap race will be televised on USA (3 pm ET onwards) with live radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Larson is a three-time winner at Kansas. He also has six top-fives and three top-10s in 21 starts at the 1.5-mile tri-oval intermediate speedway. The 221 laps he led in the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas, which he won back in May, happen to be the most by a driver in a single race at the track.

Kyle Larson reflects on “quiet progress” amid winless playoff journey

Kyle Larson thinks that his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team is close to getting its winning momentum back. The former NASCAR Cup Series champion won three races this year, with his latest one coming at Kansas Motor Speedway on May 11, 2025.

NASCAR has hosted 18 points races since that day, but Larson is still in the hunt for his fourth victory of the season and 33rd of his Cup Series career.

“I feel like we are really close and capable of getting back to form,” Kyle Larson said of his team ahead of Sunday’s race at New Hampshire (2:30). “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, feel like we've quietly been making progress.”

For now, all eyes are on Kansas Motor Speedway. If Larson wins the race, he will be locked into the Round of 8 alongside Ryan Blaney.

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Edited by Samya Majumdar