Hendrick Motorsports entered the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season with high expectations, boasting a consistent driver lineup for the 5th consecutive year. Kyle Larson, William Byron, Chase Elliott, and Alex Bowman piloted the Nos. 5, 24, 9, and 48 Chevrolets, respectively, aiming to build on their previous successes. Larson secured three wins, including a notable victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway, while Byron led the team with a series-high 623 points. However, as the playoffs approached, the team faced challenges, with Bowman finding himself below the cutline, and making the upcoming race crucial for his championship aspirations.

Bowman’s last two results at Darlington and Gateway were not impressive, rather concerning, finishing 31st and 26th, respectively. He now sits at 15th out of the 16 positions, desperately hoping for a miracle. In response to these challenges, HMS has initiated significant changes to bolster performance. These moves aim to address previous inefficiencies that contributed to those disappointing playoff finishes. And this time, Rick Hendrick’s team is wasting no effort.

Hendrick Motorsports seeks playoff redemption at Bristol

As Chad Knaus, Vice President of Competition at HMS, aptly put it in an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, “When we get in these situations and we’re not getting the results that we need, and we have to make something happen, we all know that this is a momentum-based sport.” The pressure was mounting for Alex Bowman’s No. 48 team, having suffered costly pit stop errors in the first two playoff races, including a 40-second delay at Darlington and a 23.9-second stop in St. Louis. Recognizing the need for change, Knaus and the team convened to strategize a path forward.

The urgency of the situation was palpable. Knaus continued, “After what’s happened the last couple weeks, we’ve sat back, we made some tough decisions Sunday night… and then Monday morning we got together put our heads together with the pit staff.” This collaborative effort involved key figures such as Evan Krecz, Jacob Clairborne, Blake Harris, and senior leadership, including Jeff Andrews, Jeff Gordon, and Rick Hendrick. Together, they devised a plan to overhaul the pit crew in hopes of revitalizing the team’s performance.

The decision was made to bring in fresh talent from Spire Motorsports, specifically the No. 77 team, which had demonstrated superior pit stop times. As Knaus noted, “We just decided we needed to go into Bristol with a little bit of fresh, and that’s what we need to do. So we made the call. The 48 pit crew is amazing. When they’re fast and they’re clicking, they’re one of the best on pit road.” The new crew members, including front tire changer Daniel Bach, rear tire changer Rod Cox, tire carrier Jarius Morehead, and jackman Cody French, were all previously part of Carson Hocevar‘s pit crew. This move aimed to inject new energy and efficiency into the No. 48 team’s operations.

With the changes in place, the expectations were clear. Knaus set a high bar for the revamped crew, “So I do feel that, and we told the guys, the expectation is for the 48 and the 77 to come out of their ranked P1, P2 off of pit road on Saturday night. And that’s the hope. So if we do that, we’ve done our job.” This bold directive underscored the critical nature of the upcoming Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, where every second on pit road could make the difference between advancing in the playoffs or facing elimination.

Knaus further reflected, “It’s given the guys that are regulars on the 48 an opportunity to go out there and show their strength and what they’re capable of doing. And that 77 car is more than capable of winning that race as well. So it’s a good reset for everybody, I feel, right now.” With the playoff field set to be trimmed from 16 to 12 drivers, pressure is mounting. For Bowman, currently 15th in the standings and 35 points below the cutoff line, this race is a must-win to advance. As the engines fire up under the lights at Bristol, all eyes will be on HMS to see if their calculated adjustments will propel them back into contention.

William Byron’s disappointment echoes Hendrick Motorsports’ teamwide woes

William Byron‘s frustration was palpable after the NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway. Despite starting in 6th place, Byron struggled to find the tight balance in his No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. He expressed, “I’ve talked about it a lot. I don’t really want to talk about it anymore,” he admitted, following a Southern 500 outing where none of HMS’s drivers could finish better than 17th.

The race was marked by aggressive driving and strategic gambles. Chase Elliott, aiming to improve his position with just 9 points above the playoff cutoff, made contact with Josh Berry on Lap 36, resulting in a spin for Berry. Similarly, Kyle Larson‘s contact with Ryan Blaney on Lap 134 led to a 12th-place finish. Byron’s 11th-place finish was a modest improvement, but not enough to alleviate the team’s concerns.

Byron reflected on his and the team’s challenges post-race, focusing on car balance. “Just need to get a better balance on our race car. It seemed like we had a pretty good pace, but we just couldn’t get it balanced. So it’s really hard to see what kind of pace we had.” Despite the prior highs with his Iowa victory and regular-season championship, the team’s recent struggles at Darlington and Gateway have left Byron and HMS searching for answers.