The Cook Out 400 was special for Hendrick Motorsports, as it marked the first time in 2026 that all four of its drivers finished in the top 10. They seemed to have answered some questions regarding its poor form heading into the Chase. But as far as Kevin Harvick is concerned, the results, however good, have to be taken with a pinch of salt.
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“I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news,” Harvick said on his Happy Hour podcast while discussing HMS’ weekend, before noting that Richmond, in his view, is a unique track. The specific setups and configurations may yield results here but not necessarily translate to other venues.
“It’s a very unique place because of the tire wear and everything that comes with the falloff at this racetrack,” Harvick added.
Richmond is a track where tires are put to an extreme test. The surface allows drivers to naturally spread out, which means teams have to set up their cars to manage tire wear over long runs. Cars that look fast toward the beginning of the race can quickly lose speed as their tires age. RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece, who started the race sixth, had a strategy mishap that left him stuck in traffic on older tires. He ended up finishing 17th, showing just how brutal the track can be.
The HMS cars at Richmond last weekend were set up for long-run tire management. That was evident when most of the four drivers didn’t look particularly quick in qualifying. William Byron started race fifth, Chase Elliott 13th, Alex Bowman 25th, and defending Cup Series champion Kyle Larson 30th.
During the race, however, they were able to stay out longer, manage their tires, and gradually make up places. On lap 400, when they crossed the start-finish line, Elliott was fifth, Larson sixth, Byron ninth, and Bowman 10th.
“Great start, and now you just want to see that continue, right? Like, as a team, you hope that that’s the thing that kicks the wall down to get the momentum back on your side to be able to have the performance and breaks and things that you need to be able to put yourself in a position to do it again,” Harvick added in the same podcast.
The discussions about Hendrick’s Chase hopes stem from the fact that it’s been a rather underwhelming season by their standards. They’ve won just two races this season, both thanks to Elliott. But even he headed to Richmond in the middle of an abysmal slump.
Elliott had 12 straight races without a top-five finish, and 9 without a top-ten. So, finishing fifth meant a lot to him and his confidence. Even Larson and Byron, the two other HMS drivers set to make it to the Chase, will be feeling better about themselves after the Cook Out 400.
But with the Chase approaching, the question, as Harvick pointed out, is whether the HMS drivers’ execution at Richmond will translate to other venues, where tire falloff is not as significant. The former Cup Series driver did acknowledge one thing though: Hendrick Motorsports is working a lot harder than before.