Every NASCAR season, the summer stretch brings its own brand of unpredictability. It’s a time when even the sport’s best teams can suddenly find themselves fighting a mysterious midseason malaise. Well, it’s a phenomenon as old as the Cup Series itself. Think back to Jimmie Johnson’s surprising winless streaks in the heart of his dynasty years (2014), or how Kyle Busch’s 2019 campaign cooled off just before his Phoenix championship surge.

This year, the spotlight has swung to Hendrick Motorsports, where a string of uncharacteristic mistakes and missed opportunities has fans and analysts asking: What’s going on with William Byron, Kyle Larson, and the powerhouse team that dominated the spring? As the summer heat intensifies, Kevin Harvick is breaking down exactly why Rick Hendrick’s stable is suddenly struggling to find its edge. But, most importantly, what it will take to snap out of the slump before the playoffs arrive.

Kevin Harvick explains it’s mistakes, not speed, hampering Hendrick Motorsports

Kevin Harvick isn’t surprised by Hendrick Motorsports’ dip in form as the summer grind sets in. In fact, he’s seen the pattern before. “I think it’s very consistent, right? I look at Byron and I look at Larson. It’s very similar to the things that they’ve done in the past,” Harvick explained. Well, he isn’t wrong.

Take, for instance, William Byron’s 2023 season. He featured in six wins, 15 top-five finishes, and 21 top-10s, career highs across the board. He started strong, winning four times in the first 19 races. But then he only won twice in the final 17 events. This pattern seems to be repeating for him (and Larson) in 2025.

This year, Byron’s summer swoon is evident in the stats: through 19 races, he has just one win, seven top-five finishes, and ten top-10s, with an average finish of 14.2 and 769 laps led. Solid, but below his spring pace. Larson, meanwhile, has three wins and nine top-fives. But his average finish has slipped to 12.7. Plus, his results since the All-Star break have been less consistent, echoing the very midseason dip Harvick described.

Harvick zeroed in on Byron’s recent struggles: “Byron’s made mistakes. Crashed at Pocono. Crashed at Chicago. Now, it’s consistently happening, right? Like now it’s a thing.” At Pocono, Byron spun exiting the tunnel turn during qualifying after topping the practice charts, slamming the outside wall with his right rear and then hitting the inside wall nose-first. In Chicago, Byron’s race unraveled after another crash, compounding a string of costly midseason mistakes that have kept him from contending for wins.

Kyle Larson’s situation, Harvick said, is a little bit different. “I think that they’ve just not had the sheer speed that the 24 has had in practice and in the race.” He further added that the performance has seen a dip after Larson’s Indy and Coca-Cola 600 double. Larson had crashed out at both events. Since then, the results have been less dominant, with fewer top-fives and a noticeable drop in race pace.

Harvick summed up the challenge: “The hardest part of the season is keeping your circle of life balanced to be able to be mentally prepared to perform on that edge all the time. And right now, they’re not performing on that edge. They’re over the edge.” For Hendrick, the summer slump is less about raw pace and more about regaining composure and minimizing mistakes before the playoffs arrive.

What’s next for Hendrick Motorsports?

With just seven races left in the regular season, Hendrick Motorsports enters Sonoma Raceway in a position of strength on the points table. But they are still searching for flawless execution as the playoffs approach. William Byron leads the Cup Series in points with 632, while teammates Chase Elliott (619) and Kyle Larson (613) are close behind.

This gives Hendrick a sweep of the top three spots in the standings after Chicago. In the playoff picture, Larson sits atop the heap thanks to his three wins. Plus, Byron and Elliott are also locked in via victories. Sonoma presents a unique challenge and opportunity. The 1.99-mile road course has been a bright spot for Hendrick in recent years, especially for Larson. He has two Cup wins there under the team’s banner.

Elliott, known for his road course prowess, is also expected to contend. Byron’s steady points accumulation keeps him in the mix despite recent setbacks. All four Hendrick drivers, Byron, Elliott, Larson, and Alex Bowman, are currently above the playoff cutline, with Bowman 39 points clear of elimination after a top-10 run in Chicago.

The organization’s depth is further showcased by its Xfinity and ARCA programs. Development driver Corey Day set to gain valuable experience at Sonoma in both series, reinforcing Hendrick’s long-term pipeline. This weekend, the focus will be on minimizing errors and capitalizing on speed. This is a theme echoed by Kevin Harvick, who emphasized the mental grind and need for balance as the summer wears on.