Kyle Larson started the year with big goals, saying, “Obviously you’d like to win the most races and win the championship and all that.” But as the NASCAR garage heads into race one of the Round of 12, those ambitions are hitting a wall. Meanwhile, Joe Gibbs Racing smelled opportunity, and they didn’t just strike; they dominated. Chase Briscoe conquered Darlington, Denny Hamlin powered through Gateway, and Christopher Bell wrapped up Bristol last week. Three playoff races, 3 JGR wins, and one unmistakable message: Toyota is running the show while Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports are scrambling to keep up. And if anything, the 33-year-old is in complete cognizance of his team’s struggles.

Despite entering the postseason with strong performances, Hendrick Motorsports struggled with consistency and execution. At Darlington, none of the four drivers finished inside the top 15, highlighting early issues. The subsequent race at Gateway showed limited improvement, with only three top 10 finishes across 12 starts spanning 2022-24. Moreover, Alex Bowman’s playoff hopes were shattered by pit crew issues. Overall, Hendrick Motorsports’ Round of 16 performance offered plenty of takeaways — both positive and negative — which, if incorporated, might change their playoff narrative.

Speaking to FrontStretch at New Hampshire after the qualifying session, Larson was candid about the problems HMS is facing: “Yeah, I don’t know. I mean, it’s a reset. So, yeah, the first round we didn’t finish well at any of them, but we did do a good job getting stage points and whatnot the first couple races, and then actually felt like we were okay at Bristol. Just had the first stage get away from us with the caution. So, um, but yeah, I mean obviously we would wish that Hendrick Motorsports had all four into this round and have won your races last round, but yeah, the Gibbs cars, they were fast and did a great job executing.”

And JGR is king for now! Beyond the victories, JGR’s dominance was evident in their performance metrics; the team led 870 of the 1,107 laps across the three races, accounting for 78.6% of the total laps led in the Round of 16. This level of control not only highlighted JGR’s strategic prowess but also underscored Toyota’s strength in the playoffs.

Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports have been chasing a victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for more than a decade, with Kasey Kahne the last to win there back in 2012. And in 11 starts at the 1.058-mile oval, Chase Elliott has managed just three top 10 finishes, though he did lead double-digit laps in three of his last four visits, giving a glimmer of hope. Hendrick Motorsports’ results have been far from impressive.

Kyle Larson, a three-time runner-up at Loudon, has yet to secure a win there, leading only 22 laps in 14 starts. William Byron hasn’t cracked the top 10 at New Hampshire in seven appearances, making it the only active track where that is the case. Alex Bowman’s struggles are clear as well, with an average finish of 24.4 reflecting the difficulties the team faces. All told, Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports’ winless streak at New Hampshire stretches across 18 races and two generations of Cup Series cars. And they desperately want to turn that around.

Saturday’s action kicked off with William Byron setting the pace in practice, posting a blistering 29.795-second lap, not only the fastest in Group B but also the quickest overall across all drivers. However, that speed didn’t carry over to qualifying, as Byron had to settle for fifth in the No. 24 Chevrolet. Alex Bowman followed in seventh, Kyle Larson managed 16th, and Chase Elliott struggled in 26th. Larson’s championship hopes are also under fire, with fans blaming HMS. But things look different for JGR as a new team and manufacturer have broken their rhythm at Loudon.

Ford and Penske end Toyota-JGR dominance at NHM

Joey Logano led a Ford top-three sweep in qualifying at New Hampshire Motor Speedway ahead of Sunday’s second-round opener in the NASCAR playoffs. The three-time Cup Series champion claimed his 33rd career pole and second of the season after posting a 29.159-second lap in the No. 22 Ford on the oval. The pole marks Logano’s first at NHM, the same track where he notched his first career Cup win in June 2009. Logano, who also triumphed there in 2014, with a big grin, said after qualifying, “Man, it’s my home track. It feels so good to run well here. Hopefully, we’re able to capitalize.”

Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney will line up alongside Logano in the No. 12 Ford, giving the team its second front-row sweep of the season and the 11th pole at New Hampshire for Penske. Josh Berry, driving the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford with a Penske alliance, bounced back from three consecutive last-place finishes in the first playoff round to qualify third.

Meanwhile, Joe Gibbs Racing, fresh off a sweep of the first round, struggled at a track where it has historically excelled. Denny Hamlin was the team’s top qualifier in ninth, while pre-race favorite Christopher Bell, who has won two of the last three races at New Hampshire, only managed 19th on the grid, with Chase Briscoe rounding out the top 20. Will Joe Gibbs Racing still be the championship favorite after Sunday’s race? Only time and speed can tell.