The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season for Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team was defined by numerous slumps but a stunning finale. Larson started the year on fire, securing 3 crucial regular-season wins, including dominant performances where he led over 400 laps at Bristol Motor Speedway and swept both stages at Kansas Speedway. Yet, the true measure of their recovery was demonstrated in the finale at Phoenix Raceway, where, despite never leading a single lap in the Championship Race, Larson secured his 2nd career Cup Series championship. However, the real challenge lay somewhere else.

The mental and physical toll of the legendary ‘Double’, running the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, was a recurring theme throughout Larson’s campaign. In 2024, his debut attempt earned him the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award after starting fifth and finishing 18th in the IndyCar race. However, is 2025 attempt proved more challenging, making it one of the toughest challenges for him and his team.

Kyle Larson’s struggle to trust himself after the Double

In an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, when asked whether the sheer exhaustion of his 2025 ‘Double’ attempt had taken its toll, Larson acknowledged the truth in the inquiry, admitting. “Well, I think there is probably a lot that went on. I think there’s definitely some truth to that, just mentally draining.” In all honesty, the attempt was notoriously difficult, marred by rain delays at Indianapolis and subsequent crashes in both races, which ended with him failing to finish either event.

The emotional and physical expenditure of coordinating two major efforts that ultimately yielded no success created a substantial debt of mental capital, proving that the challenge of the Double extends far beyond Memorial Day weekend. That pressure soon compounded with issues in the No. 5 HMS camp, leading to a profound crisis of confidence for the 2025 Cup Series champion.

Larson was candid about the personal responsibility he felt during the slump, stating, “I just didn’t do a good job. So I was kind of down on myself in and lost some confidence.” During this mid-summer stretch, Larson’s average finish dropped dramatically to 17.4 over an 18-race period, nearly 10 positions worse than his average in the first third of the season. He also noted that the technical team at HMS had begun pursuing a flawed setup philosophy, inadvertently putting the No. 5 team on the back foot.

The combination of driver doubt and an ill-handling car created a sustained period of underperformance that became impossible to ignore, as Larson narrated, “And then I think all at the same time, I think our race cars, I think we got a little bit down the wrong path on our race cars.” The full extent of the issue became clear during the playoffs at Darlington Raceway, the ‘Lady in Black’ for exposing weaknesses in car setup.

The collective struggle of the HMS stable at that event, where Larson was the highest finisher among his teammates at 19th, served as a critical juncture that forced a team-wide reset across the entire organization. But despite the visible lack of speed, Larson found a silver lining in the adversity. The intense period of running non-contending cars forced the team to become sharper in the one area they could control: pit stops and race strategy.

“We just kind of lived in that slow state for a while. And we were doing a good job executing. And I actually think being as slow as we were made us a better, stronger team as far as execution,” he stated. The turnaround, once the underlying engineering issues were solved, was quick and validating for the No. 5 team. Larson acknowledged that the team had limited time to recover before the playoffs but credited the organization’s swift action for restoring their competitive form.

“I feel like we got back on track and competitive and running up front. So, yeah, just proud of the team for figuring that out,” he added. While he noted the team did not secure a victory in the final 10 weeks of the season, their performance metrics improved dramatically as they began to “lead laps, winning stages, finishing in the top five, and contending more often than we had for a while,” proving that both driver confidence and car speed had returned to championship-contending levels.

However, despite having such a storied legacy, one trophy remains elusive from his touch.

The one race keeping Kyle Larson’s legend from feeling complete

Kyle Larson‘s NASCAR career had been nothing short of spectacular, including two Cup Series championships, crown jewel victories like the Coca-Cola 600, Southern 500, and Brickyard 400, and even a K&N Pro Series East title. Mark Martin once called him a ‘generational talent,” and few would argue otherwise. Yet, amid all those triumphs, there’s still one trophy missing from Larson’s otherwise complete legacy.

Recently, on the Rubbin is Racing podcast, Larson admitted the Daytona 500 remains his white whale. “Daytona. I mean, that’s that’s really the only uh that I can think of like Crown Jewel NASCAR race that I haven’t, you know, been able to win yet. So, yeah, hopefully someday,” he said. Despite 11 starts in ‘The Great American Race,’ he is still searching for that elusive moment under the Florida sun.

Still, Larson’s optimism remains unshaken. “We’ve been getting a lot better at the Superspeedway. I feel like it’s not out of reach to get it,” he added. His recent near-misses, including a P2 at Talladega and a P3 at Atlanta, prove the progress is real. As Larson continues redefining his craft and waiting for fate to align, fans can’t help but wonder if 2026 will finally be the year he conquers Daytona.