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.” Now, in race one of the Round of 12, those ambitions hit a wall. Meanwhile, in the first three playoff races, JGR secured the wins. And now Ryan Blaney topped it off with a win at New Hampshire, where the Penske-affiliated Josh Berry finished runner-up. The conclusion, you may ask? It’s JGR and Team Penske’s dominance while Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports scramble to keep up. With Loudon in the past, can Kansas get a better result? Sure, if Kyle Larson’s plan plays out.

Back in May, Larson practically dominated Kansas, starting from pole position to secure his third Cup victory of the season by a margin of 0.712 seconds over Christopher Bell. He even led 221 of the 267 laps and won both of the stages. In 21 Cup Series races at this 1.5-mile oval, the 33-year-old has 3 wins, 8 top-five finishes, and 11 top-10 finishes with an average starting position of 13.4, and an average finishing position of 13. And as the Cup garage heads to the Hollywood Casino 400 next week, Larson is definitely eyeing another victory, but with caution.

Speaking in a post-race interview at Loudon, he said, “I don’t know. I mean, I would love to think we can. But you know, everybody’s kind of gotten their stuff better throughout the year, so you just, you just never know when you go there. But all we can do is try to execute like we did, you know, this spring, and, um, you try to just, uh, yeah, you know, it’d be, it’s been a long time since I’ve, uh, been that dominant. So probably since then. So would love to go back there and, and do that again, but this series is so tough.”

However, it was Kyle Larson‘s New Hampshire race result that set him off in the bigger picture of the playoff run. Inconsistencies and near misses in the Round of 16 have hindered HMS’s title hopes, with Larson and William Byron advancing but struggling with lackluster finishes, while Alex Bowman fell short due to strategic missteps, and Chase Elliott barely survived, but his DNF at Bristol and inconsistent qualifying left him just above the cut line. To advance in the playoffs, Hendrick Motorsports must secure stage points and win upcoming races to keep its championship hopes alive.

But overall, Hendrick Motorsports showed its best results in the playoffs so far. William Byron led the way for Hendrick Motorsports in third, snapping a five-race streak of finishes outside the top 10. Chase Elliott had a significant weekend as he rebounded from a lackluster qualifying effort in 27th to finish fifth. And Larson scored stage points in both stages (6 in Stage 1 and 9 in Stage 2) and faded to 7th in the waning laps. This was the first time in a decade that HMS placed three cars inside the top 10 at New Hampshire. But with Penske in the frame at New Hampshire, capping off wins and top positions, the points have reset.

Larson added, “I mean, I’d say I think honestly the race went better than I expected it to, starting 16th. So, um, we were able to pass a lot of cars there in the first stage, and I would say the first half of the race, I actually felt really, really good. And then as the track kind of lost grip and I started kind of sliding the fronts more to the center and then also sliding the rears on exit… I’m really, really happy with the day. You know, to gain a decent amount on the cut line. I’m happy with. Obviously, you’d want to finish a little bit better, but, um, it’s our best run of the playoffs so far. So happy about that and look forward to Kansas.”

Compared to rival drivers from Joe Gibbs Racing, the HMS drivers view their results at the flat 1.058-mile track as incremental gains. The track, by most measures, bears similarities to Phoenix Raceway, which will host the major championship in six weeks. Still, with Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney recording a statement victory, Hendrick Motorsports recognizes that there is significant work ahead.

In fact, Larson even made a bold statement, saying, “No, I thought Hendrick Motorsports was better than [Joe Gibbs Racing] today.” And they just might be. As Joe Gibbs gives his verdict on the Hamlin-Gibbs run-in, Hendrick Motorsports is riding high on confidence as they gain valuable playoff points.

William Byron extends his playoff points at New Hampshire

William Byron delivered a standout performance at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, securing his first-ever top-five result at the track, starting from the fifth position. Byron consistently demonstrated strong pace, finishing third in all three stages and earning a total of 50 points for the race. This result propelled him to 47 points above the playoff cut line, solidifying his position as a top contender in the postseason. But Byron is still cautious. He said, “Never enough of a cushion. Just try to go to every race, every weekend, and execute well. Certainly a better start than we anticipated.”

The regular season champion also called it a “good day overall” and credited his team for a strong start. He said, “Yeah, it was a good day. I mean, it was a good day overall. I felt like a lot of things that we’ve kind of been building on, on the short tracks, we’re working for it.”

Byron’s performance in New Hampshire not only marked a personal milestone but also showcased his ability to capitalize on stage points, a crucial factor in the playoff format. His consistent finishes and strategic racing have positioned him well for the upcoming rounds, where accumulating points and securing victories will be essential to advance further in the championship chase.