If you told someone that the current regular-season leader hasn’t won a race in months, they’d hardly believe it. Yet that’s the rare reality for Kyle Larson, who, despite sitting at third in the playoffs and first in the regular-season standings, is still craving a win to validate his dominance. Larson’s last win came at Kansas in May, where he led a mighty 221 laps out of the 267 to claim his third of the season. Since then, he yearns for a win while fans and insiders long for his form.

Last Sunday at Kansas again, a lot of eyes and odds were on him, including insider journalist Danielle Trotta’s, who was “really looking for Larson to have a repeat performance.” Unfortunately, the race was dominated by the JGR show, only for his HMS teammate Chase Elliott to sneak in the final lap win, fetching them a breather from the JGR-Penske domination going on in the playoffs. And now, Trotta has added her concern that puts his and HMS’ slump into sharper focus.

Trotta is in disbelief with Larson’s form

While speaking on Rubbin’ is Racing, Trotta opened up about the slump that not just Larson but his entire team is facing currently. She said, “Hendrick really needs to step up right now. Gibbs and Penske are really showing out in the Playoffs and you’re kind of like, ‘Where are the Hendrick guys? When are they going to come out and play?'”

Since their Darlington fallout, HMS just hasn’t seen that comeback that truly defines them. The Round of 16 was a complete sweep by the JGR boys. The Round of 12 saw Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney winning his third, while the HMS drivers could at best just manage the top-10 seats. HMS’ Kansas win by Elliott is surely a relief, but Larson’s 6th and Byron’s 9th were overshadowed in the limelight of the Toyotas.

Trotta then came on to Larson. Spilling out her deep concerns for the No. 5, she said, “Larson has not been himself in months. Kyle Larson hasn’t won a race in almost 5 months, that’s the most anti-NASCAR thing ever! I don’t even know how that’s possible! So I hope we see the Larson of old someday.”

Trotta’s point definitely carries a lot of weight when you look at Larson’s numbers. After starting the season strong with three wins by May, he’s since suffered a drought that feels very un-Larson in contrast to his usual form. Since winning the Charlotte race in May, he’s finished seven races outside the top-20, which is very concerning for a driver of his stature — something that’s almost “anti-NASCAR,” as Trotta put it.

Speaking of the playoffs, he can at least breathe easily for now as he’s in a good spot to qualify for the next round, sitting at third with 54 points above the cutline. At Charlotte, the next race, his recent track record is not making things easy for him at all, as he has finished 37th in his May visit and 30th in 2023. His last win there came in 2021, where he led 327 out of the 400 to seal the win with his teammate Chase Elliott as runner-up.

But aside from Larson’s slump, Trotta also addressed the bigger viewership decline NASCAR is facing in general.

Trotta has a solution for the dip in ratings

The ongoing ratings slide that NASCAR has been facing is becoming harder to ignore. The 2025 Cup Series so far has averaged just 2.52 million viewers per race, a 13% drop from last year’s 2.916 million. And the playoff races have been hit the hardest, 32% from last year.

When compared to other sports, NASCAR is struggling as the NFL’s 17.5 million per game and MLB’s steady postseason viewership is making them scratch their heads. On Rubbin’ Is Racing, Danielle Trotta gave a clear solution to this.

She pointed straight at the NFL’s dominance, “Going up against the NFL is really tough … I just don’t know that going up against that is ever going to be a winning strategy.” She argued that a shorter calendar could help NASCAR dodge football season, adding, “A condensed schedule that ends somewhere in late August, early September to me makes a whole lot of sense.”

But shortening the season isn’t easy. NASCAR’s $7.7 billion TV deal with Fox and NBC runs through 2031. Trotta acknowledged this, saying, “If you just signed a multi-billion dollar TV deal … I don’t know that we’re gonna have fewer races.” Still, she believes ending with the Southern 500 at Darlington could preserve tradition while protecting ratings.