Imagine being Kyle Larson for a moment. Winning your second title for Rick Hendrick at the end of the 2025 season, but then struggling for a single race win in 2026. He was on the verge of ending his winless run in Kansas, but once again was beaten by Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick, who managed to clinch the win. However, all of it might not be on Larson, as his crew chief pointed out a major issue with the team.

Cliff Daniels reflects on Rick Hendrick’s biggest struggle this year

“The Toyotas, they’ve had time with their car and their process and getting it tuned in,” said Larson’s crew chief, Cliff Daniels. The one massive difference that not just Larson but the entire Hendrick Motorsports crew had to go through was a change in Chevrolet’s body. The OEM introduced some minor tweaks in the car that, although hard to notice, make a major difference in its overall performance. Because of this, Chevy, as a whole, has been struggling on the Cup field this season.

At the same time, Toyota managed to kick off its spree of dominance, winning seven out of the first nine races of the season. To help Larson compete, the #5 team is making efforts outside the racedays as well.

“As the #5 team, we test Chicagoland this weekend, which, hopefully, once we get the track rubbered in, we’ll have a good chance to learn more about our car and tuning on it,” Daniels mentioned. “So looking forward to that, and we’re just gonna keep chipping away.”

Larson was one of the favorites for the race win down at Kansas Speedway as he had already tasted victory at the track last year. He was leading the race in overtime, but things were about to change when Reddick dived down on the inside to snatch the lead away at just the right time.

Rick Hendrick, meanwhile, isn’t sitting without any race wins. Chase Elliott’s earlier win at Martinsville added another accolade for him. Despite that, their record in 2026 is not indicative of a team known to dominate the standings and races.

Does the Kansas performance spark some positivity for HMS?

Kevin Harvick mentioned earlier in the season that the top Chevy teams would be able to catch up with the leaders sooner or later, and Larson’s past two performances seem to be advocating the same.

“Yeah, good day. I think the first stage first, and the second is in the race. Yeah, we’re getting closer. Really close there. We’ll keep trying,” Larson said after the race.

Even when racing at Bristol the past weekend, he was a strong contender for the race win. But let’s be real, so was Denny Hamlin, who lost out to his own team. However, he has already pocketed a race win this season, and Larson would want to do that soon.

But Rick Hendrick might be heading in the right direction with his cars’ development. HMS seems to have made up for a lot of the pace they lost earlier in the season. Although Alex Bowman and William Byron remain out of the big picture during the races, both Elliott and Larson make up for it, delivering consistent performances.

However, if either of those drivers wants to contend for the championship, they will have to act quickly. The Chase format isn’t friendly with inconsistencies and a lack of race wins. With Reddick winning his fifth race of the season, he has left both of Hendrick’s best performers back a long mile. But Larson has the experience to turn the tide around, and with him now returning to consistency with two consecutive finishes inside the Top 3, a win could be around the corner for him.