Kyle Larson delivered a major statement at Kansas Speedway, but he refused to make a bigger claim about Hendrick Motorsports. Larson won the Hollywood Casino 400 in dominant fashion and extended his lead in the NASCAR Cup Series Chase.
His Kansas win also came after a weather-hit weekend forced NASCAR to set the starting field by metric instead of qualifying. After the race, Denny Hamlin said Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet had moved ahead of Toyota on NASCAR’s intermediate tracks. Larson did not agree.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver said Kansas did not provide enough evidence to make that claim. Instead, Kyle Larson pointed to qualifying, traffic, restarts and pit stops as factors that shaped the NASCAR race.
Kyle Larson Questions Hendrick Motorsports Advantage at Kansas Speedway
Kyle Larson said he was focused on racing Hamlin rather than judging the wider balance between Chevrolet and Toyota.
“Yeah, no, that’s a good question. I’m trying to pay attention to or like come up with those thoughts and ideas as I’m leading and pulling away from Denny, who’s so dominant here.”
Larson said several drivers showed strong speed at Kansas Speedway. Austin Cindric was competitive during long runs, while William Byron, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott also ran near the front.
“I feel like it’s more equal. You know, I thought Briscoe was definitely a great car again.”
The NASCAR Cup Series winner said a Toyota leading the race in clean air could have created a different picture.
“So yeah, it’s hard to say. If a Toyota was controlling the race and getting the restarts and being out in clean air, it could have looked more dominant than what our run looked like today.”
Hendrick Motorsports Benefited From NASCAR Kansas Setup
The NASCAR Kansas Speedway race did not include qualifying because of weather. NASCAR used the metric formula to set the starting order, placing Kyle Larson on the front row.
Larson said the result involved more than Hendrick Motorsports speed.
“We had the metric work out in our favor. We had solid pit stops all day long. You know, restarts worked out. I was able to block good enough for four or five laps and get stretched out and kind of settle in. The race just kind of went smooth, but it’s a lot that factors into that.”
Larson also said he could not know whether Hendrick Motorsports had been faster than Toyota without qualifying.
“I’m not convinced that I was better than them because we didn’t get to qualify,” Larson said.
He noted that Joey Logano started near the front and affected the early race, adding another reason he did not want to draw a firm conclusion from Kansas.
Kyle Larson Looks to Las Vegas for a Clearer NASCAR Test
The Kansas result has increased Kyle Larson’s confidence, but he still wants a complete NASCAR weekend before judging Hendrick Motorsports against Toyota on intermediate tracks.
“Well, I mean, your confidence keeps building for sure, but without a full weekend, it’s hard to pinpoint,” Larson said.
Larson also questioned how his car would have performed in traffic or over a short run if he had started farther back.
“I still have some skepticism of where I really rank to the guys who are really good on intermediates, but we’re going to go to Vegas. I’m sure it’s not going to rain in Vegas. So we’re going to get to qualify and we’ll see.”
The NASCAR Cup Series Chase now moves to Las Vegas. Kyle Larson enters the next race with the points lead, while Hendrick Motorsports continues to show improved speed. For Larson, though, Kansas was not enough to prove Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports have passed Toyota.
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