Hendrick Motorsports is supposed to be NASCAR’s untouchable titan, but the 2025 playoffs have been a gut punch. The Southern 500 at Darlington was a disaster. None of their big four, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron, or Alex Bowman, cracked the top 10, with Larson in 19th, Elliott 17th, Byron 21st, and Bowman a dismal 31st.

Gateway’s Enjoy Illinois 300 offered a flicker of hope. Elliott snagged a podium with third, Byron landed 11th, and Larson hung on for 12th, but the team still faded late, leaving Rick Hendrick’s squad looking mortal.

With Bristol’s Race looming as the Round of 16 cutoff, the pressure’s on. Enter Kyle Larson, Hendrick’s ace in the hole. Fresh off a dominant April 2025 Bristol win where he led 411 of 500 laps and a playoff-clinching victory last fall, Larson

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