Desperate to End JGR’s Playoff Dominance, Kyle Larson May Turn the Tables at Homestead With Massive Rick Hendrick Assist

The first round of 8 race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series went exactly the way Rick Hendrick might have hoped for. Kyle Larson swept the stages to take a dominating victory and lock his place in the championship race in Phoenix. The #5 car has been consistently quick throughout the entire campaign and Sunday was just another demonstration of how good they are. The immediate mission has been accomplished. With two races to go, Hendrick Motorsports will probably shift its focus to another task at hand.

The NASCAR Cup Series will go to Miami for the second race of the round of 8. The event will be held at one of Kyle Larson’s strongest tracks, the Homestead-Miami Speedway. But the driver of the #5 may not go for the win. Instead, he might sacrifice his race to help out the team and Rick Hendrick as they look to one-up their main rivals.

Teamwork could make the dream work for Hendrick Motorsports

Hendrick Motorsports has been locked in a constant battle against Joe Gibbs Racing in 2023. JGR has the likes of Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, and Martin Truex Jr still fighting for a place in the final four. Bell almost snatched the victory off Kyle Larson at Vegas. For HMS, it would be a disaster if there were more JGR cars than theirs in the championship race.

Therefore, the focus will, in all, probability, shift to HMS’ second playoff driver, William Byron. The 25-year-old is the youngest driver in the team. But that did not stop him from tearing up the Cup Series this season. The #24 car has taken a trip on Victory Road 6 times so far this season, more than anyone else.

His place in the championship race may not be confirmed yet but a lot of fans believe in William Byron. His 6 victories this year have made him an even stronger title contender than Kyle Larson in some people’s minds. But that won’t stop the driver if the #5 to help his younger teammate win at Homestead.

In the last few years, Kyle Larson has established himself as a master of the Homestead track. Since 2020, he has taken part in two races at the track, winning one and finishing in the top 5 in both. His average finish in this time period stands at 2.5. William Byron, on the other hand, has taken part in three races at the venue since 2020 and he too has earned one victory. But his stats aren’t as good as his teammate’s.

HMS faces an immediate threat from JGR whose drivers will be desperate to claim victory at one of Kyle Larson’s favorite track. Their best chance is Denny Hamlin. The driver of the #11 has won thrice in 18 starts at Homestead in his career. He will be looking to lock in his playoff spot with a fourth victory at the track, shattering Larson’s dominance.

So if a situation arises where William Byron and Kyle Larson both find themselves at the front of the pack, teamwork will play a big role. With the #5 driver already locked in, he might help out his teammate to lock in his place in the championship four. That would indeed assert HMS’ dominance over JGR with only one race remaining before the title-decider.

That is also the strategy that NASCAR insider and former Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Steve Letarte alluded to, on a recent episode of Motor Mouths.

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Steve Letarte said that the #5 car was that one car that no other team wanted to see win at Las Vegas. The reason is simple. Kyle Larson is expected to dominate at Homestead and Martinsville as they’ve always been a strong Hendrick Motorsports track. So Vegas was perhaps the only place where others could come in without expecting HMS to dominate.

Now with one car in the championship 4 and two races at favorable tracks, Letarte believes that the team’s main focus will be on William Byron.

“The 5 car is so fast every single week that I think of any of the 8 drivers, this is the one that the entire playoff didn’t want to see win and advance in Las Vegas,” he said.

“William Byron is their sole focus as far as when it comes to Miami and Martinsville,” the former HMS crew chief added.

Their season might not have gone entirely to plan but Hendrick Motorsports look like a force to be reckoned with at the moment. If they can finish off the season on a high, no one will even remember the regular season struggles.

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