Joe Gibbs’ Star Reveals Big Trouble for Kyle Larson That Could Ruin HMS’ Only Chance As JGR Has the “Advantage”

2022 was the year Kyle Larson would rather forget. He saw everything from a grand title defense to hanging by a thread. But 2023 is already shaping up to be his redemption song. Partnering with teammate William Byron, Larson aims to reinstate Hendrick Motorsports’ domination. With only two HMS cars in the playoffs, even team owner Rick Hendrick is leaving no stone unturned, also eyeing the owner’s championship. But as a Joe Gibbs Racing driver pointed out, things could go bad for HMS quickly. 

After Christopher Bell successfully won the pole at Darlington Raceway, the media seized the opportunity to inquire about Bell’s reflections on the significance of his playoff momentum from the previous year. Talking to the press, he shed light on a couple of things that spelled trouble for HMS and Larson, who needs a win in the initial races if we wishes to move to forward in playoffs.

Christopher Bell reflects on how Darlington has a big role to play in the playoffs

During the pre-race presser, Bell emphasized the pivotal role that commencing the playoffs at Darlington played in boosting his confidence during the Round of 16. Bell reminisced about his experience last year, where securing a front-row qualifying position proved beneficial.

“Yeah, that was huge. Getting the Playoffs kicked off at Darlington last year was a huge, huge momentum booster for the Round of 16. And I’ve talked about how hard this race is. It’s a very mental race and people are going to make mistakes and take themselves out of it so you can’t be in that group.” the foe of Kyle Larson stated.

He recounted how well the race unfolded for his team, enabling them to accrue stage points in both early stages and secure a favorable finish. Such achievements, he believed, fostered a more optimistic perspective as they progressed to tracks like Kansas and Bristol. 

But how does this affect Kyle Larson, you may ask? Well, only got an insight into that once the reporters seized the opportunity to inquire about discussions about the grid positioning of Hendrick Motorsports drivers, Kyle Larson and William Byron, as the pack emerged.

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Bell’s remarks suggested a potential vulnerability for these drivers due to their positioning. Positioned in the second and third packs, Kyle Larson [started P18] and Byron [started P23] were speculated to face higher risks of encountering mistakes and crashes in the competitive field. 

During the interview, when queried about the advantage of being in ‘Group A’ for the qualifying session, Bell affirmed the importance of slick tracks. He said, “Yeah, it’s always a big advantage being in Group A whenever we come to these slick race tracks. Just because the amount of time you have cooling your tires is a really big deal. It’s been like that since the start of this qualifying format last year and its bit me plenty of times, so I’m glad I was on the opposite end of it this time.” Bell further added.

For those unaware the cooling of tires is crucial in NASCAR as excessive heat can affect tire integrity. Beyond just performance cooling of tires reduces the chances of blowouts due to good grip strength. It also helps with the fuel efficiency as better tires increases rolling resistance.

With a thundering roar of engines, the screech of tires, and the palpable tension in the air, this year’s NASCAR Cup playoffs promise unprecedented excitement. As the Series unfolded, observers remained attentive to how these dynamics would impact the performance and prospects of Kyle Larson and his team. 

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