“Surviving is thriving in the playoffs with the way these things are set up.” Brad Keselowski had sparkling clarity about the playoff format when he said these words last year. It is clear that in the 2024 Round of 8, Kyle Larson has not been able to thrive and, hence, survive. The Hendrick Motorsports star slipped and tumbled through pit-stop miscues, flat tires, and bizarre spins. Then, in Martinsville, he could not keep up the trend of winning the last race of each playoff round.

This bleak scenario stands against a starkly opposite canvas. That canvas displays the HMS racer’s glittering achievements this year. From attempting the 1100-mile-long Double to outsmarting his rivals with a series-high 6 wins, Kyle Larson should ideally be branded as the best racer. Yet petty mistakes during the Round of 8 sealed his fate under NASCAR’s playoff format.

Kyle Larson’s heartbreak is contradictory

Without a doubt, the No. 5 Chevrolet driver has been the crown jewel of the 2024 Cup Series season. Besides winning 6 races, Kyle Larson led 1,615 laps, which is 613 laps more than anyone else. He also won a series-best 12 stages and had the closest finish in NASCAR history in Kansas where he beat Chris Buescher by 0.001 seconds. Despite these magnanimous achievements, he failed to deliver when it mattered the most. Under the playoff format, the rest of the season goes to ashes if your playoff performance is not good. And Kyle Larson slipped up in the Round of 8, right before the Championship 4 race.

Kyle Larson missed his must-win opportunity at Martinsville Speedway. Although he ran well and finished 3rd, the past two races hung like a dark cloud and prevented his entry into the Championship 4. NASCAR expert Eric Estepp reflected on Larson’s slip-ups in a video. “Kyle Larson – 6 wins this season but very up-and-down. A lot of self-inflicted wounds, mistakes in this round alone. The flat tire at Homestead wasn’t their fault but Larson spinning himself out racing for the lead – that was his fault. Pit crew errors at Las Vegas cost them stage points, cost them a top ten.” 

In Martinsville, Rick Hendrick’s golden boy lacked the usual speed he had in the previous rounds’ last races. Estepp continued that Kyle Larson could not keep up with the playoff system’s high-pressure situation this time. “Larson’s finishes weren’t terrible…but the lack of stage points at Las Vegas and Homestead – that was their undoing…In these playoffs, he only has four top-tens in 9 races. That’s not very good…Today they just didn’t have the speed. I think Chase Elliott was faster than them – obviously, Blaney was. Even William Byron was faster…three races in a row where they left a lot on the table and they’re out.” 

As it turns out, the No. 5 team was prepared for any kind of scenario before Martinsville.

Teamwork ranked higher than fruit

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Well, making it into the Championship 4 round is the ultimate goal of any Cup Series driver. But for the Hendrick Motorsports team, other golden goals exist. For 40 years, Rick Hendrick has been at the head of a stellar team boasting 312 Cup Series victories. And this glittering history rests on a basic ideal – team unity. All four HMS teams unanimously share racing resources and data, working together to achieve the best race results possible. So even though Kyle Larson failed to clinch a championship berth, his team will pride itself on the achievements they had this year. From running the Indianapolis 500 to clinching double the number of wins of any other driver, they have come a long way.

That is what the No. 5 crew chief Cliff Daniels emphasized right before Kyle Larson’s last chance at Martinsville. He said he is “almost thankful for some of the highs and some of the lows (this season) because it’s really tested our team. I’ve had to learn a lot as a leader of the team and the maturity of handling both sides of the coin and keeping our team together and connected and our faith and trust in each other in our process.” He added that whatever happens next, the No. 5 team will still be proud. “That’s how we’ve learned to navigate through the journey. Win, lose or draw over the next two weeks, I think that is a very valuable principle that we’re going to learn and carry with us moving forward.”

Now Kyle Larson is out of championship contention. It is time for him and his team to reflect on an amazing year of learning and preparing for 2025.