There were challenges, and Rick Hendrick’s men endured them. This season’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas featured novelties. Ranging from a shortened road course layout and fresh asphalt to new Goodyear tires, drivers were up for something new. The 3.4-mile track was shortened to 2.3 miles as the race stretched on for 95 laps. Despite removing Turns 7 and 11l, for the Hendrick Motorsports fold, disaster awaited at every turn of the Austin, Texas circuit. Kyle Larson got the worst of it; however, his teammates carved out some solid finishes.

Rick Hendrick’s drivers showcase resilience

It all started with Chase Elliott on the very first lap. After starting third, his No. 9 Chevy was slammed in the left rear in the race’s very first corner by Ross Chastain. Elliott fell back, and the damage incurred necessitated repairs on multiple pit stops. Then, Alex Bowman tried to duck on pit road just when the caution flag waved. That landed the No. 48 Chevy a penalty, and Bowman went to the back. With two laps left in stage 2, Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Chevy suddenly lost its right front wheel and thus incurred a penalty upon making it back to pit road. William Byron was the only driver who ran smoothly as he ran up front all day.

Despite the setbacks, the majority of Rick Hendrick’s team made a jaw-dropping comeback. Chase Elliott started slowly working his way up from the start of stage 3. A pit stop during the final caution let Elliott rocket forward to a fantastic 4th-place finish – considering that he had to start from last. No wonder Elliott was once hailed as the ‘King of the Road,’ as he owns seven road course wins to his name. Along similar lines, Bowman showed remarkable resolve as well. Following his penalty, the same caution benefited him as he stayed out and leapfrogged his rivals. Eventually, the No. 48 Chevy picked up his first top-ten finish of the season, ending the race in ninth. This was in tune with his four top-ten finishes in COTA before.

Things were murky for Kyle Larson, though. After losing his wheel and incurring a penalty, his day effectively ended. Journalist Jonathan Fjeld updated about his status mid-race: “Not a good day for Kyle Larson. He dropped from 8th to 16th with a track limits penalty. Now, he is 37th, two laps down, because of a wheel that came off after he pitted.” Larson finished 35th. This is a bitter slap on his face, as the 2021 Cup Series champion owns six road course race victories. Additionally, Rick Hendrick‘s ‘golden boy’ won the COTA Xfinity race last year in the No. 17 HMS car.

As for William Byron, the story was a bit different. Rick Hendrick’s No. 24 Chevrolet narrowly missed a victory, performing as the best HMS driver on the night.

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A well-fought battle

At the end of the day, we just want to know that we gave our best. William Byron gave his best – but probably came away wishing for more. Kyle Busch was a dominant force and led for 42 laps. However, with less than ten laps left at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, Christopher Bell overtook him. Then, Byron also went past Busch, who faced problems with his right-side tires. The last few laps witnessed a well-fought battle. Byron hounded the back bumper of the No. 20 Toyota several times. However, Bell was relentless and always made sure to deliver blocks to the No. 24 at every tricky turn.

Despite William Byron wishing for more, he put up a clean racing pursuit throughout. He crossed the start/finish line in second place with yet another solid points day. Post-race, Rick Hendrick’s star reflected on his day with a little bit of regret. “Bell got by (Busch), and I felt like once he got clear, his car was super loose and that kind of gave me a couple of shots at him, I just couldn’t ever get beside him. We’ve always raced super well together, so I didn’t want to move him blatantly and all that kind of stuff. Sucks to be so damn close, right? You can be on the bumper of the guy coming to the line and that sucks, but a lot of races ahead and hopefully we’ll keep bringing this speed.” 

Evidently, Rick Hendrick’s men gave their all in clinching the best finishes they could. As William Byron emphasized, many more races and, therefore, many more chances for the HMS drivers are on the way. The 2024 COTA race winner will look to make amends at Phoenix Raceway next weekend, where he has also tasted victory, winning the United Rentals Work United 500 in March 2023. Do you think Byron can double his win tally for 2025 at Pheonix next week? Let us know in the comments!