Well, almost everybody except for William Byron did not like the Daytona 500. Featuring a record number of crashes since 2019 – involving 35 wrecked cars – the race was one to forget. Kyle Larson wanted to forget it for another reason though. His average finish in 22 starts at Daytona International Speedway is 21.9. What is more, Larson has been winless in 48 starts in all drafting tracks.

Until last weekend, the Hendrick Motorsports driver owned only two top-fives on superspeedways, both coming in Talladega. But in Atlanta, Kyle Larson flipped his own story of misery. The gigantic difference that he dug between himself and his weakness was amazing – but it was not enough for Larson to feel icky about Daytona.

Kyle Larson confesses his love for Atlanta

Well, the Ambetter’s Health 400 witnessed an energetic Kyle Larson. Atlanta Motor Speedway is a superspeedway-intermediate hybrid, and yet Larson took it down with ease. He won Stage 2, marking his first stage victory on a superspeedway, and also led for 12 laps. This wildly contrasted his Atlanta history – Larson had DNFs in five of the previous six Atlanta drafting races. It also proved that the No. 5 Chevrolet is truly versatile. However, Daytona still leaves a bitter aftertaste in Larson’s mouth. It may have begun in his 2013 Xfinity debut at the track when he sailed into the fence and wrecked his car.

The 2025 Daytona outing did not make things better, as Kyle Larson thought every move he made contrasted drafting techniques. In Atlanta, Larson lost his chance to win just due to the last-lap caution and Carson Hocevar’s antics. Still, he admitted to the joy and relief he felt after breaking his own superspeedway records. He said in a recent ‘Stacking Pennies’ episode, “Atlanta’s so different, I enjoyed that one…Dude, it is so fun. I hate to say that, too, it is a lot of fun.”

In 2022, Atlanta Motor Speedway was reconfigured into a mile-and-a-half superspeedway-style track. Kyle Larson admitted that he would love the older version just to avoid his weakness: “Yeah, I think I would still prefer the old Atlanta. Just because I feel like I’d have selfishly a better shot.” Yet Larson admitted that this year’s race enthralled him nonetheless. “But by pure entertainment value, I don’t know how it comes across on TV, but behind the wheel it hits.”

Kyle Larson went on to compare Atlanta with the other superspeedways, demanding the latter to learn a thing or two. “I’m like just gripped to the wheel, little movement. It’s fun, it’s what I wish that Daytona and Talladega were. Because then I think we would all enjoy it more. The fans would enjoy it more, the racing would be better. I just think that Atlanta’s a good size, it’s a small track. The corner radius – like you don’t have grip like you want. There’s like gaps and holes to fill…Yeah, Daytona and Talladega are just like ugh.”

Behind Kyle Larson’s fresh superspeedway success was an HMS veteran. The latter guided him on his arduous path.

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A legend has his back

When Hendrick Motorsports was still growing, one driver soared it to the peaks of glory. Jeff Gordon, four-time Cup Series champion, has been a legend not only in HMS but the whole of NASCAR. Among his achievements, Gordon boasts three Daytona 500 victories (1997, 1999, 2005). Kyle Larson has been hoping to become another HMS veteran and another Californian to clinch the Harley J. Earl trophy for a long time. However, little success has sprung in his path. He had some Daytona success last year at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 when he led five laps and scored nine stage points. After this year’s chaotic failure, Larson again wallowed in misery.

However, Jeff Gordon uplifted him with encouraging words. “I’ve had a few conversations with him, and am like, ‘Man, just go for it, just forget about it; don’t try to even overthink it.’ I don’t know what advice to give him other than — all I told him today is just be Kyle Larson. Don’t try to be something you’re not. Don’t look at what somebody else is doing that’s having success. Just go out there and execute, and the other things will turn around and come your way eventually.” A week later, Kyle Larson achieved his best superspeedway result in Atlanta.

With the right guidance, Kyle Larson is already trundling down the path to success on drafting tracks. Let us see if the HMS star can implement Gordon’s advice at Talladega.