MADISON, Ill. (AP) — Even as his winless drought stretched on for more than a year and Hendrick Motorsports’ Chevrolets lagged behind his competitors’ Toyotas, Kyle Larson never lost faith in his abilities or trust in his team.
After a timely win in NASCAR’s Chase, Larson is only nine points behind postseason leader Denny Hamlin and within striking distance of a second straight Cup Series title.
Larson vaulted from seventh in the Chase standings to second with his win Sunday in the Enjoy Illinois 300 outside St. Louis, snapping a string of 51 consecutive races without a victory. It was the longest such stretch for Larson since he joined the powerful Hendrick garage in 2021.
“I can see how on paper or in media’s eyes, or maybe even some competitors’ eyes, that you could doubt us, and I think that’d be reasonable,” said Larson, shrugging off the notion that he could be seen as an underdog during his season of struggles. “You know, we hadn’t won in 51 races, and yeah, we were kind of just mid throughout the season, and not starting as high as we want to be in the Chase.
“So I could see that, but I don’t really view myself as that, and I don’t really feel like, ‘Oh, I’ve got … I’m going to prove them wrong’ either.”