- Kyle Larson’s 2026 season has been his worst start so far with the Hendrick Motorsports team.
- The HMS driver reviewed the uncertainty with the Bristol Motor Speedway track.
- When asked about his approach to the race, Larson had an interesting answer.
In recent seasons, the season has often revolved around Kyle Larson. Driving the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, he has set the pace, stacked wins, and led more than 400 laps in multiple races.
But last season brought a wrench. A second attempt at the double duty run ended in frustration, as Larson failed to finish both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. The setback took a toll, and momentum slipped through his fingers before he found his footing again during the playoffs.
His last win in the Cup Series came at Kansas last year in the 12th race of the season. Since then, he has been winless. Even so, he closed the year by claiming his second Cup title, outdueling Denny Hamlin at Phoenix Raceway by finishing P3.
But that disappointment has stretched to the 2026 season as well. Seven races into 2026, Larson remains in contention but has yet to visit Victory Lane. He has one top-five finish, four top-10 results, and 137 laps led.
He sits tied with Brad Keselowski for eighth in the standings, trailing points leader Tyler Reddick by 147 points. It is the first time since joining Hendrick Motorsports that Larson is winless through the opening seven races.
Bristol offers Kyle Larson a chance to reset
The next stop in the NASCAR Cup Series schedule will bring the field to Bristol Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Food City 500. And Larson will enter as the defending winner of the race. He claimed the Food City 500 last year, while Christopher Bell took the night race.
Larson has won two of the last three events at the track and three of the last seven. His 1,762 laps led at the 0.533-mile oval rank ninth all-time, including 462 of 500 laps in the 2024 night race, achieved in 19 starts.
“Bristol’s tough, at least in the Next Gen era, because you really don’t know what you’re going to get in track and race conditions until you get into the race,” he said.
“We’ve had a couple of really good races there, and those were a lot of fun. Hopefully, we can go there and have the same sort of dominance like we’ve had in the past. I want to get back to leading a bunch of laps, winning stages and challenging for race wins.”
“No better place to do that than Bristol. Hopefully we can put a whole weekend together like we’ve done in the past,” Larson added, as he looks to snap a 31-race winless stretch, the third-longest of his career.
Larson, Bell, and Hamlin stand among those tipped to contend, with Hamlin also holding two wins at the venue in recent seasons.
Uncertainty remains part of the equation
Larson pointed to the shifting nature of conditions at Bristol, where practice sessions often tell one story and race day writes another.
“I feel like every practice we’ve had there, maybe with the exception of one or two, is really high tire wear, and Speedway News you’re like scratching your head, ‘Oh, my gosh, what’s the track going to do? Do we change our car a bunch overnight to accommodate that wear?'”
“And then you get into the race, and conditions are normal. And then you come back the next time, and you’re like, ‘The race is going to be normal. It’s going to be no tire wear. It’s going to get back to normal,’ and then the race is high tire wear, and you’re changing your race strategy.”
To address that uncertainty, Goodyear will introduce new right- and left-hand tires designed to handle temperature swings. Teams will have 10 sets for the race, along with one set of qualifying scuffs, forcing careful use across the event.
Another factor comes in the form of a revised short-track package, with horsepower rising from 670 to 750, a three-inch spoiler, and a diffuser with fewer strakes, reducing downforce.
Larson’s background on dirt and his ability to adapt across setups may offer an edge, though Hamlin’s experience in tire management on asphalt tracks presents a similar case. Bell, meanwhile, has finished in the top 10 in all six Bristol races run with the Next Gen car.
Larson outlines his approach for Bristol race
Speaking with Steve Letarte, Larson said practice often brings signs of tire wear and marbles, creating doubt about how the race will unfold, only for conditions to settle once the green flag drops.
“The way Bristol’s been the last few years, you still have all those questions when you get done practicing. There’s been so many times when we practice, and you see the tires wear out a bunch, and there’s all these marbles, and you’re like freaking out.”
“Oh my gosh, it’s going to be this totally different race. And then you start the race on Sunday and you’re like, oh, it’s normal. Selfishly, like I want it to lay rubber. I feel like that’s when it races the best. You can push hard. And that’s when I’ve had the most success,” he added.
Bristol’s half-mile layout places strain on tires, forcing drivers to balance pace and control to avoid wear, an issue that has remained in focus for Goodyear compounds in recent seasons. Despite that, for Larson, the setting will offer a chance to turn the page.
