Kyle Larson, the poster boy of Hendrick Motorsports’ resilience in the NASCAR Cup Series, has had to weather many a storm to win on various tracks. Be it the bumper-to-fender racing in the short tracks or the tire-burning smell of gravel on the road tracks, Larson has aced it all. However, the only success that has eluded him is a superspeedway win.
Last weekend, Jeff Gordon claimed Larson’s struggles at the superspeedways have started getting in his head. But the HMS driver has eased Gordon’s worries as he shrugged off superspeedway struggles to notch a successful outing in Atlanta.
Atlanta Motor Speedway Helps Kyle Larson Do Away With Jeff Gordon’s Concerns
Last weekend in Florida, Larson suffered a personal wreck fest right from the qualifying race when a last-lap crash put him in the 22nd spot for the start of the Daytona 500. Following the same, the No. 5 driver was caught in another final-lap crash that marred his race.
A series of unwanted results, dating back several years, was getting into Larson’s head, claimed Gordon. But the race in Atlanta ended up easing his fears, given Larson’s positive attitude after a successful outing overall.
Dominating the front row for the most part, Larson even won the second stage of the Ambetter Health 400 — marking his first-ever stage win on a drafting track. Subsequently, he was a prime contender for the race win in the last few laps before Carson Hocevar’s aggressive move sent him back.
Jeff Gordon said last weekend Kyle Larson's superspeedway struggles are starting to get in Larson's head. Larson on his performance tonight and feeling better racing at Atlanta versus Daytona and Talladega:
"Daytona and Talladega suck. Like they suck." pic.twitter.com/mKjv6pNzmI
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) February 24, 2025
Nonetheless, Larson was happy to walk away with a podium finish, which highlighted his progress on the drafting track.
Wrecking out of his last four races, the HMS driver was already relieved to see the chequered flag while still driving. And the relief was even more evident when Larson spoke to the media.
“To finish a race here and make it to the third stage feels so good,” claimed Larson.
The 32-year-old still doesn’t have a superspeedway race win to his name, but a positive result in Atlanta will go a long way in helping him keep a positive approach. Larson and his team’s resilience would have certainly earned a boost following the P3 finish as they movie ahead in the season.
