Kyle Larson has his work cut out for him as he starts 22nd in Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at Gateway. (Photo: Bobby Krug | The Podium Finish)
MADISON, Ill. – Outside of a memorable runner-up at Kansas and NASCAR All-Star Race win at North Wilkesboro, it has been rough going for Kyle Larson and his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team in recent weeks.
Namely, an early race crash at Dover relegated Larson to a 32nd place finish while a Ross Chastain tangle dropped the Elk Grove, California native to a 20th place result. Last Monday evening, Larson, while running inside the top 10, spun in Turn 2, sparking a multi-car crash that resulted in significant damage that ended his race 24 laps from the finish in 30th.
Although it seems a bit doom and gloom for the 21-time Cup race winner, there are reasons for the No. 5 team to be optimistic heading into the late spring segment of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. Namely, Larson has fast cars prepared at the Hendrick Motorsports campus in Concord, North Carolina.
Also, the versatile racer has some determination up his sleeves in terms of Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. Last year, Larson, who started 15th, could only muster a 12th place result.
Ahead of Sunday’s 240-lap race, Larson qualified 22nd after posting the second fastest time in Saturday’s practice session. Surely, the 2021 Cup champion and his crew chief, Cliff Daniels, worked ardently on a game plan to work their way up the scoreboard in Sunday’s race.
Larson vies for a strong finish at Gateway after a rough stretch of races. (Photo: Travis Haston | The Podium Finish)
“I’m excited to see the NASCAR Cup Series return to St. Louis,” Larson said in a team press release. “Last year, we finished 12th, but I think our team learned a lot throughout the race. The No. 5 team is definitely hungry for a better finish, myself included, but 2022’s experience and notes certainly help us build confidence for this weekend.”
Likewise, Daniels wants a much better result at the 1.25-mile, egg shaped speedway. If drivers want to win or tally strong results, a crew chief like Daniels is equally as motivated to prepare a competitive car on a weekly basis.
“To be honest, last year at St. Louis we weren’t very good, disappointingly so,” Daniels said in a team press release. “I think at the time there were some things we needed to evolve with our short-track package and since then, we have done that. We’ve had some great short-track races this year and taken a lot from what learned at Phoenix earlier this year.”
Larson was in contention for the win at Phoenix earlier this year before placing fourth in the final results. Still, the No. 5 team’s short, flat track program has improved by leaps and bounds in 2023 with victories at Richmond Raceway, Martinsville Speedway and the All-Star Race triumph at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
One of the challenges facing Larson and his No. 5 team will be the compromises that are likely needed to achieve a near neutral handling condition with the car. Namely, Turns 1 and 2 greatly differ in banking and radius compared to Turns 3 and 4.
Daniels pays attention every single detail each race weekend like Ray Evernham. (Photo: Bobby Krug | The Podium Finish)
Based on Saturday’s 200-mile NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, tire degradation was not much of a factor. This may play a helping hand for Daniels with making aggressive calls from the pits with different possibilities like extending fuel mileage or a different tire strategy.
“We’re just trying to figure out how to put that together in the right way and hopefully put a great foot forward for this weekend,” he said. “I will say the track did a great job last year and I think the track is going to race well this year.
“We certainly enjoy going there and enjoy the race. Obviously, only been there once, but hopefully this year we put a better car on track and turn it into an even more fun experience.”
