Kyle Larson (No. 5) starts 19th for Sunday’s USA Today 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo: Josh Jones | The Podium Finish)
LOUDON, N.H. — On any given race weekend, Kyle Larson is typically the driver to beat. Going into Sunday’s USA Today 301, New Hampshire Motor Speedway is one of the tracks he has yet to conquer in his 12-year NASCAR Cup Series career.
Over the years, particularly with Chip Ganassi Racing, Larson has three runner-ups and a third along with a 10th in the penultimate fall race date. However, Larson admits it is one of the few circuits that presents some obstacles from a driver standpoint.
“New Hampshire is really challenging, especially with the bumps getting into Turn 3,” Larson said in a team press release. “Whether it’s being loose into the corners or whether your car is ‘bouncing’ into three, you have to be patient with your car. We’ve had some good runs there, and I like the track and the challenge it provides.”
For a driver like Larson, there is nothing like a challenge that lures him to pursue that elusive victory even more tenaciously. Last year, he finally had respectable run with the Hendrick Motorsports collective, starting 15th and finishing third in his No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
Going into Sunday’s 301-lap race at the 1.058-mile track, Larson starts 19th due to rain canceling Saturday’s qualifying session. It may not be the most ideal track position given the qualifying metric used due to inclement weather, but he enjoys racing in front of the New England faithful.
“I’ve not had too many good runs here, but I still enjoy this place,” Larson said. “We don’t get to come up to this region that often. It’s definitely a different fan base up here. So fun to race in front of some passionate people. And I don’t mind the track either.
“It’s kind of fun. You can work the bottom early, then you can move up the racetrack, then kind of back down later in the run. So, yeah, it’s it’s enjoyable. Just wish we had a little bit more success here.”
From a crew chief’s perspective, Cliff Daniels analyzed how Larson and the No. 5 team have decent pace but not the winning pizazz to challenge the usual favorites at New Hampshire.
Cliff Daniels, Kyle Larson’s crew chief, points out how the No. 5 team has its work cut out for them at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. (Photo: Josh Jones | The Podium Finish)
“We’re looking forward to going to New Hampshire even though it has been a little bit of a difficult track for us,” Daniels said in a team press release. “Typically, we are able to run in the top 10, but we never have the outright speed that we always look for. It’s just a tough place with flat corners.
“It’s got some bumps into (Turn) 3. So the track has good character, which we like because of the challenge of getting the car set up right and getting the balance right. Hopefully, this trip, we can get all that a bit closer than last year. We had an OK run there and are building on some of those notes to go and hopefully have a good weekend.”
Particularly, while Larson had a podium in the rain delayed 301-lapper in “The Granite State,” he points out how the perennial favorites. Namely, these include Joe Gibbs Racing‘s Martin Truex Jr. and Christopher Bell along with Team Penske‘s Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, each possessing raw pace at the front of the field.
Kyle Larson barely got any on track time at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with rain shortening practice on Saturday, June 23, 2024. (Photo: Josh Jones | The Podium Finish)
“It’s hard to get the balance quite right all the time,” Larson said. “I think the Gibbs cars have done a good job here and the Penske cars [have] for a long time. With Ganassi, we had a couple of second place finishes.
“And then, yeah, [with] Hendrick, we actually weren’t bad here last year. Just not quite as good as the 19, but I think our short track program has gotten better here lately, so we’ll see.”
Then again, if there is something to be said about Larson and his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 ride each weekend, they have been fast at about most venues. A late-race accident at Iowa Speedway last Sunday evening derailed what would have been a strong bid for a fourth win in 2024.
Still, this season has been eerily similar to 2021 for the Elk Grove, California, native. With three wins, seven top fives and eight top 10s in 16 starts this year, he reflected on where the similarities preside with this year versus his banner campaign just three years ago.
“I’ve definitely been able to recognize that we maybe don’t have the wins to show for it,” Larson considered. “But as far as speed and laps lead and things like that, stage wins, I feel like we’re we’re very similar to that season. So yeah, just keep pushing hard and keep trying to work at it. Get better.”
Much like the latest NBA champions in the Boston Celtics, Larson points out how it is not just him alone who determines the success that his team enjoys each weekend. Instead, it is everyone, from those at the shop to the on track personnel who must bring their A-game each week.
“You have to have a fast race car,” Larson observed. “That’s the biggest, most important thing. But then, your team’s just got to execute each week, bringing those fast cars. Your pit crew’s got to perform on pit road.
“You can’t make too many mistakes behind the wheel. So yeah, I think our team has proven that we can compete at a high level. So like I said, we just got to keep going after all those areas.”
Admittedly, Larson is prone to make errors or find himself in precarious positions like last Sunday night’s Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway. However, he typically bounces back, earning a win or driving to a strong finish that justifies his tenacity behind the wheel.
Kyle Larson makes his way down Turn 1 of New Hampshire Motor Speedway ahead of Sunday’s USA Today 301. (Photo: Josh Jones | The Podium Finish)
“I’m always aggressive. So sometimes that leads to mistakes,” he shared. “But I feel like a lot of times that aggression can go to net out to the positive and get you some wins too. So yeah, it’s a balance.”
More than anything else going into Sunday’s race at New Hampshire, Larson hopes that he makes a strong bid for the win for Hendrick Motorsports. It has been nearly 12 years since a Hendrick entry won at New Hampshire and it was fittingly the No. 5 team with Kasey Kahne getting the job done.
Perhaps Larson may be making friends with the Loudon the Lobster and adding yet another glorious feat to Hendrick’s 40th anniversary season, New England style.
“I wouldn’t say it adds any pressure, but I think it would mean a lot to the company if one of us four could win,” Larson said. “I think it’s been more than ten years, honestly. So yeah, we’ll see. It’s just a tough track, and there’s been a couple teams that have been dominant here for a while now.”
