Hendrick Motorsports Seeks Redemption at World Wide Technology Raceway
In a bid for recovery following a disappointing performance in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff opener at Darlington Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports faces a challenging weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis. Following an uncharacteristic outing where all four of its drivers finished outside the top 15, the organization is eager for a reset.
Kyle Larson acknowledged the ongoing struggles at this venue, stating, “I’m not really sure, and I’m not sure anybody knows, so that’s why we’re working hard to figure it out.” Traditionally, Hendrick has excelled at various tracks, but Larson noted that the Next Gen car has presented issues, particularly on shorter flat tracks.
Chase Elliott echoed the sentiment, reflecting on the team’s collective challenges, “It was pretty standard for a bad week: you’re trying to go back and reset, regroup and figure out where you missed it.” Elliott’s top finish was 17th at Darlington, underscoring a need for significant improvement.
William Byron expressed frustration over the team’s rare missteps, particularly in a crucial playoff setting. However, he expressed optimism, attributing potential gains to insights from a June tire test. “Testing is critical with this car, and we don’t get a lot of it,” Byron remarked. “I feel like we have some good notes.”
Hendrick’s recent track record at World Wide Technology Raceway includes three top-10 finishes, but their average finishing position is a modest 15.8. The team is looking to leverage learnings from the recent test, which had been beneficial at both Iowa Speedway and Richmond Raceway.
As Chase Elliott put it, “We put together what we thought was the best choice for the weekend based on all the information that was presented to us.” With the anticipation of the practice session on Saturday, Hendrick Motorsports is betting on improved performance to navigate the challenges posed by this track.
