Kyle Larson Aims for Second NASCAR Cup Title at Phoenix
Kyle Larson enters the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, vying for his second title, which would bring him closer to iconic figures in the sport. “I really looked up to Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon, and they’re multi-time champions,” Larson reflected on Championship 4 media day. “For me to win a second would get me closer to reaching … they are kind of my goals.”
Larson’s previous championship came in 2021, the inaugural season in which Phoenix hosted the title race. However, the challenges faced by Hendrick Motorsports with their flat-track package raise concerns ahead of this year’s event, marking Phoenix’s sixth time as the championship venue.
“I would say this is probably the best I’ve felt about what we’re bringing for the Championship 4 compared to any other year,” Larson stated. “Everyone at Hendrick Motorsports went to work on getting our flat short-track program better.
The No. 5 team has shown promise at similar tracks, finishing strong at Gateway and New Hampshire earlier this season. Larson finished 12th after leading 52 laps in St. Louis and placed seventh at New Hampshire, having led four laps there.
The turnaround for Hendrick Motorsports is credited to a tire test conducted at Gateway earlier this summer, where Larson and crew chief Cliff Daniels refined their setup. “That test at Gateway was extremely important because we got to run through some different setups,” Larson noted.
Sunday’s race offers one final opportunity for Larson and the Hendrick team to showcase their improvements and secure another championship. “You don’t know until you get on the track,” he added, expressing his eagerness for the race ahead.
