Chevrolet introduced an updated Chevrolet ZL1 body for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series, featuring an aggressive design with a revised front grille, prominent rocker panels, and a larger hood power dome. It takes a while for teams to get used to such changes and get their performances on track, but, as it appears, Hendrick Motorsports is facing a little bit more trouble with it than usual.
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After the first six races of the season, a Hendrick Motorsports driver has yet to reach Victory Lane or notably contend for a win. Veteran driver Kevin Harvick dissected this anomaly in an episode of SPEED with Harvick and Buxton. He said, “They’ve got a new body this year that seems to have thrown them for a little bigger loop than everybody anticipated as far as the balance goes.”
“All the new rules and all the things that are happening in the Cup series with lower downforce, more horsepower at a lot of these racetracks, it seems that they are going to take a little bit longer to wrap their arms around everything,” Harvick added.
Notably, it is just Hendrick Motorsports that appears to be facing this issue with the new body.
Spire Motorsports, which also races with Chevrolet, has been performing noticeably better. Harvick pointed out the performances of Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suarez to shine a light on this. Just like anybody would be, he, too, was taken aback that Spire is contending for wins while Hendrick isn’t.
Harvick’s biggest surprise in 2026
Harvick was further asked what has surprised him the most in the 2026 season so far. He answered, “I think that the biggest surprise to me is just where the Chevrolets are from Hendrick Motorsports. I don’t know that we have ever gone this far into a season and them not being in contention to win these races by dominating an event so far.”
Getting the balance right after such changes to the car in the Next Gen era is a particularly difficult task to overcome. Harvick hopes for the Hendrick drivers to bounce back at Martinsville this coming weekend and pose a proper threat at the front of the field. It is worthwhile remembering how the 2025 season began at this juncture.
Toyota dominated the early parts of the year, only for Kyle Larson to end up as the champion. Tyler Reddick, driving his No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE, has won four of the last six races. Will Chevrolet come back from behind to beat him? Time will tell.
