Rick Hendrick’s drivers looked ready for a strong showing heading into the opening playoff race at Darlington. Kyle Larson held the top spot with a 26-point cushion, William Byron sat second with the slimmest buffer ever for a top seed under the current format, Chase Elliott lined up seventh, and Alex Bowman trailed outside the cut line. Things changed quite quickly and drastically, though.
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The powerhouse team fell flat at the Southern 500. Elliott salvaged the best finish among the four HMS drivers with 17th. Larson slipped from a fifth-place start to 19th, Byron crossed in 21st, and Bowman brought up the rear in 31st.
The disappointing night reshuffled the standings. Larson dropped to third with a 38-point margin, Byron slid to sixth with 25 points, Elliott fell to 11th, and Bowman remained below the cut line.
Still, Dale Earnhardt Jr. expects Rick Hendrick’s presence to steady the ship and spark a rebound at Gateway and Bristol.
“I don’t expect to see that happen next week. You know why? “Rick Hendrick has a unique ability to call everybody in on the carpet and ask for things to get better, and they always get better,” said Junior.
Having seen Hendrick’s leadership up close, Dale Jr. explained that the organization thrives on an expectation to win. Monday meetings after poor outings are tense, with Hendrick controlling the room from start to finish.
Mr. H challenges every department, from the engine shop to the drivers, armed with facts to back his words. His message forces everyone to dig deeper. It motivates the drivers to ensure they are not the weak link when the next race rolls around.
