Despite his diverse skills, Kyle Larson’s performance at Daytona and Talladega indicates that there is still room for improvement, especially on the Superspeedway tracks. Jeff Gordon, Vice Chairman of Hendrick Motorsports and former driver, has observed that these challenges at Superspeedways are beginning to weigh on Larson’s mind.
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Larson’s performance metrics offer a mixed picture, with an average finish of 21.9 on Superspeedways and a more strong 13.0 on short tracks. On intermediate tracks, the #5 HMS driver boasts an average of 12.8. Specifically, at Daytona and Talladega, he mirrors an average finish of 21.9.
While, the HMS driver has managed to secure top-5 finishes at Talladega Superspeedway, including a fourth place in October 2024 and another fourth place in April 2022 at Daytona, his last top-10 finish dates back to 2021 — the year he won his Cup Championship.
Speaking about Larson’s performance, Gordon commented, “Gosh, the guy (Larson) is not perfect. I think now I’m starting to see it’s getting in his head.”
“I’ve had a few conversations with him, and like, man, just go for it, just forget about it, don’t try to even overthink it. I don’t know what advice to give him other than — all I told him today is just be Kyle Larson. Don’t try to be something you’re not. Don’t look at what somebody else is doing that’s having success,” he continued.
He added advice for Larson to “Just go out there and execute, and the other things will turn around and come your way eventually.” However, Gordon admitted, “It’s a head scratcher, for sure.”
The best of his performance at Daytona International Speedway was a P6 place in 2016. Despite these mixed results at SuperSpeedwats, Larson’s tally of 23 Cup race victories since joining Hendrick Motorsports appears to have earned him some leeway from the team’s leadership regarding his challenges on superspeedways.
Previewing Larson’s Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta
While a Superspeedway is typically defined as a track spanning at least two miles or longer, Atlanta’s 1.54-mile circuit is also technically categorized as such, thanks to a recent reconfiguration that fosters “pack racing.”
The style features high speeds and tight competition akin to what is observed at Daytona and Talladega, even though it does not meet the traditional length criteria of a superspeedway.
And probably that’s why, fortune has not favored Larson at Atlanta either. Over 14 starts, his average finish is 20.1, with his peak performances in 2021 and 2017, securing second place in each. Yet, in his last four appearances, he has failed to crack the top 30.
Nevertheless, William Byron, Larson’s teammate, and the latest Daytona 500 winner, stated, “Wait until we get to Vegas, and he’ll [Larson] just be ripping.” He was confident that Larson’s potential would soon be fully unleashed.
