When Hendrick Motorsports rolled into the first playoff race, the outlook seemed promising for everyone but Alex Bowman. Kyle Larson stood at the top of the table with a 26-point cushion, William Byron held P2 with as many points, marking the slimmest margin ever for a top seed under the current format, and Chase Elliott lined up seventh in the standings. Bowman, meanwhile, trailed outside the cut line.
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But the Darlington day soured quickly. Only one HMS driver cracked the top-10 during qualifying, Larson in P5, while Byron started his engine from P11. Elliott rolled off from P21, and Bowman fired up from P29.
Those struggles carried through to the checkered flag. No Hendrick car finished inside the top 15. Elliott salvaged the best result with 17th, Larson slipped to 19th, Byron crossed 21st, and Bowman wound up 31st.
Toyota dominated the afternoon, locking down six of the top seven spots, with Chase Briscoe taking the win and Denny Hamlin securing seventh.
The poor finish reshuffled the playoff standings as well for the HMS team. Larson dropped to third, still 38 points above the cut. Byron, the regular-season champion, is tied for fifth with a 25-point buffer.
Elliott clings to 11th, just nine points clear. Bowman faces the toughest road, needing either a win or to claw back 19 points across the next two races to keep his playoff hopes alive.
Byron’s crew chief, Rudy Fugle, minced no words in his post-race message, saying, “We’re embarrassed. We’ve got to execute a lot better all around. Nothing comfortable. We didn’t do s**t today. We’ve got to improve and get better and race our ass off every week or it’s going to be a long offseason.”
Byron echoed the frustration, replying, “Yeah, 10-4. That was terrible.”
Rudy Fugle tells William Byron and the 24 team after the race: “We’re embarrassed. We’ve got to execute a lot better all around. Nothing comfortable. We didn’t do shit today. We’ve got to improve and get better and race our ass off every week or it’s going to be a long…
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) September 1, 2025
With Gateway and Bristol looming, Larson heads to tracks that historically play to his strengths. For Byron, the next race is critical, noting his past performances at both venues.
Based on the average finishes, Elliott will have more confidence in the Bristol night race. As for Bowman, only a stroke of brilliance or outright victory on at least one of the two tracks will keep his playoff run alive.
