With the NASCAR Cup Series regular season nearing its conclusion, Hendrick Motorsports heads to Richmond Raceway aiming to extend its dominant run, and the Hendrick Motorsports Richmond NASCAR preview highlights just how close the battle is among William Byron, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, and Alex Bowman. The stakes are high as the organization seeks another win while its four drivers fight for playoff momentum, with the short track presenting unique challenges that could define their seasons.
This weekend, the field returns to the Virginia oval where each Hendrick driver faces individual pressure: maintaining leaderboard positions, breaking through for a victory, and building crucial momentum ahead of the playoffs. With the team already leading major statistical categories in 2025, all attention is on whether Byron, Elliott, Larson, or Bowman can secure a key win on one of NASCAR’s most demanding circuits.
Kyle Larson hunts for playoff momentum at Richmond
Kyle Larson, at 33 years old and hailing from Elk Grove, California, carries an impressive short-track record into Richmond. Despite a disappointing 39th-place result last week at Watkins Glen, Larson has finished seventh or better in ten of the last twelve short-track events, missing that mark only at Iowa Speedway. In the Next Gen era, he’s second only to Martin Truex Jr. in laps led at Richmond, accumulating 265 in this span.
With Cliff Daniels as crew chief, Larson’s No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet sits tied for fourth in the Cup Series regular season standings, a mere four points shy of third and 85 behind teammate William Byron. In 2025 short-track points, he’s secured the fourth-most with 109. Over his Cup career, Larson has completed 10,129 laps, holding an average finish at Richmond of 14.1, though his average on short tracks this season is 10.7.
As the playoff push intensifies, Larson remains focused on threading together consistently strong finishes to build critical momentum.
“The last couple of months we haven’t scored as many points as we want but through that, I feel like we’re a much tougher team. We’ve been through a lot and seen a lot of different things and circumstances over the past two, two and half months and I think that can prepare you for the playoffs. I think we have some great tracks for us in the playoffs and I feel if we do a solid job the next two weeks and we execute, we head into the playoffs with some momentum and get to those tracks that we run good at and gain some points again and hopefully get a win or two along the way and just another way to help your playoff out.”
—Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet
Chase Elliott continues consistent push in race for the Cup
Chase Elliott, the 29-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia native, brings a disciplined approach into the Richmond weekend. Following a 26th-place result at Watkins Glen, Elliott holds second in the points standings, trailing Byron by 42 markers—and his remarkable consistency is capturing attention. His 10.96 average finish in 2025 ranks as his third best at this stage of his career, and he’s completed every lap but one entering the 25th race, a feat matched only once in back-to-back seasons.
At Richmond, Elliott boasts a streak of two consecutive top-10 finishes, having placed fifth in the spring and ninth in the summer last year. He also started inside the top five for both events, reinforcing his adaptability on one of NASCAR’s trickiest ovals. In the current stage racing era, Richmond rates as Elliott’s third-best oval based on average finish at 9.64, with four top-fives in his last eight starts at the track.
Elliott comes into Richmond as the most recent night race winner, having claimed the checkered flag at Atlanta Motor Speedway this past June.
“Richmond is a track that has always been difficult for me to get a hold of and be consistently good time after time because the window to hit it right is just so small. I feel like there are very few guys that are consistently successful there. Last year, I do feel like we put together a couple pretty decent finishes, so hopefully we can continue that this weekend.”
—Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet
Points leader William Byron looks to extend dominance at Richmond
William Byron, the 27-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina native, comes off a fourth-place showing at Watkins Glen, a result that stretched his regular season points lead to 42 over Elliott. This marks the 19th week Byron has paced the Cup standings in 2025, never falling below second place, with only two more races until the playoffs begin.
Byron’s season has been one of statistical dominance. He leads the series in several major categories: laps led (910), total points (812), laps in the top five (2,849), laps in the top 10 (3,884), and average running position (10.05). He has also posted two wins on short tracks in his last eight races—the most among active drivers. Notably, Byron has been especially strong under the lights, with four Next Gen night race wins, more than any other competitor in the era.
At Richmond, Byron’s success has come quickly—all 239 of his laps led at the track have been in the Next Gen car, which is his fourth-highest total at any Cup Series venue. That accomplishment has placed him among the top performers at Richmond, where every lap counts toward season-changing results.
Yeah, I mean you hope so, but they’re very different. Like Iowa, with the repave and just the conditions there versus Richmond being really slick old asphalt and slow mid-corner, it’s going to be a lot different at Richmond. So yeah, you hope some stuff translates, but Richmond’s kind of its own beast, really. —William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet
Alex Bowman celebrates career milestone and seeks vital points at Richmond
Alex Bowman, who will turn 33 in April, arrives in Richmond on a season-best run of consistency, posting 13 top-10 results after 24 events—his highest total at this stage in any prior year. Hailing from Tucson, Arizona, Bowman placed 20th at Watkins Glen and currently holds ninth in the series standings, but more critically remains 15th in the playoff picture with a 60-point pad above the cutline.
Bowman, alongside crew chief Blake Harris, will make his 350th career Cup Series start this weekend. He has found discreet success at Richmond across 17 career starts: one victory (April 2021), four top-10s, and one top-five. Uniquely, Bowman’s eight Cup wins have each come at different tracks, highlighting his versatility; his Richmond win stands alongside triumphs at the Chicago Street Course, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Dover Motor Speedway, and more.
Bowman’s No. 48 Ally Chevrolet will showcase a partnership this week with the Henrico Humane Society, aligning with the Best Friends Animal Society initiative. Additionally, the Open Road Sweepstakes partnership between Ally and HendrickCars.com continues, with fans able to win grand prizes on-site or online, driving engagement as the team seeks a pivotal Richmond result.
“Richmond’s always a place I enjoy racing. It’s such a unique short track because you have to balance speed with saving your tires over a long run. We’ve had some strong runs there before, and with the playoff picture so tight right now, every point matters.”
—Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet
Hendrick Motorsports’ dominance in historical perspective
As a team, Hendrick Motorsports continues to make history, entering Richmond having placed at least one car in the top 10 in every Cup Series event this year—a streak that dates back 32 races to the previous season and is the longest in the Next Gen era. The organization approaches an impressive milestone, with its engine shop standing at 549 combined victories in national series competition, just one away from a landmark 550.
In 2025, Hendrick engines have powered teams to 18 poles (seven in Cup, 11 in Xfinity) and 22 race wins (six in Cup, 15 Xfinity, one preseason Clash). In the Next Gen era, the team’s equipment has tallied 40 Cup victories, more than any other group. Across 1,405 all-time Cup starts, Hendrick has set new high marks with 318 wins, 258 poles, 1,311 top-five finishes, and 2,239 top 10s—record achievements in NASCAR.
Richmond Raceway has been a particular stronghold. Hendrick Motorsports leads all organizations at the track in poles (19), top-five results (69), top 10s (128), and laps led (4,643), with 16 stage wins at Richmond this season, tying an all-time series mark through 24 events. With 2,328 laps led this year, they have completed 39% of all Cup Series laps—over 1,100 more than their nearest competitor.
What Richmond means for the playoff race and the road ahead
With the regular season rapidly closing, Richmond will be pivotal for Hendrick Motorsports. William Byron looks to secure the regular season title and build momentum for the playoffs, while Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, and Alex Bowman focus on maintaining, or improving, their playoff positioning. The Virginia short track’s unpredictable nature puts a premium on adaptability and strategy, challenging both experienced veterans and up-and-coming contenders.
For fans, the intensity of the competition will be matched by off-track activities, from promotional sweepstakes to animal rescue partnerships, reinforcing the depth of Hendrick’s community engagement. Victory at Richmond would add to the roster of achievements for an organization already at the top of multiple all-time NASCAR categories and would supply its drivers with vital confidence heading into NASCAR’s most consequential stretch.
As the Cup Series regular season draws to a close, all eyes will be fixed on Richmond to see if Byron, Elliott, Larson, or Bowman can deliver another defining moment—and whether Hendrick Motorsports can further cement its legacy as NASCAR’s team to beat.
