Kyle Larson‘s winless streak has become one of the most talked-about issues in NASCAR as the regular-season leader continues searching for victory, leaving insiders and fans uneasy about the future. The Kyle Larson winless slump is not just an individual concern but also reflects broader struggles for Hendrick Motorsports, raising questions about the team’s performance while competitors like Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske seize the spotlight.
Larson’s Unusual Drought Seen Amid Strong Start
Despite holding first place in the regular-season standings and ranking third in the playoffs, Kyle Larson has not celebrated a race win in months. His last victory dates to May at Kansas, where he dominated by leading 221 of 267 laps in the AdventHealth 400. This commanding performance marked his third win of the 2025 season and briefly reinforced his reputation as one of the sport’s most formidable drivers. Since that day, however, Larson has failed to finish first, and both supporters and industry insiders have grown increasingly restless with the ongoing drought.
At the recent Kansas race in October, media figures, including Danielle Trotta, anticipated a return to form from Larson—especially given his past performance. But as Joe Gibbs Racing drivers set the pace, Hendrick Motorsports saw only teammate Chase Elliott claw a photo-finish victory, providing temporary respite from the ongoing JGR-Penske dominance throughout the playoffs. Danielle Trotta expressed her growing concern, turning attention to both Larson and his team’s dip in fortunes.
Mounting Concerns Within Hendrick Motorsports
On her appearance on “Rubbin’ is Racing,” Danielle Trotta discussed Hendrick Motorsports’ ongoing struggle and noted unease among observers and supporters. She stated,
“Hendrick really needs to step up right now. Gibbs and Penske are really showing out in the Playoffs and you’re kind of like, ‘Where are the Hendrick guys? When are they going to come out and play?’”
— Danielle Trotta, Journalist
Since HMS’s early exit at Darlington, the organization has yet to engineer a resounding comeback that would reinstate its elite reputation. In the Round of 16, Joe Gibbs Racing “boys” performed a clean sweep, while Ryan Blaney of Team Penske clinched his third win in the Round of 12, leaving HMS drivers like Larson only able to secure places in the top ten. Although Elliott’s Kansas victory offered some encouragement, Larson’s sixth-place and William Byron’s ninth-place finishes were quickly overshadowed by the performance of Toyota-backed teams.
Danielle Trotta also highlighted personal worries for Larson:
“Larson has not been himself in months. Kyle Larson hasn’t won a race in almost 5 months, that’s the most anti-NASCAR thing ever! I don’t even know how that’s possible! So I hope we see the Larson of old someday.”
— Danielle Trotta, Journalist
Her remarks underscore how dramatically the narrative has shifted for Larson. After opening 2025 with a trio of wins, Larson has struggled to break through, placing outside the top 20 in seven of his subsequent races. For a competitor known for consistent high finishes, this pattern is unprecedented and feeds into a sense of urgency shared by many in the NASCAR community.
Mixed Fortunes and Challenges Ahead
Looking at the current playoff standings, Kyle Larson remains in a comparatively strong position, sitting third and holding a buffer of 54 points above the elimination line. Yet the upcoming race at Charlotte presents additional pressure: his most recent appearances at the venue resulted in a 37th place finish in May and a 30th in 2023, with his last triumph there occurring in 2021. During that victory, he led 327 out of 400 laps, finishing just ahead of his Hendrick teammate, Chase Elliott. The contrast with his more recent results at Charlotte only heightens the anxiety surrounding his ongoing winless run.
Broader Ratings Slump Pains NASCAR Audience
Danielle Trotta also addressed the bigger context impacting the sport, pointing to a worrying decline in NASCAR television viewership. The 2025 Cup Series has averaged only 2.52 million viewers per race—a sharp 13% decrease from the previous year’s average. The fall-off in playoff viewership is even more pronounced, dropping 32%. When compared with other US sports, the situation seems more bleak; the NFL pulls in about 17.5 million viewers per game, while postseason MLB ratings have remained steady, underscoring NASCAR’s relative struggles in audience retention.
Offering her analysis, Trotta commented:
“Going up against the NFL is really tough … I just don’t know that going up against that is ever going to be a winning strategy.”
— Danielle Trotta, Journalist
She advocated for a new approach to scheduling, suggesting,
“A condensed schedule that ends somewhere in late August, early September to me makes a whole lot of sense.”
— Danielle Trotta, Journalist
However, Trotta recognized the inherent complexities of this idea, noting the sport’s binding media contracts:
“If you just signed a multi-billion dollar TV deal … I don’t know that we’re gonna have fewer races.”
— Danielle Trotta, Journalist
She opined that ending the season with the Southern 500 at Darlington could honor tradition while also pulling NASCAR out of its current ratings nosedive and avoiding direct competition with football season.
Significance for Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, and NASCAR
The Kyle Larson winless slump has become a focal point for concerns not just about the driver’s performance, but also about the state of Hendrick Motorsports more broadly. Danielle Trotta’s pointed commentary highlights the growing anxiety within the sport’s community, as once-dominant figures struggle to reclaim their edge.
NASCAR’s broader challenges—marked by a worrying drop in TV ratings and intensified competition from other sports—remain pressing issues. The debate surrounding potential solutions, such as condensing the season or moving its end date, reflects a period of change and uncertainty for both drivers and the organization. As NASCAR prepares for upcoming high-stakes races and critical strategic decisions, all eyes will remain on whether Kyle Larson can break his winless streak and help reinvigorate Hendrick Motorsports at a pivotal moment for the sport.
