Kyle Larson and his crew chief, Cliff Daniels, are gearing up for another shot at the Kyle Larson Cup Series championship as the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season approaches. Coming off their 2025 victory, the Hendrick Motorsports duo is focused on maintaining their momentum and chasing a third overall title as the new racing year begins.
Excitement Builds Ahead of New Season Opener
With the start of the 2026 season on the horizon, Larson admits to feeling a renewed sense of anticipation and restlessness as competition returns. Reflecting on the brief break from racing, Larson described the energy leading into the new campaign:
“Offseasons are fun and all that to get refreshed,”
Larson said Thursday at Hendrick Motorsports,
“but then as it approaches the new season, I just get really antsy and ready to go and look forward to being around everybody again and getting into the meetings and preparation and race weekends and all of that that goes into it.”
— Kyle Larson, Driver
The offseason offered Larson the chance to showcase his talents at the Chili Bowl and in Australia, but now his attention is firmly back on NASCAR, where he seeks to match the consecutive championship feat last accomplished by Jimmie Johnson between 2006 and 2010.
Shorter Offseason Changes Preparation Routine
This year, the postseason activities—including the NASCAR Awards banquet—were completed much faster, ending only days after the final race. Larson commented on the unique rhythm of this offseason:
“This year, it was crazy hectic for a week,”
Larson said,
“but then once that week was done, it was like, boom, you’re moved on to the next year. So it’s made the offseason feel longer, I think, for me, and that’s been something I’ve enjoyed.”
— Kyle Larson, Driver
A Championship Won Through Perseverance
The Hendrick Motorsports team faced a different set of challenges en route to their 2025 championship compared to their dominant first title in 2021. While their inaugural victory came with 10 wins and an All-Star Race triumph, the latest path to victory was less about consistent winning and more about resilience, overcoming early success, and prevailing in the playoff structure even without postseason race wins.
Upon receiving the Goodyear gold car replica to commemorate their championship, Daniels expressed pride in his team’s ability to adapt and excel:
“That accomplishment is great to have, but at the same time, every year presents its own set of challenges and circumstances,”
Daniels said.
“And of course, with The Chase format this year, it’s all kind of a different look. So what we can take from one year to another is how we build our daily process, how we execute, how we perform, how we communicate, all of those things, and apply it to whatever comes our way this season.”
— Cliff Daniels, Crew Chief
The Return of The Chase and Strategy for 2026
The 2026 season brings a renewed Chase format for NASCAR, shifting back to a 10-race points-based championship finale instead of a winner-takes-all event. Daniels is undeterred by the new format, viewing past adversity as preparation for what’s ahead:
“Even thinking back to our season in 2025, a lot of what kept us in the hunt for the regular-season title fight was the fact that we had some really good races going until a mechanical failure or a late crash, where we did score a lot of stage points, and that kind of kept us in the hunt,”
Daniels said.
“So we’ve lived it a little bit. We’ve seen it. And now, of course, it’s going to be more of a highlight of that, where you’ve got to be there during the stages and put a whole race together.”
— Cliff Daniels, Crew Chief
He emphasizes the importance of consistent race execution under this system:
“So again, I think it’s going to benefit our team, and we’ve just got to make sure that how we strategize our races, how we execute, that we’re getting those points along the way. And of course, now with extra points for the race winner, I think that’s a pretty big deal as well of just boosting what that points momentum can be.”
— Cliff Daniels, Crew Chief
This season, race winners will earn 55 points instead of 40, making victories even more critical in the title hunt.
Confidence Amid Challenges and Changing Formats
Larson will enter the season aiming to snap a 24-race winless stretch—his longest since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2021. Despite this, he remains positive about the team’s prospects, especially with the expanded points system in The Chase. Reflecting on the changes, Larson shared:
“I think probably all of us were happy to hear of the format change,”
Larson said.
“I mean, I think your championship contenders in the playoff format are gonna be the same championship contenders in this format. It’s just a larger sample size is gonna be much nicer. A lot can happen in a three-race mini-series that can take you out of it. And then, yeah, from the championship to come down to Phoenix, it’s just there are some teams that are better equipped for that style track. So, yeah, just the larger sample size is gonna be better, and I think would suit Hendrick Motorsports better.”
— Kyle Larson, Driver
Impact of the Upcoming Season
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, and crew chief Cliff Daniels are poised to tackle the challenges of the returning Chase format, blending their recent hard-earned experience with a drive for continuous improvement. As NASCAR prepares for high-stakes racing at legendary venues like Bowman Gray Stadium and Phoenix Raceway, Larson’s focus on teamwork and strategic precision positions him and his group as strong contenders for the 2026 Kyle Larson Cup Series championship. The increased points for race winners and extended playoff sample size could reshape the path to victory, spotlighting strategy and consistency as the season’s defining qualities.
