It is still early, but the beginning of the Chase for the Championship has the Kyle Larson and the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 looking strikingly similar to the No. 48 team that dominated the Cup Series from 2006 to 2010.
Despite a well-publicized winless drought to start the season, Larson has been leading laps and accumulating the most stage points of any driver all year. There was clearly a sleeping dragon waiting for the playoffs to begin.
The team now closely resembles Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus, and the Hendrick Motorsports championship machine following finishes of fifth, first, second, and first to open the 10-race playoff.
“What Jimmie and Chad were able to accomplish over such a long period was incredibly impressive,” Larson said after winning at Kansas. “Anyone in the field would love to replicate that success.”
“Although he might hate to hear it, Cliff is as close to Chad Knaus as you can get. I am happy to have him as our crew chief leading our team.”
While the comparison isn’t perfect, Larson’s resume is approaching Hall of Fame status. He is already a two-time champion. With Daniels, this is a team that could very well define a decade of dominance.
This dynamic is familiar to Denny Hamlin, whose regular season championship lead has been overturned in a manner similar to how Johnson disrupted his eight-win 2010 season. Is Larson the championship favorite?
“Yeah, I mean he’s got the points lead and is definitely in control right now,” Hamlin said after the race with a laugh.
“I think we’re right there,” Hamlin stated. “We have finished right where we run every race. There are a few where we finished a little better, but Darlington is the exception. This is where we stand on speed right now. Until we get a bit faster in the short run, we will finish where we are.”
Watch: Hamlin ‘just didn’t quite have it’ to compete for Kansas win
He is the latest in a long line of drivers to face the Hendrick Motorsports aces and believe they can still make a comeback; and maybe he can. It is just a 26-point gap, but it was also just one point.
That is how it worked with the old 48 team back in the day, though Larson is not buying the comparison just yet.
“Honestly, I try not to think about all those things and just listen, read, or consume any information because I want to stay focused and keep doing the best job I can, which has worked for us in the first four races,” Larson said. “Being smart behind the wheel and making good decisions.”
“It is more than just me, though. The team also has to have that same mindset. I feel like they do, and the pit crew has been solid. The mechanics have been bringing fast race cars.”
And no, he does not feel like the favorite suddenly.
“No, no,” he said with a laugh. “There are still six races left, and I only have a 26-point lead on Denny. That could be swallowed up in a hurry. I scored 76 points today. So, Denny could go have a max points day next week, and I could blow an engine, like Noah Gragson did in the first stage, and I would be down 70-some points right there.”
“No, I do not look at it that way. I am just really trying to do the best job I can again. And yeah, just show up to the racetrack and block out all that stuff.”
Watch: Larson thrilled with extending Chase lead after Kansas victory
There is still a long way to go, but a hierarchy is quickly being established.
Kyle Larson
Denny Hamlin -27
Christopher Bell -49
Joey Logano -64
Ryan Blaney -92
Arguably, there is urgency for Bell, Logano, and Blaney to win races.
“Some situations definitely feel like must-wins if you are in a position to win the race,” Blaney said. “But at the same time, you just have to continue to fight and keep clawing away at everything without having terrible days.”
“We have already had two terrible days, and you can see the hole it puts you in. It is hard to climb out of it. We just have to be smart about when to be aggressive and when not to be. But yeah, we will have to win two or three races to have a shot.”
And Hamlin likely needs to match Larson with wins now as well.
“If you are 30-40 back going into Homestead, you have to win,” Hamlin said. “So we won’t know if that is what we need to do for many weeks. Larson started on the front row and led a lot, and it was tough to tell whether it was clean air or if he just did it himself, or a little of both.”
In other words, Hamlin does not see Larson as an insurmountable Hendrick 48 figure just yet either.
As for Daniels and Hendrick president Jeff Andrews, they point directly to the top and Rick Hendrick himself. Andrews said Hendrick is the common denominator between the old 48 team and the current 5 team.
“Mr. Hendrick is just the linchpin for the culture and the mindset,” Daniels said. “He called all the crew chiefs about five or six weeks before The Chase, and we were just down and grinding it out. He could tell everybody was just being hard on themselves.”
“I am pretty sure he called all four crew chiefs and all four drivers and said, ‘Hey, man, all good, no pressure. If we run 15th for the rest of the year, I believe in you guys and know you are going to do what it takes to recover and learn how to improve our cars and performance.'”
“So without that steady hand and steady encouragement from him, I just do not see how our culture stays so well-connected and positive. Big thank you to Mr. Hendrick for believing in us, giving us the opportunity, and coaching us when we needed it.”
“He always says that when you are winning, you are not as good as you think you are, and when you are losing, you are not as bad as you think you are. He keeps us right in that lane, and we are very grateful for him.”
Six weeks remain to see if they are who they look like they are.
Watch: Race Rewind: Larson puts on clinic at Kansas
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