Kyle Larson went from winning a championship last year to struggling to break into the top-5 of the Cup Series standings. That frustration showed clearly at the Chicagoland Speedway, as he admitted how he feels after another failed attempt at ending his winless streak. 

While talking to the media post-race, he was questioned if there were any adjustments needed to the car. Larson told a reporter, per Frontstretch:

"I don't know. I mean, I wish we weren't so reliant on the bottom of the car because, yeah I mean obviously I spun so it's self induced but I've had other time in the past couple of years where you run the debris over and you get a flat that's out of your control and then you drag your diffuser off and that’s the end of your day."

During the Eero 400 race, the Hendrick Motorsports driver had started the race in second place. In the first stage of the race at the tri-oval, he managed to keep himself in the top five, but his efforts came undone on Lap 93.

Running in third place, he spun himself, sliding on the infield grass. This resulted in him being stuck in the grass with a flat tire. That meant he finished the race in 34th place.

It also meant that one of his best attempts at winning was in vain, as Larson remains winless in 19 races. That's when he added, "So it kind of sucks, but I mean I'm just mad at myself tonight."

With yet another failed attempt at driving down the victory lane, the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver's winless streak now extends to 43 races, becoming the longest winless streak of his career. He last won at  Kansas Speedway on May 11th 2025.  

Kyle Larson’s misery this season continues as he loses out on the In-Season Challenge 

The No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver's bid for the  In-Season Challenge came to an end at Chicagoland after he finished the race in 34th place after a self-inflicted spin, which resulted in a flat tire. 

The five-race In-Season Challenge features a 32-driver bracket in which the drivers go head-to-head across the five races beginning at Sonoma Raceway. The last driver standing after the five rounds will walk away with a grand prize of $1 million during the finale, which will take place at Indianapolis. 

For the Round 2 matchup at Chicagoland, Larson was matched up against his teammate William Byron. Unfortunately for the No. 5 driver, his teammate emerged victorious as he finished the race in 4th place. 

After finishing 30th, Kyle Larson has not just been dropped out of the In-Season Challenge, but he has also dropped out of the top five in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings. 

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Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar