Larson Admits No. 5 Team Struggled at Phoenix

NASCAR driver Kyle Larson says his team "was never good" at the 1-mile oval despite a third-place finish.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team secured a third-place finish in Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway, but Larson was not satisfied with their performance. He said the team "was never good here" and "felt like we might not even be a top-15 car" at the start of the race. Despite the strong finish, Larson acknowledged that Hendrick Motorsports lacked the speed of their main competitors from Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske, who combined to lead 294 of the 312 laps.

Why it matters

Phoenix Raceway, while no longer the site of the NASCAR Cup Series championship race, remains an important track on the schedule as part of the 10-race Chase. Larson's third-place finish last November was good enough to capture his second Cup Series title, but this season the result of that one race won't decide the champion. Larson and his team know they need to be far better at Phoenix come October if they want to contend for another title.

The details

Larson finished 13th in the opening stage before rallying to finish ninth in Stage 2 and earn a pair of stage points. He managed to avoid the chaos - Phoenix tied a track record with 12 cautions - and put himself in the top-five for much of the final stage. It was a good points day for Larson, but he acknowledged that Hendrick Motorsports didn't have the same speed as their main competitors.

  • The NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway took place on Sunday, March 9, 2026.

The players

Kyle Larson

NASCAR driver for Hendrick Motorsports and the defending Cup Series champion.

Hendrick Motorsports

The NASCAR team that fields cars for Kyle Larson and other top drivers.

Joe Gibbs Racing

A top NASCAR team that competes against Hendrick Motorsports.

Team Penske

Another top NASCAR team that competes against Hendrick Motorsports.

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What they’re saying

“I was not happy to start the race. Really not happy all weekend. Just proud of the team. We definitely know how to fight to get a good finish here at Phoenix. We do it every time. We're never good here. It's not a surprise that we weren't great. We still come up with a third like we typically do here. It took a lot of fight.”

— Kyle Larson, NASCAR Driver (Jayski)

What’s next

Phoenix Raceway will host another NASCAR Cup Series race in October 2026 as part of the 10-race Chase. Larson and the Hendrick Motorsports team will look to improve their performance at the 1-mile oval ahead of that crucial late-season event.

The takeaway

Despite a third-place finish, Kyle Larson and the Hendrick Motorsports team know they need to be significantly better at Phoenix Raceway if they want to contend for another NASCAR Cup Series championship. The team's lack of speed compared to their top rivals was a concern, and they will need to find more performance at the 1-mile oval before the playoffs.