‘The Kansas Conundrum’: Will Kyle Larson Collapse Under the Weight of a Year-Long Winless Drought?

Kyle Larsonwon multiple races throughout the season, but he secured his second Cup Series title after a third-place finish at Phoenix Raceway, defeating Denny Hamlinby the smallest margins. However, that was 2025. Larson is yet to win a race this year, and considering the performance he showed last season, this has been a massive disappointment. But can his luck change in Kansas?

Does victory await Kyle Larson at the Kansas Speedway?

Kyle Larson managed to win at the Kansas Speedway last year. Interestingly, however, that is his most recent Cup Series race win. Yet, he managed to clinch the championship later that year. This was, in fact, one of the many criticisms of the playoff format.

But is this the track where Larson can finally end his 32-race win drought? It has been a long time since the #5 Chevrolet was seen in the Victory Lane, especially considering he was the title winner last year. But heading into Kansas, the odds look in favor of Larson.

Considering his previous record, he is the only driver to have multiple victories on the track in recent years. Ever since joining Hendrick Motorsports, Larson has led 761 laps on the track. Moreover, his exceptional performance on 1.5-mile speedways makes him one of the favorites for victory this Sunday. He has led 21 of the last 22 races on similar tracks, showcasing the sheer dominance he can deliver.

“It’s kind of wild to think it’s been almost a year since I’ve won because I don’t feel like we’re that bad,” Larson recently said in an interview. But considering the rest of the year he had, winning his second championship, it is understandable that he didn’t feel the winless streak mounting up.

DARLINGTON, SC – MARCH 22: Kyle Larson, 5 Hendrick Motorsports HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, looks on prior to the running of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Goodyear 400 on March 22, 2026, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, SC. Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire AUTO: MAR 22 NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260322131

But now, he is one of the favorites for the upcoming race. Both statistically and through recent performance trends, Larson has picked up the pace he had been missing so far this season and was in winning contention at Bristol. However, the chaotic race only saw him finish in third place, but not very far from the winner.

In terms of ability, there are a lot of drivers who are capable of pushing Larson in Kansas. Tyler Reddick will be looking to get back to winning ways. But the real challenge will be coming from Denny Hamlin, a driver with whom Larson is very familiar. The veteran has the most wins in Kansas for any driver and will be looking to add another one and extend Larson’s winless streak in Cup Series.

While Larson will back his chances, it will be important that the car is in mint condition on Sunday. So far, things have not looked great for anyone in the Chevy garage, and there could soon be a change in that.

Are Larson’s performance issues linked with Chevy?

Although he didn’t win many races in the 2025 season, Larson still managed to keep himself extremely consistent and was able to battle in the Championship 4. While that does not look to be the case so far this season, some of that blame can be put on Chevrolet’s overall performance. The manufacturer’s cars were given a change in the body, and that, as it seems, has triggered some inconsistencies in their performance. Larson also recently addressed this:

“I think we’re gaining on it,” he said, previewing the race in Kansas. “I think the body stuff, maybe, is what we’re fighting right now. Entries (into the turns) seem to be pretty loose at most tracks, and then the window of balance is pretty narrow.”

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 13: Kyle Larson, 5 Hendrick Motorsports HendrickCars.com Chevrolet races into turn 4 during practice for the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Daytona 500 on February 13, 2026, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 13 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2602133326500

This pretty much sums up the Chevy situation. While Toyota has been dominating the Cup Series field, Chevrolet has only won one race, and it came rather recently, in the hands of HMS’ Chase Elliott at Martinsville.

Preparing for the next race, it seems apparent that Chevy has made some improvements in its performance, and Hendrick Motorsports, with all the equipment they have, might be able to challenge for a race win. And if that happens, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kyle Larson take it.

He has been delivering some of the best performances the team has had so far this season, apart from Elliott’s race win. Moreover, his ability to extract the most performance on 1.5-mile speedways, along with the pleasant weather expected for the Kansas race, makes him the favorite.

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